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Preparing For An Industrial Emergency

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 9:05 pm

First things first, the fact of the matter is that there are great benefits to be had when there is guidance and ample preparation in cases of an emergency.

Planning and preparation helps industries and corporation discover any hazardous problems or conditions that could be unrecognized and if not paid attention to could possibly aggravate a situation.

When there is preparation, deficiencies are immediately brought to light.

Some of these deficiencies could include resource-lack (e.g. lack of personnel that are adequately trained, lack of supplies, lack of equipment, to name a few). Knowing these details beforehand helps correct any lack in the soonest possible time.

It also prevents major losses and casualties as well as financial organizational collapse.

Another advantage of preparing for an industrial emergency is that it helps promote appropriate safety and awareness among the workers as well as present a company that is concerned with the welfare of all its staff.

The following are some of the needed steps designed to assist industrial plants as well as businesses in preparing for any type of emergency.

Establish a team

As much as possible, set-up a good planning team. A leader as well as a staff must be chosen as based on their appropriate capabilities and skills.

Particular tasks should also be assigned to teams or individuals.

Analyze hazards and capabilities

It is also important to assess the preparations the industrial plant or the organization currently has against risks such as power failure, damage in structures, among others.

In an emergency such as flooding, contacting the manager of the local floodplain as well as other flood officials helps organization and industries learn the risks involved.

Using building materials that are flood-resistant, erecting a physical barrier as well as anchoring structures and tanks is one of the ways to prepare in advance for flood emergencies.

Meanwhile, preparing against high winds is by reinforcing the roof as well as the side panels. Covering windows is also important, covering the doors and removing any objects that are loose from the industrial plant’s site is a must.

Have a backup

As much as possible, have a backup emergency power such as a battery storage, power and heat system combined. It is also vital that contact utility info be obtained in case of a power outage.

The plan should be developed

It is important that there is a plan developed during, before as well as after a particular emergency. Protocols should be established for the welfare of the employees, especially their safety and similarly the readiness of the site.

Emergency power should also be updated as well as the options for power supply. Communication emergency systems must also be established.

Responsibilities for each staff with regards to the recovery, shutdown and restart procedure should be outlined.

An evacuation plan should also be developed including employee support. Procedures on shutting down the utility and the safe processing of operations is a necessity.

Methods in protecting records, inventory and materials must also be developed.

Plan implementation

Staying in touch with the operations emergency center on your own state is important.

In this stage, the appropriate preparation, shutdown, emergency backup and evacuation should be started.

All in all, the final stage is the recovery process and the assessment of the damages brought by the emergency as well as in prioritizing needed repairs. Hopefully, the procedures above helps in the adequate preparation of industries and organization.

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Article Source: Preparing For An Industrial Emergency

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Seasons of Sadness

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

I’ve never really been a summer person but since 1994, the dog days of summer have really become my season of sadness. My first husband died on August 19 of that year. Ever since, the weeks surrounding that date have been difficult for me.

Most people mark their year with anniversaries – the celebration of birthdays, holidays, and days significant to us for one reason or another. After a loss, those anniversaries can be quite painful. I, personally, have found the days and weeks leading up to each anniversary date to be harder than the day itself. I call this anticipatory grieving.

The dictionary defines grief as, “keen mental suffering, distress over affliction or loss, and sharp sadness.” We often associate grieving with the death of a loved one but we can grieve any time we suffer a loss. We can grieve over the loss of a job, a relationship, or our health. We can grieve when we move from a home, have financial difficulties, or do not realize a dream. We can grieve alone, as a family or community.

While we share the experience of grieving with every other person on this planet, the way we grieve is unique to each of us. Some describe the act of grieving in different stages. Yet grieving is not a linear experience but a process that weaves through the fabric of our life. While the intensity of our grief can ebb and flow, there are no time boundaries to our grief. Even if our loss occurred years ago, we can experience grief at any time. Sometimes our grief surprises us as if it is saying, “Hey, I’m not done with you yet!”

I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my grief. Grief is good; it just hurts so badly. Because I had experienced many losses prior my husband’s death, I was familiar with grieving and healthy ways to do it. In the days, weeks, and months after Max’s death I even welcomed those times of intense sadness and pain because in some way they made me feel closer to him. But, when my heart began aching, my natural inclination was to run away from the feelings rather than let them wash over me. I have to constantly remind myself to just “be” in my grief.

I have found the following strategies helpful during my seasons of sadness. I hope you will find them helpful in yours.

Embrace Your Grief
We all have built defense mechanisms to help us deal with pain. This is not the time to use them though. As a wave of grief begins to pass over you, let it flow. Acknowledge that you have good reason to feel this way and the more you let yourself experience grief, the less it will stick around. While the wave may last for minutes, hours, or even days it will eventually play itself out and you will feel peace again. My dad’s favorite expression was “this too shall pass.” He used it throughout his life but especially during the pain at the end of it. Your grief too shall pass. Embrace it until it does.

Experience Your Uniqueness
Each of us experiences grief in our own way. Don’t compare yourself to others. Don’t let others tell you how to grieve. Our loved ones don’t like to see us suffer. In order to avoid this, they often encourage us, in not so subtle ways, to hide our feelings. Or they may be quite up front about telling us to get over it. Accept your own uniqueness. Grieve in the way that is right for you.

Be Kind to Yourself
During times of grieving we should be especially good to ourselves. That means we should take care of ourselves by getting enough sleep, eating well, drinking plenty of water, and doing some kind of physical exercise frequently to alleviate our stress. Don’t push yourself to do things you don’t want to do but be careful of the stress caused by avoiding doing those things. Being kind to yourself also means not anesthetizing yourself from your grief. Be careful not to use alcohol, drugs, or even food to avoid feeling your pain. If you feel overwhelmed, seek counsel from the leader of your faith community, your health care provider, or a therapist.

Express Yourself
The expression of grief can be in words, actions, or tears. Crying can be quite a relief yet many of us are afraid to cry during times of intense sadness because it feels as if we start we will never be able to stop. Don’t worry, you will eventually stop but in the meantime you will reap the benefits of a good cry. If you are like me, and do your best crying in private, be sure to find the alone time to let the tears flow. You may also gain comfort in writing what you feel. If you feel awkward in doing this, try writing your feelings in the form of a letter to a trusted friend. You don’t necessarily have to mail the letter but the writing can be the cathartic experience you need.

Surround Yourself with Love
While you may be a very private person and prefer to experience your grief alone, this is not the time to isolate yourself. Reach out to friends and family. They may need you more than you need them. When you’re with other people you will have more opportunities to laugh (a wonderful grief reliever), gain perspective, and share your pain. Share rituals with others, too. You may want to commemorate the anniversaries of loss with a time to reminisce or even a celebration of hope.

We need to honor our losses by letting ourselves grieve them. Life has many seasons of sadness. Just like spring follows winter, our sorrow is eventually followed by joy. We need both to truly make our life work.

Karen Rowinsky works with women, couples, and families in Kansas City and Overland Park who want to create the life they desire. You can learn about Karen’s marriage counseling, family counseling, and individual counseling services by going to http://www.karenrowinsky.com.

Article Source: Seasons of Sadness

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THE SILENT HEALER…and first step to recovering from any life-altering losses

  • Posted on July 1, 2009 at 7:36 pm

Grief is the normal and natural reaction to any major loss. Loss is a part of living and a great many of us are facing losses due to health and financial issues, deaths of family and friends, and painful relationship breakups, whether personal or in business.

We talk about the loss, but not many people want to hear what we’re really feeling. Grief, the emotions that result from loss, is one of the most off-limits topics of conversation. Yet loss is a part of living.

Unresolved grief from the death of a loved one, a painful breakup, loss of trust, loss of health, loss of a job, or any major loss can leave us depleted, depressed, and passionless.

Society, our family, and friends give us messages like don’t feel bad, replace the loss, keep busy, and with time you’ll feel better. But, these comments don’t help—they don’t get to the “heart” of the matter, and they aren’t true statements or solutions for someone who’s grieving. In fact, sometimes they downright hurt us more.

The truth is when we’re dealing with loss, either recent or long ago, we have a broken heart, not a broken head. We need to say what we’re feeling, and communicate the conflicted thoughts and emotions we might be harboring. We need someone who will really listen, not give us advice, not judge or try to make us feel better. The first step to healing a broken heart is to express our feelings.

So, what is the silent healer and the first step to recovering from life-altering loss?

Hints:
• It takes no particular expertise, although with awareness and practice you can get really good at it.
• It’s not hard to do, except when you’re thinking about something else (which is most of the time!).
• We love it when someone gives it to us.
• I mentioned it in an earlier paragraph.

It’s listening. Listening—the gift we give to each other; listening—the healing power within each of us. It’s a natural part of our everyday communications. And the more we use it, become aware of it, and perfect it, the more power it has to make a difference in our life and work.

When we listen with a blank mind, no agenda, just focused listening, we can hear all of what a person is saying. We experience the message that goes beyond the words. We hear the feelings beneath what is spoken. When we have no other purpose than to truly understand, the truth can show up.

Listening without thinking, eliminates our judgmental thoughts. If the person speaking understands that the listener is not judging them, they feel safe to tell the truth. Try it out. Think of a person in your life that you can tell almost anything to. Isn’t part of the reason you feel that way because you don’t feel judged by them?

For those of us who want to help ourselves and others going through tough times, telling the truth about what we’re feeling to someone who knows how to listen, and listening to others’ expressions of truth about what they’re feeling, is the silent healer for ourselves and others—the secret first step to recovery. It is something we all can give to others and ask others to give to us.

Eileen Joyce is a certified coach and grief recovery specialist with a thirty five-
year background that includes business ownership, marketing, coaching, and
grief recovery. Eileen helps bridge the gap between grief and loss, and joy-filled living. www.eileenjoyce.com, ej@eileenjoyce.com

Article Source: THE SILENT HEALER…and first step to recovering from any life-altering losses

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