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Choosing A Good Unloading Services

VEHICLE LOADING & UNLOADING TIPS

Truck unloading is a daily activity in many businesses. It is also a regular source of injuries to the driver, workers and visitors. Employers have a responsibility to ensure. they maintain a safe working environment. Forklift operators are also responsible for the safety of others in the unloading area. This guideline should be used to help management establish safe work procedures as it relates to vehicle unloading.

Establish an Unloading Area:

  • Area should be level to help maintain stability of the truck and trailer. The ground should be free of potholes and debris.
  • Area should be free of overhead electric lines.
  • Area should be clear of other traffic — vehicles or foot. Pedestrians, the truck driver, or others employees not involved in the unloading process should be clear of the area.
  • Area should have sufficient lighting for early morning or evening unloading.
  • If possible, the designated area should be a one-way route to prevent the need for vehicles to back up. If a driver is required to back the vehicle, a spotter should be used to protect pedestrians and property.

Guidelines for Truck Drivers:

After checking into the office, the driver should proceed to the designated area and remove tarps, straps, or other load securement devices. Secure this material so it is not an obstruction to the forklift operator during the unloading process.

Driver should secure vehicle, apply brakes, and turn off engine, as appropriate, to prevent unsafe movement during the unloading operation.

Driver should proceed to a designated area (safe zone) located away from the truck and outside of the unloading area. The driver should remain in that area during the unloading operation.

NO material should be unloaded nor should any forklifts be operating in the area around the truck until the driver has completed all of the tasks above and moved to the designated safe zone.

Forklift Safety Tips for Transport Loading and Unloading

Safety Tips for Transport LoadingThe forklift is a material handling piece of equipment that was designed to load, unload, and transport heavy objects and materials. They are used throughout warehouses mainly and are a crucial part of the daily working processes. Trained workers are the only ones qualified to operate forklifts because as helpful as forklifts are, they can be dangerous when not operated correctly. Preventing accidents on forklifts depends on safety practices and training. Loading and unloading protocols is one important part of safety training that can help workers prevent accidents and save lives.

SAFE HANDLING PREPARATION

Before an operator can handle a load, they need to be aware of any possible hazards that could cause the forklift to tip over or cause any damage to people or the surroundings. These hazards are off-center loads which can cause tip overs, overloading which can cause tip overs and falling loads, and damaged or loose loads that can come unstable and hurt someone. To ensure the safe handling of a load, workers need to make sure the load is secure to stabilize it, center the load as much as possible, avoid overloading, understand the forklift’s load capacity, and use the load extension backrest for security.

LIFTING A LOAD

When attempting to lift a load, it is important to be conscious of any hazards like an insufficient clearance, falling loads, and stuck loads. Safety tips for lifting a load include checking the overhead clearance to ensure there are no objects that could in contact with the load, such as lighting, pipes, and sprinklers. This step is especially true when operating in a confined space like a truck trailer. Lift the load very carefully above the lower stack about four inches. Raise the load until it’s clear off the ground and then tilt the mast back slightly to rest the load against the backrest extension to help stabilize it and provide support when traveling. Make sure the load is not touching any objects and can’t catch any obstructions. Return the lift control lever to the neutral position.

LOWERING A LOAD

The biggest hazards present when lowering a load on a forklift are falling loads that can hit other workers, and hitting objects that can fall and strike others or come into contact with other unstable objects. Before a load is lowered, make sure the load is slightly tilted back to stabilize it, out of its neutral position. First, ensure the load is secured before moving, tilt the mast backward to stabilize the load, and move the forklift 8-12 inches away from the load to get it ready for lowering. Stop the truck, return the mast to the vertical position before lowering the load, lower the load so that its lowest point is 6-8 inches away from the floor, and keep the load at a safe travel height while moving with the load.

How to load your forklift:

  • While loading, ensure the goods are evenly distributed, correctly stacked and positioned across both forks to avoid any collapsing and damage to the contents. Do not lift a load with one fork.
  • Ensure the load is fully secure before moving the forklift. Use securing measures such as ropes or bindings if needed.
  • Never overload a forklift truck as it’s an accident waiting to happen. Know the capacity of your forklift and any attachments being used and never exceed this capacity. An overloaded vehicle can cause the rear tyres to be raised off the ground and may cause the forklift to tip over.
  • Do not use the tip of the forks as a lever to raise a heavy load or push a load with the tip of the forks.
  • It is important to ensure that the goods are tilted back with the forks sitting low whilst transporting in order to increase truck stability. Keep the centre of gravity of the load as low to the ground and as close to the front wheels as possible: Carry the load at the lowest position possible, 4 – 6 inches from the ground. Tilt the mast back and position the heaviest part of the load against the carriage.

Safety Tips: Loading & Unloading

Properly loading and unloading freight is integral to our continued success at Minimax. It ensures that the truck you’re driving is loaded safely, which safeguards against our drivers getting injured on the job and it allows us to deliver damage-free products to our customers.

Here are five great safety tips for loading and unloading freight:

1. Distribute weight evenly

Having a well-balanced pallet and trailer will prevent against the tipping or falling over of the pallet or product. Remember to place the heavier objects on the bottom of the pallet and the lighter object on top, and double-check that no boxes are misaligned or overhanging. Let the pallet act as a bumper for forklifts or pallet jacks, not the packages!

2. Use cardboard corner beads

Cardboard corner beads- image of box with yellow strapping

Cardboard corner beads protect against the misalignment of boxes on a pallet while simultaneously ensuring the protection of our customers’ products by protecting the corners of boxes from strapping.

3. Use straps

Strapping the pallet with nylon or metal strapping will add an extra level of assurance that whatever is on the pallet will stay on the pallet during transportation.

4. Shrink wrap properly

Don’t skimp out on shrink wrap! Make sure the pallet is wrapped four or five times with a particular focus on the bottom of the pallet where a shift in product could result in uneven weight distribution. If you need extra strength when wrapping, twist the shrink wrap as you make your away around the pallet.

5. Utilize load protectors

A load protector is a flat, empty piece of cardboard that can be placed every few rows to stabilize loose boxes while also helping with weight distribution.

Steps to loading safely:

  • Get good quality ramps, rated to handle the size and weight of your quad or side x side and are long enough to allow for a safe loading angle into your truck – jacked up trucks will require longer ramps.
  • Secure your ramps to your truck with straps and check that the ramps can’t slip or slide out as you apply power up the ramps.
  • Wear a helmet when loading/unloading in case something happens. If you have a side x side wear your seatbelt, you want to be inside the machine in the event of a rollover.
  • Use 4 wheel drive and low range and apply the throttle smoothly as you climb the ramps.
  • Get your weight forward – just like climbing a hill when riding you should be prepared to lean forward or stand to move your weight forward as required for the slope of your ramps.
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Bookkeeping Rates Are Reasonable For Any Business

ALL THINGS BOOKKEEPING

professional yet affordable Bookkeeping & Admin Services for small, medium and large Businesses. No business is too small for us to assist you

If you are behind in your bookkeeping and need an experienced person to stand by you and assist you with getting things back on track – Then look no further. We will assist you without breaking the bank

Are you tired of living with the worry that the tax man could knock on your door any day now, fully aware that things are not in order?

Bookkeeping & Admin services for any small, medium or large organisation on a contractual basis. Outsource Your Bookkeeping and Admin Services to us and save. Free up valuable time to focus on generating revenue instead of the time consuming admin. Leave that up to people that will put your needs first and ensure you have the correct information to run your business.

Bookkeeping – Bulk catch up as well as monthly maintenance.

Maintenance of debtor’s, suppliers and general ledgers (including invoicing & debt collection), as well as subsidiary records.

SARS submissions VAT/UIF/PAYE/EMP201/EMP501

Management accounts – Stay in the know. We set up, manage and report on your monthly financial management requirements.

Admin: (Full admin function or selected items)

HR Functions – Payroll, wages and salaries, staff contracts etc.

Invoicing

Debt collection

Elimination of waste in the way you do business taking a good look at your processes and procedures.

Difference between Bookkeepers and Accountants

There is often a misconception that bookkeeping and accounting are the same thing. While they both work to assist you with your finances, there are some important distinctions between the tasks of a bookkeeper and an accountant. From the outset, it is important to understand that both bookkeepers and accountants are integral parts of your business. While their tasks can sometimes overlap, there are definitely certain aspects of your business that you would specifically entrust to an accountant, and others that you would give to your bookkeeper.

In simple and very general terms, a bookkeeper will likely be the person that assists you with the ongoing financial recording and transactions that keep your business running smoothly. Your accountant, on the other hand, will be the person who analyses the data produced by your bookkeeper, reports on it, and is best suited to give you financial advice. Your accountant will also have a strong understanding of your taxation requirements, and will be best able to assist in that area.

Some tasks that are regularly undertaken by your bookkeeper can include:

Processing invoices, receipts, payments, and other financial transactions

Processing and maintaining your payroll system

Preparing initial financial statements

Reconciling accounts and preparing reconciliation reports

Managing your accounts receivable and accounts payable, i.e. amounts owing by debtors, and amounts owing to creditors

Calculating GST

Preparing and lodging your BAS

Designing, establishing and reviewing accounting systems

There are a wide variety of other tasks that a bookkeeper can undertake, and much like the tasks outlined above, they are generally related to the ongoing maintenance of your financial records.

While an accountant will also be qualified to assist you in these areas, it is important to be aware that there is likely to be a substantial difference in fees charged by bookkeepers and accountants. In order to best utilise your budget, extensive consideration into which tasks are to be delegated to a bookkeeper or an accountant is advised.

Things to Keep in Mind When Hiring a Bookkeeper

Hiring A Bookkeeper

When you make the decision to hire a bookkeeper, It’s important to feel confident that you’ve made the right choice, be it a local in-person bookkeeper or an online service. Knowing what to look for when going through the hiring process could be the difference between success and failure. You want to choose someone who is professional in every respect of the bookkeeping process, and whose style suits your business needs. Let’s take a look at 6 aspects of hiring a bookkeeper that we need to keep in mind.

Detail-Oriented

A good bookkeeper will be detail-oriented and will take the time to get to know the specifics of your business including the products or services you offer, the typical profile of your customers, and the flow of your financial transactions in order to organize your books in a way that is most helpful for your type and scale of business. The structure of every small business is different and a good bookkeeper should be able to understand your structure and format the books accordingly. For instance, If you have a service-based business, like a hair salon or a landscaping company, the number of customers you have come in on a monthly or annual basis, the size of those accounts, and the potential need to keep a running list of accounts receivable or payable (requiring use of the accrual method of accounting) will be a lot different than the same variables in a business that mostly sells physical wares, like a furniture store. If you run a gym that sells memberships and exercise class passes, and also contains a boutique with workout clothes and accessories, you’re trading in both, and it would likely be in your best interest to separate out the type of your transactions to get a an optimal financial snapshot for each area of your business. A good bookkeeper will understand this and be able to organize transactions with your specific business needs in mind.

Experience Level

Balancing experience level and expense is probably something you’ll encounter, just as you would for any other new hire. In some cases you don’t necessarily need the most experienced bookkeeper, If your finances are fairly simple, it may make sense to go with someone who demonstrates good knowledge of your industry, and who has certification or other experience in bookkeeping, but who may not have as many years in practice behind them. A candidate who is newer to bookkeeping and is bright, motivated and willing to put in the hours to get more hands-on experience with your bookkeeping needs could be ideal for a new business, or those with budget constraints. If your industry require a very seasoned bookkeeper or someone with very specialized industry knowledge and experience, you may have little choice but to be willing to pay the associated price in order to maintain your books to the highest of industry standards.

Software and Tracking Systems

Ask upfront whether a bookkeeper uses software like Quickbooks or Xero. If they don’t, you may want to consider moving on to a different candidate as software systems, online services, and other digital tracking systems is the industry standard, and while you can still keep your books on written ledgers it is often the least desirable option. If you’ve been keeping your books using a particular software for bookkeeping and you like it, ask if the bookkeeper is familiar with this system and how they would continue using this software moving forward. Staying with the same software has obvious benefits like maintaining access to your old data and not having to pay the cost of having the bookkeeper transfer it to their preferred system. Furthermore, if you aren’t sure how long you’ll be using a certain bookkeeper, it doesn’t make sense to do a complete system switch. If you are starting fresh with a new business you may need to do some research on the different software options ahead of time

Accessibility and Accountability

As a small business owner, you probably know that customer service is key to standing out from the crowd in your industry and attracting and retaining customers. It’s no different when you’re doing the hiring. A good bookkeeper should provide you with multiple ways of contacting them, for both time-sensitive and non-urgent matters as you will need to know that you can rely on being able to contact them when needed. This is also true for needing your bookkeeper to be accessible to your accountant, especially during tax season. So be sure and ask potential bookkeepers about their availability day-in and day-out and during busy seasons like tax season.  With your bookkeeper collecting all your daily financial data and your accountant analyzing that data and making sure your taxes are done right, together they can keep your business running smoothly. By picking a bookkeeper who knows how to maintain the right level of communication, you will rest assured knowing that your finances are in good standing. One last point, you should be sure to keep your bookkeeper aware of your business’ key dates: payroll days, tax return deadlines, and any meetings you have on the calendar with your accountant to give your bookkeeper what they need to be able to perform their job effectively and efficiently.

skills you have that will make you a good bookkeeper

Bookkeeping is more than being good with numbers. It encompasses many soft skills and other abilities which wouldn’t spring to mind when you think of accountancy or bookkeeping.

Maths

OK, we know we said it’s more than being good with numbers, but being good with numbers is still the most important part of being a good bookkeeper. Numerical skills are essential when bookkeeping and accounting for obvious reasons, whether it be to balance the books or add up the total sum of a series of transactions. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are all skills that you should have, along with the confidence to use your ability in these areas.

Organisation

Your employers and clients will set you deadlines and you also need to work to Tax Return and VAT deadlines, as well as Financial Year End deadlines. Organising your time around these will not just shape your career, but how competent you are and how potential clients/employers view your services. You will need to plan your months and years ahead and how you work will depend on these tight deadlines.

Communication

Bookkeepers need to present information in a professional manner, and a way that is understandable to clients both in person and via electronic communication. Depending on the size of the organisation you work for, you will also need to communicate effectively with other people in your department and be able to express yourself to your team and colleagues in other departments.

Attention to Detail

You are dealing with a company/client’s financial data and so you need to ensure all the data you are logging is accurate down to the last penny. This is so you can monitor financial transactions and make sure financial policies are being adhered to. This will ensure your career isn’t called into question and you are following all moral obligations and measures of integrity.

Bookkeeping Tips For Business Owners

Bookkeeping can be a struggle for business owners. While some business owners have the budget to hire a bookkeeper, or engage an accounting firm to handle their bookkeeping, many simply don’t have the funds to do so. As a result, they end up doing the bookkeeping themselves (and not always well).

Avoid Using Excel Spreadsheets

Reconciling is a huge part of bookkeeping, and trust us when we say that you can’t do that in an Excel spreadsheet. While onboarding clients, we’ve seen a lot of  “bookkeeping” being done in Excel. But tracking expenses in a spreadsheet isn’t bookkeeping.

Use and Create the Right Accounts

Some bookkeeping softwares let you create an endless number of accounts, and it can make things messy, especially when it comes time for your accountant to do your year-end. Examples of unnecessary accounts that we’ve seen include: bank accounts that don’t exist, “miscellaneous” accounts that don’t provide any information, and sales tax accounts that are not needed.

Categorize All Expense Transactions

Every single expense incurred by your business needs to be categorized appropriately. We’ve seen business owners put all expenses (or the majority of their expenses) into uncategorized expenses and tada! Their bookkeeping is done!

Categorize All Revenue Amounts

Just like with your expenses, you need to categorize all of your revenue amounts correctly. This gets overlooked a lot, and it’s important because different revenue sources are taxed at different rates.

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Interesting Facts About Ants That You May Not Know

How to get rid of those unwanted ants

A solitary ant scurrying across a kitchen counter is easy to squish. So is a small trail of ants.

But these little guys are scouts for hundreds, if not thousands of their nest mates who are waiting in lawns, walls, roofs, under floors and foundations to follow invisible scent trails inside. When the whole gang arrives they become more than a damp dish cloth and some aggressive wiping can handle.

In colder parts of the country ants go into a short hibernation. However, nests in or nearby houses may stay warm enough for foraging to continue throughout the winter months.

Ants make themselves at home anywhere they have access to adequate shelter and sustenance. The first step to remedying a home invasion is to make sure food residue and spills are attended to. Clean the kitchen, clean it well. Pay particular attention to your floor too, and make sure there aren’t any crumbs and scraps hiding in corners.

My flatmate’s fondness of leaving leftover pizza on the bench meant that for at least a month, we had a hell of a time getting rid of them.

Ant Bites: Everything There Is To Know, And Beyond

Ants are one of those insects who are habitual to living within a colony. They are generally peace-loving creatures who will not prefer to harm or disturb you unless they feel threatened by you. This is generally the case with every animal or insect out there in nature

When ants feel threatened, they usually let out a bite or sting which feels different than those of the other insects, in particular. Having said that, these bites can be quite dangerous and even toxic in case of ants of certain specific species. For example, red ant stings may not be too big an issue to deal with, but fire ant stings will definitely have you writhing in pain and agony

Overview of Ant Bites

As mentioned before, any bites may occur because the ant colony is feeling dominated or bullied by you, which will happen if you stumble upon their settlements unannounced. This is why it is important to take extra precautions while venturing out amidst nature.

What Is An Ant Bite or Ant Sting?

Ants don’t literally ‘bite’ you. They just let out a small drop of acidic venom off their mouths on to your skin which causes you to feel that blistering pain like a burn. This burning sensation lasts for a while or even longer depending on the type of ant you have been stung by.

Red Ant Stings:

As mentioned before, ants bite you only when you disturb them, or they feel threatened by your presence. Red ant stings do burn but only for a short while. They may leave a small swelling on the site of the bite, but nothing more than that.

Ant

Ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants appear in the fossil record across the globe in considerable diversity during the latest Early Cretaceous and early Late Cretaceous, suggesting an earlier origin. Ants evolved from vespoid wasp ancestors in the Cretaceous period, and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. More than 12,500 of an estimated total of 22,000 species have been classified. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and the distinctive node-like structure that forms their slender waists.

Ants form colonies that range in size from a few dozen predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies that may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals. Larger colonies consist of various castes of sterile, wingless females, most of which are workers (ergates), as well as soldiers (dinergates) and other specialised groups. Nearly all ant colonies also have some fertile males called “drones” (aner) and one or more fertile females called “queens” (gynes). The colonies are described as superorganisms because the ants appear to operate as a unified entity, collectively working together to support the colony.

Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. The only places lacking indigenous ants are Antarctica and a few remote or inhospitable islands. Ants thrive in most ecosystems and may form 15–25% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success in so many environments has been attributed to their social organisation and their ability to modify habitats, tap resources, and defend themselves. Their long co-evolution with other species has led to mimetic, commensal, parasitic, and mutualistic relationships.

Ant societies have division of labour, communication between individuals, and an ability to solve complex problems. These parallels with human societies have long been an inspiration and subject of study. Many human cultures make use of ants in cuisine, medication, and rituals. Some species are valued in their role as biological pest control agents. Their ability to exploit resources may bring ants into conflict with humans, however, as they can damage crops and invade buildings. Some species, such as the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta), are regarded as invasive species, establishing themselves in areas where they have been introduced accidentally.

Collective intelligence: Ants and brain’s neurons

An individual ant is not very bright, but ants in a colony, operating as a collective, do remarkable things. A single neuron in the human brain can respond only to what the neurons connected to it are doing, but all of them together can be

“I’m interested in the kind of system where simple units together do behave in complicated ways,” she said. No one gives orders in an ant colony, yet each ant decides what to do next.

For instance, an ant may have several job descriptions. When the colony discovers a new source of food, an ant doing housekeeping duty may suddenly become a forager. Or if the colony’s territory size expands or contracts, patroller ants change the shape of their reconnaissance pattern to conform to the new realities. Since no one is in charge of an ant colony – including the misnamed “queen,” which is simply a breeder – how does each ant decide what to do?

This kind of undirected behavior is not unique to ants, Gordon said. How do birds flying in a flock know when to make a collective right turn? All anchovies and other schooling fish seem to turn in unison, yet no one fish is the leader.

All I need in life is this group where everyone pretends to be ants

“I am tired of bringing food to the Queen to justify my existence,” a poster writes. “When does it end? When can I have some of the food I bring home? When will I see the value of my labor?”

But there’s something special about the ant colony group. Yes, jokes and memes are exchanged. But there’s a unique earnestness to the interactions; it feels like a world. A user confesses that he’s in love with the Queen, and 120 commenters urge him to set aside his dalliance, remember his purpose, and get back to work. A member announces that a larva is missing; commenters split into search parties, some volunteer information, others ask for updates, and the larva is eventually found. It’s silly, but I’ll admit: I breathed a sigh of relief.

I don’t need to tell you that we’re living in stressful times, and while we’re all experiencing them together, their impacts on us, and the particular patchwork of ways they’ve upended each of our lives — our workplaces, our families, our own health — are unique to each of us. We’re experiencing a shared crisis alone.

Different things help different people stay sane. For me, the ant colony group is a reminder of the bigger things — bigger worlds, longer times — that surround the tragic and terrifying microcosm we’re currently in. I think about the ant hills on my lawn. I think of an ant, feet under the ground, standing before a crowd of fellow insects, somberly announcing “Death water came from the sky today. Many good workers lost. Press F.” I think of another ant, huddled with a group off to the side, asking in a hushed voice, “Alright, what’s our stance on allying with the red ants? Yea or nay?”

I know that’s not what’s happening, obviously. But in whatever non-English medium ants and anteaters and termites and fruit flies and everything else use to communicate, there are things going on out there. Things are happening, constantly, that are far beyond my understanding. The ants are marching on. It’s probably silly that that helps me get through each day, but it does all the same.

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The End Of Electrical Wiring

ELECTRIC SYSTEM UPGRADES

DOES MY HOME NEED ELECTRIC SYSTEM UPGRADES?

Many older homes have only 40 amp electrical service and electrical panels that use ceramic, glass or barrel fuses. This older wiring poses challenges because after a while, the fuses stop triggering, leading to potential electrical fire risk

Some of the signs that your home may need a panel or power supply upgrade include:

Relying on extension cords to power lights or appliances

Flickering lights

CIrcuit trips when two high-wattage items are used simultaneously

No ground fault or arc fault circuitry

Wiring that is strung on ceramic knobs

Wiring that has cloth or frayed insulation

HOME ELECTRICAL WIRING IS IN ATTICS AND CRAWLSPACES

Our technicians regularly discover subpar home electrical systems because we’re looking in the locations where wires, panels and circuit breakers are located. When these old systems are identified, our team is able to remedy these old systems to keep you family safe while giving you peace of mind. In addition, many homeowners’ insurance require updating old home electric systems before writing a policy.

POWER SUPPLY

This is the power that is brought into you home from the street. Modern homes are serviced by a minimum of 100 amp service and many will upgrade to 200 amp service to handle all the electronic demands of a home

PANEL UPGRADES

Your new power supply will be routed through a new panel with special Arc Fault Circuit breakers to prevent against dangerous electrical fires. A circuit panel will have enough circuits to accommodate all your present electrical appliances, and allow for potential future expansion.

Understanding Your Electrical System

When troubleshooting electrical problems in a house, you can avoid watts of frustration by learning or reviewing things about your electrical system. When you have learned enough, you’ll be ready to go to the page for Troubleshooting these problems in your own home.   Disclaimer.

Your Home Electrical System: Electricity flows to your lights and appliances from the power company through your panel, its breakers, out on your circuits and back. Here is a schematic picture of all the major parts of your home electrical system.

The Power Company: Your electrical utility company and its distribution system bring power over wires and through switches and transformers from the generating plant all the way to a point of connection at your home.

The utility’s system itself can have trouble that can affect things in your home. Its built-in safety features can stop power in time, but other connections, broken lines, storms, imperfections, or mistakes can sometimes allow unusual voltages into your system, possibly damaging parts of it. The sensitivity of home electronic equipment to this has made us more aware of this possibility, so that our use of surge protectors has become common. But some surges are difficult to protect against and can be similar to lightning strikes in their effects

Your Main Panel: Your central breaker panel (or fusebox) directs electricity through your home as a number of separate circuits, each flowing “out” from its own circuit breaker (or fuse) on one wire and returning from whatever is using the electricity to another connection in the panel by means of another wire. The breaker or fuse will interrupt the current (the flow) if it ever starts to approach a dangerous level.

MOST DANGEROUS ELECTRICAL HAZARDS IN YOUR HOME

Poor Wiring and Defective Electric Wires:

Good quality wiring that conforms to safety standards is very important for safety. Bad wiring can increase the chances of fires, power surges, and other serious consequences. For this reason, it’s always best to avoid do-it-yourself electrical work and get professional electricians to perform Most Dangerous Home Electrical Hazards

Outlets Close to Water

Electrical outlets in bathrooms, kitchens, and other areas with water should be installed a safe distance away from the source of water. As water conducts electricity, keeping outlets away from water reduces the chance of an electric shock.

Lightbulbs

We don’t often regard lightbulbs as being potential electrical hazards and by themselves, they’re not inherently dangerous. The potential for an electrical fire arises when lightbulbs are near flammable materials. These can include beds, drapes, plastics, or other items such as upholstery.

Covered Electrical Cords and Wires

Heavy covering of wires can make the cords overheat. While it’s somewhat rare, covered cords and wires can occasionally lead to electrical fires due to overheating. This is because electrical wires and cords radiate heat. If in doubt, keep cords and wires away from items and keep them uncovered.

Pouring Water on Electrical Fires

A common error is pouring water on an electrical fire. If an electrical fire does happen, avoid pouring water on the flames as water will tend to fuel the fire. Keep a fire extinguisher on hand if you’re worried about electrical fires and use that instead of water to put out fires.

Electrical safety

Electrical appliances, plugs and cables that are old or poorly wired can be dangerous. Just because there’s no flame does not mean there’s no fire risk. Find out what to check for to make sure your appliances don’t put you, your family or housemates at risk from fire.

Danger signs

There are danger signs to look for on all electrical items you have at home. If you think something needs fixing or changing, do it immediately.

For plugs and sockets, watch for:

hot plugs or sockets, scorch marks, fuses that often blow or flickering lights – these are signs of loose wiring or other electrical problems

badly wired plugs – any coloured wires sticking out could come loose and debris could also get into the plug

overloaded sockets – plugging too many electrical appliances into one socket can lead to overheating

Don’t take risks with cables and leads. Check if leads are:

frayed and damaged – make sure the outer covering is in good condition and replace if necessary

positioned carelessly – don’t leave leads near water, cookers, other heat sources or where someone could trip

placed under rugs or carpets – don’t put leads where they can wear through without anyone noticing

For electrical appliances, you should not:

get them wet – this includes plugs and sockets, for example, don’t put a vase of flowers on top of a television

leave them on at night – unless they are designed to be left on, like freezers

put anything in the microwave that is made of metal, or has a metallic finish or parts

Learn the essential basics for electrical wiring

Note: This course is based on 220 v, the difference between the 110 v system and the 220 v system is only the number which means the same rules and laws are used to calculate the loads, on the other hand the concept of the wiring among lights and power sockets are the same for both systems.

If you are beginner, fresh graduate or electrical engineer student and you are interested to learn about the electrical system (the essential basics) in the houses and buildings

so this course will be a good choice for you because of what listed below :

1) This course will let you understand how the electricity works in our houses,buildings such as offices,restaurants,schools,hospitals and libraries …etc .

2) You will learn how to wire group of lights to switches also how to connect fans and power sockets through a lot of practical exercises at this course  .

3) How to calculate the load ( current and power ) for each equipment you would fix it .

4) How to read electrical drawings and plans such as lighting layout , power layout , single line diagram and load schedule .

5) Circuit breakers will be considered in this course ( MCB and MCCB ).

6) Types of wires and cables will be considered also .

7) what is the meaning for 3-phase and single phase in our real life .

8) Whats the real benefit for earthing and why do we use earthing in electrical .

9) Moreover I will show you types of switches and power sockets .

At the end of the course you will be familiar with wiring (lights with switches and power sockets) and you will have the courage to read and understand the electrical plans , so be ready and be patient .

Meanwhile if you have a curious to learn about electrical wiring in houses, this course will give you a good experience , in addition at the end of this course you will be able to apply or to work as a site electrical engineer , or an electrical engineer designer or both.

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Commercial And Residential Roofing Decks

The Difference between Commercial Roofing and Residential Roofing

It may seem like a roof is a roof. However, there is a difference between a residential roof and a commercial roof. Damage to either type of roof can be expensive and result in the loss of the value of property due to natural disasters. Both also require the use of quality materials and proper installation by professional roofing businesses in the industry. They will understand that residential and commercial roofs are not created equally. It is imperative to understand that these differences are the key to finding a high quality roofing system for each structure.

Roofing Materials

Roofing materials for residential and commercial roofs tend to vary depending on the type of the roof, weather conditions and cost. Typically a commercial roof has a flat slope and residential roofs tend to be steeper. It takes a qualified and professional roofing company to meet the demands for both and offer sound advice about the materials that work best for each kind of roof. Those with excellent reputations in providing quality roofing materials with skilled roofing technicians, for installation purposes, are in high demand.

Roofing Materials Utilized for Commercial and Residential Roofs

  • Asphalt, Slate, Tile and Ceramic Shingles
  • Wood Shakes
  • Metal Roofing
  • Solar Shingles
  • Built-Up Roof

Construction of Residential and Commercial Roofs

Residential roofs are typically steep-slope and constructed primarily with asphalt, slate, or cedar shake shingles. Some homeowners opt for tile or metal shingles as well.

Commercial, industrial, and institutional roofs are typically flat roofs, which range from old-style built-up roofs to modified single-ply. Because of their flat surfaces, these types of roofs can often serve as locations for gardens or solar panels. Commercial roofs tend to be much larger than residential roofs, and special consideration is required for the weight of the mechanical equipment often located on them.

Commercial roofs are generally more expensive than residential roofs, in part because of overall square footage but also due to the specialized tools and equipment required for safe, high-quality commercial roof installation and maintenance.

The Maintenance

Commercial buildings cover larger square footage, so maintenance of the roofing is more demanding.

For example, you should keep the gutters clean at all times, especially during the fall and winter when debris may cause blockages.

Roof shingles or metal roofing may start to disintegrate with time and under harsh weather. You should do regular checkups to make sure everything is in place.

Residential roofs are easier to maintain because they’re smaller in size, but also easier to scan for damages. You can replace any broken shingles yourself and unblock the gutters when needed.

Installation

Ultimately, the slope and materials decide the installation process. A residential roof can be built within 2-3 days with the only obstacles for the roofers installing them being the chimney. A commercial roof, however, can take weeks to be constructed and assembled. This is because the roof is much bigger, the materials are more complex, and they will end up requiring more time and days in order to cure, glue, reinforce and so on. Commercial roofing is installed in layers of metal and insulation. Membrane roofing is installed using a combination of nails, heat welding and adhesives. A slight, calculated slope is necessary to avoid pooling water and allow rainwater to flow straight onto the gutters. 

Skill level

Although all roof repairs require skilled and licensed professionals, they each come with their own unique sets of challenges. Residential roofing jobs can be difficult and dangerous due to the steep angle of the roof. Commercial roofs require roofers that are familiar with building around smoke stacks, air-flow systems, and external piping. Experienced and competent roofing companies are able to meet the demands for commercial and residential roofing requirements.

Other Factors

Commercial roofers must consider the function of the commercial building and the unique specifications that affect the roof’s construction, residential professionals must be informed about the particular needs of their clients. Obviously, both types of roofs must be constructed to withstand the climate of the area, but residential types tend to be constructed with an eye for aesthetic and commercial roofs with a mind on functionality.

Commercial roofs don’t have the same water shedding structure as residential roofs. This has to be done carefully, so that the roof is waterproof. Impermeable weather membranes are installed under a commercial roof’s surface to protect the structure. A low slope roof doesn’t have the same structural drainage as a steep slope roof, where gravity pulls water off the roof. Emergency roof repair is more common for commercial roofs because any flaw in their waterproofing can allow water damage to the structure.

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Hire Professional Event Videographer And Photographer

HOW TO MAKE EVENT VIDEOGRAPHY WORTH THE PRICE

With all the planning and resources that go into organising an event, successful companies do consider how event videography can be used to promote, document, and take advantage of all that hard work. But your event videography shouldn’t be an afterthought, another box to tick off in the run up to the big day.

DEFINE YOUR GOALS

If you don’t know what you want to achieve with your event video, then you risk throwing money down the drain. To get the most out of your content, you need to establish your goals before you start filming. Don’t miss the opportunity to get the right footage: not everything can be ‘fixed in post’

What Do You Want To Achieve?

The first step is to know what you want to achieve through event filming. Is it to sell more tickets for next year’s events? To grow awareness within your industry? To share the highlights of your event with those who couldn’t make it in person? To make your main competitors jealous?

Who Are You Creating This Film For?

In order to achieve your goal, you should know who you want to reach with your films. Do you want sales? The films will need to speak to potential customers, from those that know what you do to those who are unfamiliar with your work.

Showcase Your Audience

People like to see people like them, so make sure you feature the audience that you want to attract in your film. Want to increase revenue from your exhibitors? Don’t just show exhibition stalls. Make sure you capture vox pops with happy participants talking about how exhibiting has transformed their business.

Tips to Capture Perfect Event Photos and Video

It has been a known fact that events are never a one-time transaction. The efforts put into the event reap your results in many different ways. With the modern age, events are no longer a one-day transaction as well. No, I don’t mean a 2 or 3-day transaction either.

Advancement of high-tech documentation equipment like digital cameras have made sure that all events become virtually immortal in the online realm.

Work with professionals.

The first and the foremost requirement of having the right kind of documentation done is to work with the right professionals, professional photo/ videographers and professional equipment. This ensures that all the technicalities will go right.

Divide and get good.

If you are thinking about imperialism, it is definitely not that. In every event, there are a lot of different things going on simultaneously. Some of them are a part of the formal event, while others are more informal. Either way, they are important for documentation and that is why deserve some good space on your camera roll.

Tell a story.

With the technicalities done, we can now move to the more creative parts. All the photos and videos of the event that you will make public are going to tell a story. They are not just mere documentation tools. They serve as a tool that will tell something to a lot of people. Now what that something will be, is up to you to decide. But you can’t do it after the event.

How to Create an Awesome Promotional Event Video

Video is an important part of event marketing these days. It’s an engaging and cost-effective medium. In fact, 52% of marketers claim it creates the best ROI out of any marketing technique. Videos aren’t just tools to attract guests to your event. They can also be used to find sponsorship opportunities, attract speakers or presenters, and build hype for your attendees. If you place a video on your landing page, you can increase conversions by up to 80%!

Plan the Type of Video You’ll Create

Content Marketing World, finds it difficult to capture everything that happens at one of their events. Instead of trying to film everything (and doing nothing well), she prefers to carefully plan out what kind of video content she wants to make before the event. This way she can get the right footage to produce superb content.

You don’t have to know exactly what your next promotional video will be like, but it helps to have some idea of what you’ll create. Start by defining the purpose of your event video. Ask yourself what kind of value your event offers and how you can emulate that in a video.

Make a List of Must-Have Shots

If you plan to use footage from one event for the next video, there will be some parts you’ll definitely want to get. For instance, you’ll want to record the entire presentation from your keynote speaker, the bride and groom’s vows, or an award ceremony.

Make a list of any times or locations you want to capture on video. Compare these to your schedule to make sure you’re free at those times to hold a camera. If not, task someone on your team with getting the footage for you.

Videography

Videography refers to the process of capturing moving images on electronic media (e.g., videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage) and even streaming media. The term includes methods of video production and post-production. It used to be considered the video equivalent of cinematography (moving images recorded on film stock), but the advent of digital video recording in the late 20th century blurred the distinction between the two, as in both methods the intermittent mechanism became the same. Nowadays, any video work could be called videography, whereas commercial motion picture production would be called cinematography. A videographer is a person who works in the field of videography and/or video production.

Uses

The arrival of computers and the Internet in the 1980s created a global environment where videography covered many more fields than just shooting video with a camera, including digital animation (such as Flash), gaming, web streaming, video blogging, still slideshows, remote sensing, spatial imaging, medical imaging, security camera imaging, and in general the production of most bitmap and vector based assets. As the field progresses, videographers may produce their assets entirely on a computer without ever involving an imaging device, using software-driven solutions. Moreover, the very concept of sociability and privacy are being reformed by the proliferation of cell-phone, surveillance video, or Action-cameras, which are spreading at an exceptional rate globally.

Videography in social science

In social sciences, videography also refers to a specific research method of video analysis, that combines ethnography with the recording of sequences of interaction that are analysed in details with methods developed on the basis of conversation analysis. One of the best known application is in workplace studies.

Videographers

On a set, in a television studio, the videographer is usually a camera operator of a professional video camera, sound, and lighting. As part of a typical electronic field production (EFP) television crew, videographers usually work with a television producer. However, for smaller productions (e.g. corporate and event videography), a videographer often works alone with a single-camera setup or in the case of a multiple-camera setup, as part of a larger television crew with lighting technician, grips and sound operators

Typically, videographers are distinguished from cinematographers in that they use digital hard-drive, flash cards or tape drive video cameras vs. 70mm IMAX, 35mm, 16mm or Super 8mm mechanical film cameras. Videographers manage smaller, event scale productions (commercials, documentaries, legal depositions, live events, short films, training videos, weddings), differing from individualized large production team members. The advent of high definition digital video cameras, however, has blurred this distinction

How to Prepare for an Awesome Video Shoot

It’s been a hot topic in 2013 (we’ve written about it, too), and many end-of-year predication posts assert it will be more of a focus in 2014. Why? Well, as Forbes explains, people respond to faces, voices, movement, and emotion—and video often contains all four of those elements, making it one crazy-powerful marketing tool. But you’ve heard the “whys” before—that’s not what we’re talking about today.

Start with a Project Brief

Before doing anything, you need to define the purpose of, style of, and audience for your videos. These points should live in a project brief, a document outlining the key expectations and specifications for the final product. The brief will help you stay on track, keep the goals of the video shoot top of mind, and ensure that everyone working on the video shoot stays on the same page.

Project Specifications:

This is the bare-bones, straightforward description of the video project. How many videos are you creating? How long will they be? How many days or hours will you be filming?

Overview:

Write 2-3 sentences that sum up the topic and purpose of this project. Why are you creating this video? Who is the audience for this video? What is the main message?

Outline:

Think about each video as a story with a beginning, middle, and end. Whether you’re creating one video or twenty, think through the key points you’d like to cover during each. It may seem like overkill, but the more prepared you are the better, especially because small details make a big difference on film.