A Balanced Diet for Construction workers to Improve Safety and productivity

The United Nations (UN) under its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers around the world. Although the deadline to achieve the UN SDGs is approaching faster, construction workers around the world are still affecting from a number of factors that highly influence their safety and productivity. Some of these factors are directly linked with the workers' daily food. This paper considers the healthy food and relates it to the productivity and safety performance of construction workers. A qualitative research strategy consisting of a systematic literature review and a semi-structured interview was adopted to accomplish the aims and objectives of this research. A healthy diet from the literature review was identified considering the construction workers' physical activities and energy requirements. The results of face-to-face interviews held with mess managers and construction workers from reputed construction organizations in Oman are reported. The selected workers (50%) consider that their daily food has an impact on their productivity and safety performance. Only 30% of the mess managers reported that they consider health-related factors to make their weekly food menu. 50% of the current food menu of the selected construction organizations in Oman is not balanced for construction workers. The result further reveals that food such as grain, vegetable, fruit, dairy product, lean meat, nuts, seed, fats, oil, and sweets should be part of the daily food to maintain the construction workers in a healthier condition. Construction workers are part of the society, thus any efforts which will improve their well-being need to be done. A healthier worker will not only be more productive but will be useful for the society. As a result of investment in workers’ wellbeing, construction organizations will have the benefits of improved productivity and safety

Perceptions on safety climate: A case study in the Omani construction industry

© 2018 ICE Publishing. All rights reserved. Generally, a mature safety climate and a rich safety culture contribute to achieving a safe workplace. The purpose of this paper is to examine the understanding of using safety climate and to make explicit some of the main elements that have a greater impact in the construction industry in Oman. Relevant safety climate factors from literature have been identified using specific search criteria, which resulted in 62 factors spanning over a period of 37 years from 1980 to 2017. The results of face-to-face interviews with construction professionals from chosen construction companies in Oman that show a high level of safety performance are also presented. The result shows that management commitment; alignment and integration of safety as a value; accountability across the board; supervisory management; empowerment and involvement of workers; improvement of communication; and training and education are some of the main elements that significantly affect safety climate in Oman. The common safety climate factors reported in this research are based on the views of selected interviewees working in the construction industry in Oman. It is suggested that these factors may be validated further considering views of other members of the construction team, before being used for safety climate assessment

PENYELESAIAN SENGKETA ANTAR NELAYAN (SUATU STUDI DI LHOK LAMTEUNGOH. KECAMATAN PEUKAN, ACEH BESAR)

ABSTRAKT. NANTA UMAR: PENYELESAIAN SENGKETA 2016ANTAR NELAYAN(Suatu Studi di Lhok Lamteungoh, kecamatan Peukan Bada, Aceh Besar) (v, 55) pp, bilb, app Fakultas Hukum Universitas Syiah Kuala Basri, S.H.,M.H.Penyelesaian sengketa dapat dilakukan secara nonlitigasi (diluar pengadilan). Undang-Undang No. 30 tahun 1999 tentang penyelesaian sengketa alternatif dan pada tingkatan PerDa/Qanun penyelesaian sengketa adat ditentukan dalam Qanun No. 9 tahun 2008 tentang pembinaan kehidupan adat dan istiadat, salah satunya ada sengketa laut.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menjelaskan metode dari penyelesaian sengketa yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat nelayan Lhok dan akibat hukum yang timbul dengan mengunakan metode penyelesian sengketa.Penelitian ini mengunakan metode penelitian hukum empiris dengan menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif. Sumber data berasal dari sumber data primer dan sumber data sekunder. Sumber data primer yaitu hasil wawancara dengan panglima laot dan nelayan dikawasan Lhok Lamteugoh. sumber data sekunder meliputi jurnal-jurnal, buku-buku literatur, peraturan perundang-undangan dan hasil penelitian lainnya.Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa metode penyelesaian sengketa yang dilakukan oleh masyarakat nelayan Lhok Lamtegoh diantaranya adalah membiarkan saja (lumping it), mengelak (Advoidance), negosiasi dan mediasi dan Akibat hukum yang timbul dalam penyelesaian sengketa tersebut adalah akibat hukum para pihak, para pihak yang menyelesaikan sengketa harus patuh terhadap kesepakatan yang lahir dari penyelesaian sengketa, jika dilanggar maka akan dikenakan sanksi adat, yang diberikan oleh panglima laot.Diharapkan kepada berbagai pihak yang termasuk pihak panglima laot, akademisi, praktisi dan lembaga pemerintahan untuk melakukan pendokumentasian dan penelitian secara komperatif terhadap penyelesaian sengketa laot dan sosialisasi pengarsipan berita acara untuk administrasi panglima laot agar lebih teratur, tertib dan terdatanya setiap kasus-kasus yang terjadi di lhok Lamteungoh

Theoretical Modeling of Oligopeptides through Capillary Electrophoresis and Tarnsport Studies

Within this study, the focus will be on oligoglycines. Numerous studies pertaining to the mobility and conformations of oligoglycines have been completed, as this is a driving force for the study. The oligopeptide is modeled using a “coarse-grained” model created in the Allison lab at Georgia State University [Xin,Y.,et. al, J. Phys. Chem. B 2006, 110, 1038-1045], which will be briefly explained within this paper. Oligoglycines will be studied in a few different systems, as the overall charge on the peptide and system will affect its mobility. The conclusion drawn is that the peptide adopts three different conformations based on the temperature of the system and length of the peptide; random conformation at high temperatures, and compact conformations at low temperature. Oligoglycines of length three to five amino acids adopts a cyclic conformation at low temperatures. [Allison, S., et al., J. Sep. Sci. 2010, 33, 2430- 2438.

Neutron Transfer Dynamics and Doorway to Fusion in Time-Dependent Hartree-Fock Theory

We analyze the details of mass exchange in the vicinity of the Coulomb barrier for heavy-ion collisions involving neutron-rich nuclei using the time-dependent Hartree-Fock (TDHF) theory. We discuss the time-dependence of transfer and show that the potential barriers seen by individual single-particle states can be considerably different than the effective barrier for the two interacting nuclei having a single center-of-mass. For this reason we observe a substantial transfer probability even at energies below the effective barrier.Comment: 6 pages, 9 figure

Microscopic sub-barrier fusion calculations for the neutron star crust

Fusion of very neutron rich nuclei may be important to determine the composition and heating of the crust of accreting neutron stars. Fusion cross sections are calculated using time-dependent Hartree-Fock theory coupled with density-constrained Hartree-Fock calculations to deduce an effective potential. Systems studied include 16O+16O, 16O+24O, 24O+24O, 12C+16O, and 12C+24O. We find remarkable agreement with experimental cross sections for the fusion of stable nuclei. Our simulations use the SLy4 Skyrme force that has been previously fit to the properties of stable nuclei, and no parameters have been fit to fusion data. We compare our results to the simple S\~{a}o Paulo static barrier penetration model. For the asymmetric systems 12C+24O or 16O+24O we predict an order of magnitude larger cross section than those predicted by the S\~{a}o Paulo model. This is likely due to the transfer of neutrons from the very neutron rich nucleus to the stable nucleus and dynamical rearrangements of the nuclear densities during the collision process. These effects are not included in potential models. This enhancement of fusion cross sections, for very neutron rich nuclei, can be tested in the laboratory with radioactive beams.Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, corrected small errors in Figs 10, 11, Phys. Rev. C in pres

Developing toolkits and guidelines to improve safety performance in the construction industry in Oman

For the past few decades, there have been large infrastructure developments in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries consisting of the main oil and gas exporting countries that include Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar. This rapid growth has attracted international construction organizations and the workforce to the region. At the same time, occupational safety and health remained one of the key issues of the industry in the region. The aim of this research was, therefore, to find the solutions, develop toolkits and guidelines which could help construction organizations in the region to improve their safety performance. This study has considered the key areas of safety that include causes of accidents, costs of accidents, heat stress, occupational safety and health regulations, worker's health factors, and safety climate. There are some studies which considered these areas related to safety and health, but most of these studies are carried out in developed countries which have different environmental and social variables as compared to GCC in general and Oman in specific. For instance, the temperature in Oman in summer reaches 50° C. A toolkit developed for construction workers working in mild temperatures would not be effective for workers working in extreme hot and humid climatic conditions. To achieve the aims of the research associated with these areas, a mixed research method which includes both quantitative and qualitative research methods was adopted. The accident tracing model developed in this thesis was applied to 623 different types of accidents that took placed in two main construction organizations. The results show that “workers” were the cause of 42% of the total accidents under consideration. Construction organizations will be in a better position when they know the root causes of accidents in their projects. This will help them to develop strategies that encounter such accident causes. Improved safety performance cannot be achieved without investment in safety. Construction organizations are normally reluctant to spend on safety as they don’t properly understand the financial consequences. It was therefore attempted in this research to estimate the cost of accidents in the GCC construction industry. While there have been some issues in estimating the costs of accidents; however the total costs of an accident in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar are estimated at US$415,620, US$ 91,940 and US$ 205,526 respectively. GCC region is well known for its hot and humid environment which could heavily affect the workers’ performance related to safety and productivity. The interviews held with 20 construction workers involved in different accidents confirm that a hot and humid environment was one of the reasons for the accident in which they were involved. In order to protect workers from heat stress; guidelines have been prepared considering GCC region climatic conditions. One of the key aspects which can guarantee improved safety performance is the presence of robust occupational safety and health regulations and its implementation. The existing GCC occupational safety and health regulations were compared with the regulations applicable in the USA, UK, AUS, and SA. The discussion revealed that the current regulations in GCC countries related to the (a) Fall from height, (b) Hazard communication standard related to chemicals, (c) Scaffolding, (d) Respiratory protection (e) Control of hazardous energy, (f) Ladders, (g) Powered industrial trucks, (h) Training, (i) Machinery and machine guarding, and (j) Eye and face protection, needs to be updated considering latest industrial requirements and standards. It is a universal fact that healthy worker's acts will not only make workers safer but such workers will be more productive as well. The results of this study show that the majority of construction workers in the region, based on the results of BMI and BP are not healthy. Similarly, the majority of them reported musculoskeletal pain. Such pain was confirmed to be affecting the worker's productivity. A balanced diet, healthy lifestyle, improved accommodation, workplace facilities and control on tobacco product are some of the key areas which could be considered to improve the workers’ health. Finally, a study has been carried out in the area of safety climate which resulted in a new safety climate assessment tool suitable for the GCC construction industry. The newly developed tool has a total of seven main dimensions including (i) Aligning and Integrating Safety as Value, (ii) Training At all Level, (iii) Improving Site Safety Leadership (iv) Management commitment, (v) Empowering and Involving Workers, (vi) Ensuring Accountability, and (vii) Improving Communication. Brief guidelines have been provided on how to use this assessment tool and how to interpret the results to make plans to achieve the required level of maturity. The key tools/guidelines developed in this research project were, a) tracing model for the root causes of accidents, b) guidelines for protecting workers from heat stress, c)recommendations for revising occupational safety and health regulations, and d) the safety climate assessment tool. Although, the safety climate assessment tool developed in this research was validated through email interviews, however, longitudinal studies are still recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed tool

Geothermal energy resources in Oman

Oman's oil and gas reserves are comparatively low relative to those of other Gulf Co-operation Council member countries. This article explores the potential of using geothermal energy resources for electricity generation in Oman. Geothermal energy is counted as a type of renewable energy, which means its availability is not affected by the lack of source and the increasing price of fossil oil. The review of geothermal energy shows that the cost of electricity generation and the emission of greenhouses gases are comparatively lower than for other forms of renewable energy resources. Different types of geothermal plants are discussed with reference to the required temperature for operation of these plants. Binary cycle geothermal power plants are used for low-temperature applications (85–175°C). The temperature of 53 boreholes in Oman is more than 100°C, meaning they can be used in binary geothermal plants for electricity generation. The maximum temperature (173·68°C) is at Petroleum Development Oman well ‘Makarem-I’ located in the northern part of Oman. There is opportunity for Oman to adopt renewable energy resources and explore the potential of geothermal in more detail. This will help the country to reduce its dependency on oil and gas and compete in the region towards adopting renewable energy

Briefing: Cost of accidents in the construction industry of Oman

In this paper, ongoing and planned projects for the financial year 2015–2016 in different sectors in Oman are presented. While specific focus is on the construction industry, the costs of accidents associated with the projects in different sectors are estimated by two criteria: considering the number of workers and projects value. Although the cost of accidents is accumulating to a huge amount, construction organisations and the government can play their role in reducing the number of accidents and thus the total costs of accidents in construction. The financial benefits of preventive cost of the accidents are discussed briefly. A better understanding of the financial benefits of improved safety performance will encourage construction organisations in Oman to enhance their safety performance. The role of a safety and health regulatory organisation for conducting inspections and enforcement of safety and health law is significantly important for overall construction safety improvement. Such organisations will not only improve the safety and health performance in construction and other sectors, but will also be a source of revenue and a support to the country's economy. For a more reliable and true cost of accidents, further research is recommended considering Oman's construction-specific factors to estimate the cost of accidents