Impact of Stakeholder Management on Construction Industry

Impact of Stakeholder Management on Construction Industry 1.0 Introduction/Background Project management is an evolving discipline which is relatively new in both practice and academics hence knowledge is drawn from other disciplines to further advance both theory and practice in managing projects. Consequently this research will draw from different academic disciplines for its theory and the construction industry for its practice. To this end a project could be described as a strategy used by organisations to achieve its strategic goal, the strategy could be suggested to have a start and an end date (Turner 2009 p.20; Holton 2002 p.10-2). It could also be suggested that the word organisation in the above definition by Turner 2009 could be called the project stakeholder. Olanda and Landin (2005 p.321) defined project stakeholders as a  ¦group of people who have a vested interest in the success of a project and the environment within which the project operates. This research is focused on investigating the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry. It could be suggested that the use of PMs life cycle phases be adopted for the entire project plan as seen in figure 1 below. Figure -Project Lifecycle The project initiation phase of this report will include proposing a project research topic, assigning a project supervisor or project sponsor and proposing a research plan. While the project planning phase will include reviewing of the available project materials and the execution phase will involve writing up the literature review and project methodology. Handover and closeout will involve submitting the final report to supervisor and award of Msc degree in Project Management. Lessons learnt could be suggested to be the feedback and experience gained in during the research. 1.2 Project Context Project Context could be suggested to be the setting in which a project is carried out (ApmBok 2009). In relation to the above description, the aim of this research is in agreement with the above suggestion (Achterkamp and Vis 2008 pg 749). 1.3 Project Rationale 1.3.1 Academic Rationale The academic research into project stakeholders has been attractive and extensive to researchers and professionals. Evidence shows that the construction industry accounts directly for 10% GDP growth in the UK (Cridland and Wates 2009 p.5),this goes to justify the need to investigate the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry and also fulfil the academic requirement of the award of Masters Degree. 1.3.2 Business Rationale The economic implications for any organisation if projects fail will be devastating considering the above report by Wates and Cridland (2009 p5), this report shows that the construction industry account for 10% GDP growth. Project failure of any kind in the current economic climate will cost the organization its finance and jobs e.g. BP deep horizon in the US Gulf Coast where the collapse of a well led to fatalities which in-turn increased BPs financial burden. 1.3.3 Personal Rationale It could be suggested that as a project management professional, embarking on this research will help one better understand the principles of stakeholder management. The knowledge gained from this research will clarify any unanswered questions at the end of this research. 1.4 Aim and Objectives This research is aimed at: Investigating the impact of stakeholder management and its contribution to project success in the construction industry Objectives To explore the principles of stakeholder management and project success. To assess the benefits and challenges of stakeholder management. To correlate a relationship between stakeholder management and project success. To propose a strategy for measuring the impact of stakeholder management thereby assessing its impact on project success. To make recommendations for improved stakeholder management practices. 1.4.2 Project Scope According to Burke (2003 p. 104) project scope identifies when a project has been successfully completed within specified requirement. The scope for this project will involve activities such as writing the literature review, research methodology and drawing on the findings of the above mentioned activities to come up with a conclusion and recommendation. The scope of this research excludes the execution of the primary research. 1.4.3 Project Deliverables Project deliverables for this research is suggested to be the outcome of the report at every stage of the lifecycle (ApmBok 2009 p.135). The deliverables as shown in Table 1 are generalised and subject to being revised at the end of this report. Table Project deliverables Deliverables Description Project Research Plan Introduction/ Background Project Context and Project Rationale Project Definition Project Approach Research Project Schedule Resource Requirements Ethical Considerations Literature Review Research of theory and practice within the construction industry Project Approach or Methodology It involves the description of the process in the collection and evaluation of data that will be used to achieve the overall aim and objectives of this report. Project Proposal This involves outlining a research proposal from the finding and the analysis done in the project approach section. Conclusion and Recommendation This section involves the final summation of all the data used and presenting recommendation(s) where necessary. 1.4.4 Assumption, Constraints and Considerations Assumptions The project will be delivered on time, quality and within budget. The literature / materials needed to complete the project will be readily available. That the project aim and objectives will be met at the end of the project. Constraints The time required by the sponsor to complete the report. Combining three live projects at the same period. i.e. CPD, Group placement and dissertation. Considerations That the report will inspire its readers to proceed towards a primary research. That there will be more research into the impact of project stakeholders and its contribution to project success within the construction industry. 1.5 Initial Literature Review 1.5.1 Stakeholder Management Project stakeholders have been widely discussed in various project management literatures. Fewings (2005 p.34) described project stakeholders as people that their interest could affect the outcome of the project while Olanda and Landin (2005 p.321) agues that although project stakeholders are group of people with different interest in a particular project, they are also interested in a successful outcome no matter the level of interest. Since this research will be focusing on stakeholder management, McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) suggested that stakeholder management deals with the relationships between stakeholders within projects. This relationship must be developed and structured so as to achieve a successful outcome. McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) description of stakeholder management is convincing because different bodies of knowledge are yet to agree on a particular description for stakeholder management. Fewings (2005) and Olanda Landin (2005) perspectives on project stakeholders in relation to stakeholder management is valid in that all agreed that stakeholders are made up of more than one individual, so managing this relationship as described by McElroy and Mills (2007 p.270) will determine if a project is a success or a failure . 1.5.2 Project Success Yu et al. (2005) suggested that a: Project  is a success if its created product adds value to the client, considering the cost to the client at the point of acceptance While there is no definite definition to what project success is or what will be the best way to define success, this report would look into critical success criteria used in the construction industry to determine when a project is successful. The ApmBok (2009) defined project success as: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the satisfaction of stakeholder needs measured by the success criteria as identified and agreed at the start of the projectà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 1.6 Project Research Approach In this section it could be suggested that a proposed research approach be developed, this approach would be aligned with the project aim and objectives. To achieve the above this report has identified two methods or type of research, this are the Primary and Secondary research. A primary research entails the collection of new data or expansion of existing theories in project management body of knowledge. This could be achieved by using the following methods: the use of questionnaires, sampling and survey. Data for this research would be collected though documentary research. This involves analysing various literatures relating to the research; given that this research is a secondary research, a qualitative method will be employed. 1.6.1 Ethical Consideration Sekaran (2000, p17) defined ethics as a code of conduct or expected societal norm of behaviour while conducting a research or project . Below in table 2 are the ethical considerations used to compile this research. Table -Ethical Consideration This research was carefully structured to avoid any misrepresentation or distortion of data collected. All information used for this research was adequately referenced to avoid plagiarism. This report was written with due respect for the subject and authors All information used for this report is in line with universities academic guidelines. Sekaran ( 2000, p.261) 1.7 Project Planning / Report Schedule Burke (2003, p.94) defined project schedule as  ¦a process required to ensure that various elements of the project are properly managed and controlledà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ The project schedule will be used to assign expected start date and expected finish date. The schedule is in a Gantt chart, this could be suggested to be in agreement with (Burke 2003) definition. See Appendix 1 for more details. 1.8 Project Resource Requirements and Budget The resources required for a successful completion of this project is listed in Table 2 and the cost estimate that would apply to both primary and secondary research is in Table 3 Figure -Resources Requirement Human Resources Description Hours Researcher Researcher would carry out a secondary research and prepare a primary research plan to be used to further analyse the project aim 600 Academic supervisor The academic supervisor would give guidance, review and monitor project to ascertain if the project is within scope. 60 Project sponsor The project sponsor and management would be need during an actual primary research. 100 Table Project Budget Activity Budget Source Cost for Researcher and supervisor  £3000 RGU and Sponsor Printing of dissertation and buying of CD drives ( hard and soft copies)  £200 Researcher and Sponsor (in the case of a primary Research) Transport is Dependent on the location of the organisation and RGU library Not Determined at present Researcher and Sponsor 1.8.1 Risk Matrix Risk management is a key area in APM and PMI bodies of knowledge; projects are often associated with one form of risk or another (Raz Michael 2000), controlling this risk is an important task for any researcher. To this end, this report will take a proactive role in controlling risks associated to this project by developing a risk plan which can be seen in Table 4

Unit 9 Impact of Diet on Health

Diet variations at different lifestages (P1, M1 & D1) All human beings require certain essential nutrients in order to survive. The concept of a healthy, balanced diet is to eat a wide variety of foods because all foods contain different nutrients therefore the wider the variety eaten, the more nutrients provided. A balanced diet consists of seven main groups of food which are described below. Components of a healthy diet: Protein CarbohydratesFats Vitamins Minerals Fibre Water |Nutrient |Where found |Purpose | |proteins |Meat, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, nuts, cereals, |Proteins promote growth and they are also essential for the | | |tofu and beans |replacement and renewal of body cells.They are essential for | | | |everyone and must be eaten everyday | |Carbohydrates |Sugar, potatoes, bread, rice, flour, cereals, |Carbohydrates, also known as starches, are used by the body to | | |pasta, some root vegetables such as yams and |provide energy and heat. They are essential to provide and | | |sweet potatoes |energy source, but if they are eaten to xcess they will be | | | |stored as fat | |Fats |Butter, margarine, cooking oil, dripping, meat |Fats are a very concentrated source of heat and energy, but if | | |fat, cream, soured cream, milk, cheese, egg yolks|they are eaten to excess they will be stored by the body in the| | | |adipose layer just beneath the skin.Fish and seed oils such | | | |as linseed or olive oil, can help to protect against heart | | | |disease | |Vitamin A |Liver, fish oils, milk, butter, eggs and cheese |Protects from infection and contributes to growth.Lack of | | |and can be made by the body from carotene which |vitamin A can cause eye problems | | |is found in carrots, tomatoes and green | | | |vegetables | | |Vitamin B |Cereals, liver, yeast and nuts |This is a large group of complex vitamins, all of which are | | | |essential for maintaining good skin. Lack of vitamin B may be | | | |responsible for some diseases of the nervous system | |Vitamin C |Citrus fruits, strawberries, potatoes and some |Must be taken each day as it cannot be stored.Lack of vitamin| | |green vegetables |C can cause scurvy, a disease that causes bleeding in the gums | | | |and is very serious. People who have a lack of vitamin C are | | | |more prone to coughs and colds | |Vitamin D |Eggs and fish oils and made by the body when the |Vitamin D enables calcium to be absorbed to strengthen and | | |skin is exposed to sunlight |develop bones and teeth.A severe shortage of vitamin D will | | | |lead to rickets, a deforming disease seen in children whose | | | |bones do not develop adequately | |Vitamin E |Wheatgerm, cereals, egg yolk. Liver and milk |This helps to prevent cell damage and degeneration | |Minerals |A wider range of minerals are essential for |Iron is important for the formation of red blood cells and a | | |health and are found in eggs, cocoa, liver, baked|lack of iron can lead to anaemia. Calcium is used for | | |beans, cheese and milk |developing firm bones.Sodium is important for maintaining the| | | |fluid balance of the body, but an excess of sodium can be a | | | |contributory cause of oedema (fluid retention) | In addition to the nutrients in the above table, a good intake of fibre is recommended to prevent constipation and to help keep the gut healthy and approximately 2 litres of liquid should be drunk per day. This can take the form of water, fruit juice, tea, coffee (caffeine-free are preferred) and any type of non-alcoholic drink. This is to keep the body hydrated and help flush out any toxins that may be present. Other benefits include clearer skin and a healthy mind.It is important for the health and well-being of individuals that they eat a balanced diet. This is to ensure that their nutritional needs are being met. These needs vary at different lifestages as described below: Infancy (0-3 years) Calorie intake:515 up to 3 months and 1165 at 3 years of age (female) 545 up to 3 months and 1230 at 3 years of age (male) At birth babies get their nutrition from milk, either breast or formula. Breast milk contains all the nutrients babies need in the correct amounts and, although it is low in iron and copper, the baby has enough of these stored until it starts eating solid food. It also contains antibodies to help fight infections and is easy to digest.Formula milk needs to be made up in specific concentrations to avoid damage to the kidneys and all equipment used, should be sterilised to prevent the risk of infection. Cow’s milk should not be given to babies under twelve months as it contains too much salt and protein and not enough iron and other nutrients to meet their needs. The introduction of solid food is called weaning and should start at about four months of age. Starting before this time may cause problems in later life such as allergies and obesity. Foods that should be gradually introduced include cereals, fruit and vegetables, egg yolk and finely minced meat . These should be purified or mashed as babies will not have all of their teeth at this stage.As the baby gets to 12 – 18 months they will be eating the same meals as the family but shouldn’t have any salt or sugar added to their food (maximum of 1g of salt a day is the recommended allowance and adding sugar will encourage a sweet tooth which could lead to tooth decay). Childhood (4 – 10 years) Calorie intake:1545 up to 4 years and 1740 at 10 years of age (female) 1715 up to 4 years and 1970 at 10 years of age (male) This is a period of lots of activity. The child is also growing fast at this stage and needs plenty of protein to encourage healthy growth and repair. They need the same amount of vitamins and minerals as adults so should be encouraged to eat fish, meat, eggs, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit and vegetables.They should not be given many sweets, crisps, biscuits or fizzy drinks as the sugar in these products, has no nutritional value, only additional cal ories and this can lead to childhood obesity. A large intake of sugar will also lead to tooth decay. Adolescence (11 – 18 years) Calorie intake:1845 up to 11 years and 2110 at 18 years of age (female) 2220 up to 11 years and 2755 at 18 years of age (male) This is the lifestage that requires the most nutritional needs because the appetite increases and they are still growing. As well as eating sensibly, adolescents need to be encouraged to maintain a regular amount of physical activity and avoid eating too many sweets, crisps, etc.The energy given should be from sources such as rice, pasta, potatoes and bread rather from sugar-laden foods because although the sugar provides a rush of energy, it is packed with calories and the energy rush is short-lived therefore creating a craving for more sugar. Adulthood (19 – 65 years) Calorie intake:1940 up to 19 years and 1900 at 65 years of age (female) 2550 up to 19 years and 2380 at 65 years of age (male) During this lifestage t he nutritional needs reduce due to age. A healthy diet of complex carbohydrates (such as bread, potatoes, rice or pasta) and proteins (meat, fish, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables) should be eaten and sugary and fatty foods should be kept to a minimum. Regular physical activity should still be taken and alcohol should be limited because it adds calories to the diet.Pregnancy and breastfeeding require additional nutritional needs in order to provide nutrition for the baby. Contrary to popular belief, only an extra 200 calories are required in the last trimester of pregnancy followed by between 450 and 570 during breastfeeding. This is to give extra energy to the mother whilst carrying the baby and then to make the breast milk. Folic acid-rich foods or supplements are advised in the pregnancy planning stages as this will help prevent damage to the foetus, in particular, spina bifida. Later Adulthood (65+ years) Calorie intake:1900 at 65 and 1810 at 75+ years of age (female) 2330 at 65 and 2100 at 75+ years of age (male) As people age they become less mobile so energy requirements decrease.Appetite also decreases so it’s important for the diet to contain concentrated amounts of protein, vitamins and minerals. Gentle exercise should be encouraged. Taste buds become less efficient but adding extra flavouring to food in the form of salt should be avoided as it’s known to cause high blood pressure. The use of herbs and spices is a better alternative. The average calorific value at each lifestage has been included as a guide to show the energy requirements needed. As energy levels start to increase in childhood, so does the calorie level needed to maintain it. Energy is highest among adolescents and therefore they need more calories to even it out. If they have too few, they will lose weight and, of course, too many and they will gain weight.There are other factors to consider when deciding whether a person’s nutritional needs are being met, suc h as: †¢ The type of job a person does – someone doing a sedentary job will not have the same needs as a person who has a very active job. The latter will more than likely burn off excess energy therefore needing fewer calories †¢ Their likes and dislikes – many people don’t like either the look or the taste of some fruit and vegetables for example. Disguising it in a variety of dishes or perhaps cooking it an entirely different way could be a means to overcome this. Alternatives to meat should be found for non-meat eaters as protein is an essential part of any diet and a requirement for growth and repair. The level of exercise taken – a very active person’s needs will be higher than that of a non-active person so more nutrients will be needed for sustainability. †¢ The person’s health – someone suffering from high blood pressure will need to drastically cut back on salt or someone suffering from high cholesterol will n eed to cut back on fatty foods. †¢ The availability of food – undernutrition is caused when a diet is made up of mainly carbohydrates and not much protein or fats. This can occur in under-developed countries where lost harvests occur due to flooding, poor soil conditions or droughts. †¢ Religious or cultural decisions – the eating of certain meats is banned in some cultures therefore protein is need from other sources.The actual covering of the body may prevent girls from specific religious backgrounds, from receiving the necessary sunlight that could help keep the disease rickets away, so a diet high in vitamin D is required. Socio-economic influences on diet (P2) Religion/Culture Belonging to a specific religion or culture could influence the food that you eat. Buddists, for example, are vegetarian therefore don’t eat meat, poultry, game or fish. They do, however, eat eggs and dairy products but would still need to eat a varied diet and combine plant proteins to ensure they get the nutrients they need. Another example is the lack of iron in a traditional Asian diet.Iron is needed to form haemoglobin in red blood cells and lack of it could lead to anaemia therefore additional sources need to be found such as supplements or foodstuffs such as offal, bread, flour, cereal products, potatoes and vegetables. Social Class Generally, people from a higher social class have a more varied diet than those from lower ones. They tend to have more money to buy fresh fruit and vegetables and lean cuts of meat whereas the others have to make to with cheaper, processed food, thus affecting their health in the long term. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that what and how much we eat profoundly affects growth, development, aging, and the ability to enjoy life to its fullest.Dietary intake and lack of exercise is linked to risks for development of a variety of common, chronic diseases that are disabling and life-threatening. (http://www . diagnose-me. com). The Media Information publicised on television, radio and in newspapers can have a tremendous impact on diet. A recent scare on a Bernard Matthew turkey farm led to up to a 30% drop in sales of his turkeys (http://news. bbc. co. uk/). This was due to bird flu being discovered on his Suffolk farm which prompted the culling of 160,000 birds. 200 staff were also laid off which could mean that their diets were affected because of lack of wages. Previous scares include the salmonella egg scare and the cjd scare, both having huge impact on sales of the product. Personal PreferenceSome people choose not to eat meat, fish, eggs or any animal products either because of their religion or culture or because they don’t agree with the killing of animals. In these cases protein, and any other missing nutrients, must be found in other sources. Personal taste will also influence the food a person eats because if they don’t like it, they won’t eat it! Availa bility of Food Undernutrition can be caused by a diet of mainly carbohydrates, which could be caused by poor soil conditions and lost harvests in developing countries. Overnutrition can be caused by having a good variety of food all year round but this would be found in developed countries where much of the food is home grown or air travel makes it easy to have it flown in.Living near to a supermarket would allow good availability of a wide variety of food as opposed to a small shop that wouldn’t have the same type of stock. Prices in supermarkets are also considerably lower than in local shops therefore making it possible to buy more healthily. Possible results of an unbalanced diet (P3, M2) A balanced diet should be made up of approximately 50% carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, cereals, bread and pasta, 20% protein (lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts and beans) and 30% total fat (no more than 10% saturated fat). This has been depicted by the diagram below: Taken from w ww. tmbc. gov. uk Failure to eat a good balanced diet could result in a number of health problems stemming from malnutrition.Malnutrition is the word used to describe either overnutrition (eating too much of a certain nutrient) or undernutrition (a lack of a specific nutrient or nutrients in general). Type 2 diabetes is a classic example of overnutrition. It results from eating a diet consisting of too much sugar and fat. Consequently, the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin for the cells to absorb glucose from the blood or the body becomes resistant to the insulin that is produced. Typical symptoms include thirst, tiredness and excessive urination. To try to avoid the onset of diabetes, a diet consisting of low-fat alternatives, fibre, starchy foods, fruit and vegetables should be eaten.Complications of diabetes could occur if the person smokes or has high blood pressure so smoking should be stopped and blood pressure checked regularly. One specific nutrient deficiency is anaemi a and is caused by lack of iron. Iron is necessary for the making of red blood cells and in the body’s use of oxygen. Anaemia is a deficiency of red blood cells, which can lead to a lack of oxygen-carrying ability, causing unusual tiredness and other symptoms. The deficiency occurs either through the reduced production or an increased loss of red blood cells. These cells are manufactured in the bone marrow and have a life expectancy of approximately four months. Iron deficiency results mostly from eating a poor diet.A lack of iron in the diet is common in vegetarians because the main general dietary source is red meat and babies can also suffer from lack of iron, especially if they’ve been born prematurely. A varied diet including red meat, liver, wholemeal bread, cereals, eggs and dried fruit will ensure that the required level of iron is consumed. Other conditions resulting from a poor diet include: Rickets – lack of vitamin D, calcium, or phosphate, which lea ds to softening and weakening of the bones Scurvy – characterized by general weakness, anaemia, gum disease (gingivitis), and skin haemorrhages resulting from a lack of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) in the diet Beriberi – vitamin deficiency disease in which the body does not have enough thiamine (vitamin B-1).Tooth decay – plaque on teeth caused by excess sugar in diet Night blindness – lack of vitamin A, can lead to complete blindness if not treated Marasmus – inadequate intake of protein and calories usually affecting young children in developing countries Kwashiorkor – malnutrition caused by inadequate protein intake usually encountered in developing countries Pellagra – a disease that occurs when a person does not get enough niacin (one of the B complex vitamins) or tryptophan (an amino acid) in their diet. Foods for diabetics should be: Low in fat Low in salt Low in sugar High in starchy carbohydrates High in vegetables High in fruit Use this food pyramid to make healthy choices – essential for diabetes sufferers [pic] (Taken from http://www. fda. gov/diabetes/food. html#3) Two day diet plan for two service users with specific dietary needs (P4, M3, D2) The following two-day diet plans have been created for a person suffering with type 2 diabetes and one suffering from anaemia. Both of these conditions have been previously described in P3 and M2. Day one for a diabetic Breakfast: 1 slice wholemeal toast with low-fat spread and scrambled egg.Cup of preferred beverage (no sugar added – use alternative sweetener) Mid-morning: banana, fruit juice Lunch: tuna salad sandwich, muesli and yoghurt Mid-afternoon: grapes/other fruit Dinner: Chicken breast (grilled), mixed rice, peas and sweetcorn Supper: cheese and crackers Day two for a diabetic Breakfast: cereal with semi-skimmed milk. Cup of preferred beverage Mid-morning: slice of wholemeal toast with tomato . Lunch: jacket potato with beans and side sal ad Mid-afternoon: fruit salad Dinner: grilled tuna steak, broccoli, cauliflower, new potatoes Supper: carrot and celery sticks with low fat dip Nb: low-fat, low-sugar varieties of food should be used. Sugar alternatives should be used where possible.Food should be grilled or baked rather than fried (if frying is necessary use olive, sunflower or rapeseed oil). Flavouring should be in the form of herbs or spices rather than salt to avoid high blood pressure. Fizzy or sugar-laden drinks should be replaced by water, low-sugar and caffeine-free varieties. Day one for an anaemic Breakfast: raisin bran cereal with semi-skimmed milk Mid-morning: handful of sunflower seeds Lunch: wholewheat pitta bread with turkey, salad and new potatoes with skins Mid-afternoon: muffin with low-fat spread Dinner: liver and onions, mashed potatoes, peas Supper: watermelon Day two for an anaemic Breakfast: oatmeal with semi-skimmed milkMid-morning: apricots Lunch: tinned sardines on wholewheat toast Mid-morn ing: packet of twiglets Dinner: beef, potatoes, green beans, broccoli, carrots Supper: cup of oxo with 2 cream crackers As explained previously, once diagnosed with some form of medical condition it is important to change the diet by introducing foodstuffs relative to the condition. In the case of a diabetic, at least five portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables should be eaten per day and the bulk of most meals should be starch-based foods such as cereals, wholegrain, bread, potatoes, rice and pasta. Fatty meats, cheeses, full-cream milk, fried food and butter should be avoided.Low-fat alternatives and foods including mono or poly-unsaturated fats are advised as are 2 – 3 portions of fish per week including oily such as mackerel, herrings, kippers, salmon and fresh tuna. Any frying should be done in oils such as sunflower, rapeseed or olive. The diet should also be low in salt as excessive salt can cause high blood pressure which could contribute to developing complica tions such as heart disease, stroke and eye problems. Alcohol should be drunk in moderation as a little can help protect from heart disease but excessive amounts can be very harmful. The meals chosen for the anaemic are rich in iron but are still varied enough to include other nutrients necessary for good health.It is suggested that an average man needs to digest 10 – 18 mg of dietary iron each day and a woman should digest 18mg or more. If diet alone cannot meet this requirement, additional supplements should be considered. A good tip is to eat more foods containing vitamin C as this enhances the absorption of iron into the body (particularly good for vegetarians). The two-day meal plan meets the needs of both the diabetic and the anaemic by including the foods rich in the lacking nutrients. They are hopefully varied enough but simple enough to keep the individuals interested in sticking to a new way of eating therefore allowing them to manage their condition properly. (P5, M4) Safe practices in preparing, cooking and serving foodThe microbes on our food that can cause food poisoning are usually controlled by heating (cooking) and/or chilling (refrigerating) our food, but given the chance they can easily spread around the kitchen – via our hands, chopping boards, cloths, knives and other utensils. If they are allowed to cross-contaminate other foods – especially cooked and ready-to-eat foods – they can make us ill. Good kitchen hygiene and good personal hygiene are important to help control the spread of harmful germs. There are three main safety practices involved in the handling of food; hygiene, temperature and pest control. These are described in more detail below: Hygiene control Food must be kept safe by: Protecting food from contamination by harmful bacteria ? Preventing bacteria from multiplying to dangerous levels ? Destroying harmful bacteria in or on food by thorough cooking ? Disposing of harmful food safely There are b asic rules outlining food hygiene which are: ? Continually washing hands prior to touching food, after using the toilet, after touching animals and raw food ? Cover any cuts, spots or sores with a waterproof adhesive dressing ? Don’t smoke around the preparation of food ? Don’t allow animals into the area of food preparation ? Cover food to protect it from flies and other insects ? Wrap all food waste and dispose of it in a covered waste bin ?Clean up as you go. Wash surfaces with hot water and detergent ? Wipe spills up immediately with kitchen tissue and place in a covered bin ? Serve food as soon as its prepared ? Never allow raw food to come in contact with cooked food ? Wear clean clothing and be clean yourself ? Don’t cough or sneeze over food Temperature control The cooking and storage of food must be temperature controlled. The Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 sets out the safe temperatures for the storage, heating and chilling of food. A guide is shown below: MethodTemperature Freezer -180C to 220C Refrigerator Legal requirement 80C; good practice 5 – 60CHot holding foodHot food must be maintained at 630C Reheating manufacturedTemperature of reheated food must reach a Food that has been cookedminimum of 820C Once during manufacture Pest Control Control of pests and use of pesticides are particularly critical in places where food is prepared, served or packaged. Pests that live on or in food include insects (flies, cockroaches and weevils), birds and rodents (rats and mice). Flies can carry up to 6 million bacteria on their bodies and in addition to that, they defecate and regurgitate half-digested food from a previous meal onto food as well as lay eggs in it. Cockroaches can also spread bacteria and leave faeces in food.There are many variants of weevils but the one mainly found in a domestic setting is the grain weevil which lives in stored foods such as flour and grains. If ingested, they can cause E-col i infection or other disease depending on their diet. Rodents contaminate food by either walking on or walking on the work surface. Mice are known to urinate on food. Birds can also carry bacteria and food can be contaminated by bird droppings, feathers or insects that they carry on their bodies. Birds pecking through foil milk bottle tops can also cause contamination. Any premises that stores or manufactures food should be protected in order to prevent possible infection of or damage to it.Food pests tend to like warm, dark, damp undisturbed places so it’s important for food storage and preparation places to be cool, clean and dry. The building should be of general good repair and a cleaning, sanitising and pest control policy should be in force. Cleaning involves the removal of any debris or dirt from any work surface and/or piece of equipment. Sanitising involves the use of heat and/or chemicals that will remove any microbes present. Pest control is the eradication of any type of pest that may have a change to infect the food. This cannot be effectively accomplished if proper cleaning and sanitising has not been carried out first.Effects of unsafe practices It's estimated there are more than 9 million cases of gastro-enteritis each year in England. For an increasing number of people, it's due to food poisoning, something that's preventable. Gastro-enteritis describes symptoms affecting the bowel, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach pain. Food poisoning is the type of gastro-enteritis caused by eating or drinking something contaminated with micro-organisms or germs, or by toxic substances produced by these germs. These illnesses are often accompanied by fever, muscle aches, shivering and feeling exhausted. These micro-organisms enter the body in one of two ways: 1. In the food.The food isn't cooked thoroughly, so the micro-organisms aren't killed off. This is often the case with barbecued food, for example. 2. On the food. For example, the person preparing the food doesn't wash their hands before handling the food. Taken from http://www. bbc. co. uk/health/conditions/foodpoisoning1. shtml There are different ways for contamination of food to take place, physically and chemically. Physical contaminants include pips, stalks, bones and shells from food, nuts and bolts from equipment, hair, fingernails, jewellery and plasters from the person involved in its preparation or insects and their droppings and eggs. Dust and dirt are also physical contaminants.Chemical contaminants include cleaning agents if they are not kept separate from the food and its preparation area and agricultural chemicals such as pesticides being sprayed on fruit and vegetables. Food in this case needs cleaning thoroughly before eating. Food that has been left over from metal containers should be transferred to a non-metal container and stored in the fridge with a cover on. Acidic and salty food can attack the metal once a can has been opened which, in turn, affects the food. Contamination by bacteria or viruses is known as biological contamination. Toxins are caused by mould, which indicates a dangerous level of bacteria, and causes illness (food poisoning). Examples of this are given overleaf: Microorganism |Source |Symptoms |Incubation period | |Staphylococcus aureus |Unpasteurised milk, people |Abdominat pain or cramp, |1 – 6 hrs | | | |vominting, low temperature | | |Bacillus cereus |Cereals, soil and dust |Abdominal pain, diarrhoea and |1 – 5 hrs or 8 – 16 | | | |vomiting |depending of the form of| | | | |the food poisoning | |Salmonella |Raw poultry, eggs, raw meat, milk, animals, |Abdominal pain, vomiting, |12 – 36 hrs | | |insects and sewage |diarrhoea, fever | | |Listeria |Soil, vegetation, untreated milk, meat, |Range from mild flu-like illness |3 – 70 days (median | | |poultry, cheeses (especially soft mould-ripened|to meningitis and septacemia. |being 3 weeks) | | |varieties), sal ad vegetables |Pregnant women are particularly | | | |susceptible | | |E coli |Raw or undercooked meats, untreated water, |Diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of |24 – 78 hrs | | |unpasteurised milk and dairy products |appetite, abdominal pain, stomach | | | | |cramps | | |Campylobacter |Raw poultry and meat, unpasteurised milk, |Fever, headache, abdominal pain, |48 – 120 hrs | | |untreated water, pets with diarrhoea, birds |diarrhoea | | | |pecking at milk bottle tops | | | There is legislation requiring safe practices while preparing and serving food to ensure that it’s safe to eat. The three main laws are:The Food Safety Act 1990 – this aims to protect consumers by preventing illness from the consumption of food and also by preventing them from being misled as to the nature of the food they are purchasing The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 – cover basic hygiene principles that businesses must follow and relate to staff, premises and f ood handling. They affect anyone who owns, manages or works in a food business regardless of size or importance The Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 – these cover the safe temperatures that certain foods must be kept. Another food safety system is the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), which aims to protect food from contamination by risk assessment, i. e. t ensures that all potential hazards are identified from the delivery of raw products to the serving of fully prepared food. The process is designed to highlight any problems and deal with them before any problems will arise. Businesses not following the laws covering food safety are liable for prosecution so although it may cost money in the short term by having to buy specialist equipment, staff training and various cleaning agents, etc, it could save them losing their business in the long term if these practices were not put in place. Bibliography and References Handout on the Impact of Die t on Health http://pubs. caes. uga. edu/caespubs/pubcd/b927-w. tml accessed 14/04/07 @19:20 hrs http://www. bbc. co. uk/health/conditions/foodpoisoning1. shtml accessed 15/04/07 @ 09:30 hrs http://news. bbc. co. uk accessed 10/04/07 @ 17:20 hrs http://www. diagnose-me. com accessed 08/04/07 @ 20:00 hrs http:// www. drpbody. com accessed 08/05/07 @ 23:30hrs http://www. fda. gov/diabetes/food. html#3 accessed 08/05/07 @ 23:450hrs http://www. food. gov. uk accessed 14/04/07 @18:30 hrs http://www. nlm. nih. gov/medlineplus/ency/encyclopedia_C-Cg. htm accessed 14/04/07 @19:00 hrs http://www. tmbc. gov. uk accessed 10/04/07 @ 17:40 hrs http:// www. uk-legislation. hmso. gov. uk/ accessed 14/04/07 @19:30 hrs http://www. uga. du/nchfp/how/general/images/img_1-7. jpg accessed 08/05/07 @ 23:55hrs Moonie, Neil. , 2003, second edition, BTEC FIRST Caring, Heinemann Education Publishers, Oxford ———————– Micronutrients (needed in small quanti ties) } Macronutrients (needed in large quantities) } (Taken from http://www. uga. edu/nchfp/how/general/images/img_1-7. jpg) The Food Safety (Temperature Control) Regulations 1995 (Taken from www. drpbody. com) The Food Safety (General Food Hygiene) Regulations 1995 Tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness and palpitations are all symptoms of iron-deficient anaemia. Make sure you eat iron-rich foods and keep your blood healthy! The Food Safety Act 1990

Anger Management Essay

Anger is a normal state of emotion and can be helpful in times of confrontation because it increases our focus and improves out performance (Tamir). But, that same anger if uncontrolled can cause high blood pressure and the over indulgence of tobacco, alcohol and over eating. All of which lead to heart disease as well as the destruction of personal relationships in our life at home, work and school. (Potts). This is why it is so important to learn how to manage anger in every situation and not let it gain control of our lives. Every person at some time experiences anger so it is crucial to identify the causes before they happen so that steps can be taken to stay in control of our emotions. Anger is typically caused by a variety of factors. The main factors are stress, exhaustion, suppressing emotions from previous confrontations, feelings of being misunderstood and failure. (Kazdin) Anger only becomes a problem when a person loses control of themselves in what they say and do to others. This loss of control can lead to devastating consequences both to the one that is angry and to the people surrounding them. Some of the consequences of this anger issue when control is lost can be depression, relationship problems, as well as destructive activities to oneself and others. (http://anger-issues. org/) To stay in control of an issue, you must first identify the contributing factors and what to do about them before they happen. So how is a person to deal with anger? Not getting angry is the best solution, but as human beings that is not possible. When becoming angry some of the best ways to control it are to identify stress as it is happening, develop empathy, respond instead of reacting, change the hought processes you are having, communicate assertively, adjust your expectations, forgive, and retreat to rethink the situation. (Novick) We need to identity stress before it becomes anger. This step in anger management requires that we be self-aware and have a complete understanding of our limits so that we can specifically identify stress factors. When we know and understand that stress is the underlying cause of anger and can identify that stress we are better able to set limits. These limits allow us to interact with other people and participate in activities that we find enjoyable without confrontations. They also allow us to set boundaries for others in our personal relationships so that these relationships can be mutually beneficial. Developing empathy for the other person is another way to control anger. When we learn to see situations from another’s point of view it is much easier to stay in control of our emotions. By putting ourselves in another’s place and understanding their needs and desires we show maturity and gain understanding that we did not have before. This skill, when practiced, can lead to better team work among individuals when working on projects. It can also ease the tensions that accompany relationships with family and spouses. As human beings we not only have the capability to be angry but we also the capability to choose how we express that anger. Having this choice allows us to learn new ways to communicate our needs, feelings or requests more effectively. By learning new ways to express anger we are enabled to respond to others rather than automatically reacting to them when they cross our boundaries or limits and trigger our emotions. Anger is an emotion that can feed on itself. When situations that cause anger in an individual are constantly replayed in that persons mind, the angry feelings continue to grow until they are all encompassing. This all-encompassing anger clouds our judgment of the situation, changing facts and altering memories to justify the anger itself. Yet, if a person can change the thought processes that are feeding the anger and divert their attention from the anger to another more pleasurable situation they are more ble to take control of their anger and stop it from developing further. By developing the ability to change our thought processes we are better able to release our anger and not let it consume us as well as training our minds to focus on more important issues that are in need of our attention. When we learn how to communicate in an effective and honest way how we are feeling and are able to respond to situations without getting angry or hostile we are gaining valuable leadership c haracteristics as well as diffusing the emotion of anger. When we get angry with another person we are giving that person control of us. When we refrain from getting angry and take control of our own emotions we portray maturity and not only the ability to control ourselves but to stay in control of the situation around us. Anger can often be the result of expectations that are not met by situations or other people that we come in contact with. When we learn to adjust our expectations without showing anger we can learn how to deal with the difficult people or situations in our lives in a better way. This valuable tool, that allows us to adjust expectations, can also teach us how to compensate for our own deficiencies or failures in life. We learn how to release ourselves and others from feelings of judgment and unworthiness. When we find release from these feelings of self-doubt we also release the mechanism in our mind that activates our fight or flight urges. Anger in the form of resentment causes more damage to the person that is angry than to the offending party. It can result in weight loss, insomnia, alcoholism, drug dependence as well as high blood pressure and heart disease. By making a conscious decision to release the emotions of anger through forgiveness or acceptance of the other person, while reestablishing our boundaries, we can make a major step toward controlling our anger. Learning this release of anger is a gift that a person gives themselves. It enables the person to live a happier life without the constant reminder of what happened replaying in their mind and gives that person a peace that is more valuable than wealth. When faced with a situation that has become volatile another technique for anger management is to retreat to regain perspective and think the situation through. This allows a person to gain the opportunity to step back from the situation and identify what is the root cause of their emotions and whether or not an angry reaction will help the situation or whether it will make the situation worse. If it is a person that is bringing about feelings of anger, then they should let that other person know that they will return to the discussion when they have cooled down. This way no harsh or hasty words are spoken, no feelings are hurt and control will have still been maintained while gaining time to think about what specifically has been the root cause of anger. If a person is performing some type of work when feelings of frustration and anger begin to arise, the best choice is to stop what they are doing and do something completely different from what they were doing before. This again gives the person a time out break to think about the root causes of their anger and the specific reasons for their frustrations and by reducing tension that person is more likely to see a solution to whatever has frustrated them. Anger is not created the same in every person, nor does every person show anger in the same way. Different beliefs as well as the way that people interpret different situations in their mind will produce different emotions (Kazdin). It is only when a person becomes aware of their limits and gains an understanding of their individual patterns of emotions that they are able to gain control of their emotions and learn to change how they respond to situations and events that they come into contact with. After a person gains an awareness of the different elements in their mind and how they cause emotions, that person will be more able to use techniques to change the way that they react. With the ability to identify stress comes the opportunity to eliminate the focus of a person’s anger and unhappiness. The main benefit from learning how to identify all of the factors of stress and learning how to manage them is that, with practice, the identification and response becomes automatic and so there is no anger to control or manage because a person has none.

embracing the future with technology essays

embracing the future with technology essays Has technology opened a Pandora's box of social alienation, or alternatively, is it bringing humans into a new era of prosperity and well being? n the modern world technology is all around. Automobiles, computers, nuclear power, spacecraft, and X-ray cameras are all examples of technological advances. Technology may be defined as the process by which human beings fashion tools and machines to change, manipulate, and control their environment. The increasing pace of technological change in the 20th century makes it difficult to place recent developments into perspective. What new branches of science lay before us? Will new-age pseudo science or religious trappings keep us from opening our eyes to the facts of the world around us? Have the humanities been discarded for the complexities of electronics? Is our culture capable of embracing a technically advanced future? The most critical influence of technology in tomorrow's society lies in the social and cultural realms. There exists a diverse body of opinion on the possible ability of this technology to enhance democracy. One school of thought believes technology will usher in a new era of democracy, bringing about easy exchange of dialogue between different groups within society. The opposing school of thought is of a future in which this information technology will be controlled by big businesses that will provide opportunities for surveillance and domination. A recent example of the latter is the windows 2000 program that is designed to replace Windows 97. Here a user's activity on the Internet can be readily tracked by an invisible code that enables Microsoft to sell this information to the highest bidder. People have always wondered how life originated and how so many different kinds of plants and animals arose. Stories of a supernatural creation of life developed among many peoples. The Bible, for example, tells of God's creation of ...

The Railway essays

The Railway essays The thesis for Schivelbuschs book The Railway Journey seems to be that the railroad altered the travelers perceptions of space, time, distance, nature and the senses. Although the means of a quick and reliable mode of transport was and is an important part of industrialization, it denaturalized and desensualized the passengers (Schivelbusch 20). Shrinking and reshaping the world it touches with industrial fingers and alienating the riders to the world around them. With fast and reliable steam power engines replacing previously expensive and unreliable natural sources of energy such as water or animal man is released from the constraints of nature. These engines do not succumb to the whims of weather or exhaustion and are reliable enough to keep and daily regulated schedule despite wind or rain. Yet, by replacing the age-old use of the horse and carriage and through sheer speed they have made the world smaller and more accessible to the people. Where in the olden days people experienced every step of the way with their senses now all they have to do is step on a train and step out onto a different place. The railroad has annihilated the space and time, which were characterized by the old transport technology (36). To the perception of the people who had previously experienced every step of their journeys the world seemed to have shrunk. The detachment of man from nature and his perception of nature is finalized in the construction of the railways (20). Since the ideal railway is hard, level and straight, they were not laid out sympathetically to the landscape but instead cut and carve their way through in a straight line. Nothing gets in their way, not river mountain or canyon. The riders of these straight speeding bullets see nothing but a disorienting sight of the landscape shooting past to quickly for them to focus on. The train creates a barrier between themselves and the landscape making them detached ...

Agreements on Trade Barriers Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Agreements on Trade Barriers - Coursework Example The most common way of limiting the number of imports into a country is to increase the taxes levied on imports. These taxes are increased by the government with the aim to ensure that the demand for local goods is promoted and the demand for international goods is decreased. When taxes on imports are increased, the cost of imported goods increases thus the domestic consumers find the locally produced goods cheaper which in turn aids local producers. One example of tariffs is the Tariff Act of 1930, this act was put into action to decrease imports and increase consumption of locally produced goods and services as the US was experiencing the Great Depression during that time (ILIAS, 2008, p.2). Tariffs are even levied on exports to limit the outflow of resources as well as locally produced goods, but these tariffs have mostly hurt local businesses due to which they are quite rarely applied. Another policy that has been put into a position to reduce the imports of goods and services is restricting the number of particular goods and services being imported. When the number of goods being imported into a country is restricted, the imported good becomes short and the prices of these goods increase locally due to which domestic consumers see locally produced items as a favorable option. For example: during the era f 2010, Mexico restricted the amount of sugar being imported into the country to two hundred and fifty tons (SCHMITZ, 2005, p.212).The above-stated trade barriers are direct trade barriers levied by a country on imports and exports of goods and services. Countries even use indirect means to restrict the import of international goods and services. These restrictions are levied in face of standards of goods and services being imported by a country. For example, the US has restricted imports of those goods and services in which child labor is involved. Due to this, those countries that use child labor to produce goods and services can not export their goods an d services to the US. The first world countries have a practice of dumping their old products or used products in third world countries at cheaper prices, due to which the locals of third world countries find these goods more favorable and they heavily import used products. The governments of third world countries have applied restrictions in form of quotas and tariffs to reduce the import of such goods and services to save their local businesses. Governments provide a subsidy to local producers of those goods and services that are being heavily imported. This is done to decrease the cost of locally produced goods and services to make local goods and services much favorable than imported ones.

Satirical Shows and Internet Bloggers are the Fifth Estate Thesis

Satirical Shows and Internet Bloggers are the Fifth Estate - Thesis Example In the end, there were no death panels, but people still believe that there are. Witness also the issue of the Obama citizenship. Internet bloggers will not leave the issue alone, which has made problems for the President, even though there is no basis for claiming that Obama is not a citizen. Inaccurate information can spread very quickly, even more quickly than in the mainstream press, so one viral rumor can cause a lot of damage very quickly. That said, there is value to this type of information spread, and the pros and cons are what this paper will be concentrated upon. Discussion According to Arthur Hayes (2008), citizen press critics, which are the citizens who blog, are to be defended as an effective democratic rabble that keeps the mainstream press in check. ... Dismissing the blogosphere as â€Å"some guy in his pajamas,† Jonathan Klein, the vice-president of the CBS News, stated â€Å"you couldn’t have a starker contrast between checks and balances and some guy in his pajamas in his living room stating what he thinks† (Dasselaar, 2006, p. 11). The press before these checks and balances was arrogant and dismissive of those with whom they disagreed. The press felt that their only checks and balances were the free market, and individuals were free to watch them or not, buy their newspapers and magazines or not. Monitors on what they reported were considered a violation of free speech (Hayes, 2008, p. 2). Even now, according to Hayes, these professional press critics, who are those that work for the mainstream press, are arrogant and dismissive of the citizen critics, who are the bloggers, stating that these bloggers are driven by ideology and threaten press freedom and democracy (Hayes, 2008, p. 2). Hayes essentially accu ses the professional press critics of democratic elitism. Democratic elitism means that the people are not to have a voice, even if they do play a role in the democracy. This is because the people – unsophisticated, irrational, and shortsighted – cannot be trusted to support democratic rights (Hayes, 2008, p. 2). Extrapolating this, the democratic elites believe that ordinary citizens do not have the right to press criticism, due to their lack of sophistication, education or training. Therefore, they are a threat to a stable democracy and the free press (Hayes, 2008, p. 2). Hayes believes just the opposite – these individuals are the backbone of democracy, and they are strengthening democracy by criticizing the institutions that affect us all and the officials who govern us. Moreover, they