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American combat troops have now left Iraq after 8 years of combat.  A force of 50,000 remain to assist the armed forces.  Additionally, 7,000 private security guards will be hired to go into Iraq.  President Obama said the US would ‘’continue to build a strong partnership with the Iraqi people with an increased civilian commitment and diplomatic effort’’.
However, US troops are now in Afghanistan.   The situation there is dire.  The injury and deaths of children and women by Taliban and insurgents in the first 6 months of 2010 were higher than the first 6 months of 2009.  Additionally, some fear a further increase of violence toward women and children if the Taliban is included in a coalition government. In Time magazine (vol. 176, No. 6 , 2010) the cover article, Betrayed, discusses fears that Afghan women have about Taliban beliefs and practices returning in an integrated government which includes them.

The example given is Bibi Aisha, an 18 year old , who had her nose and ears sliced off because of orders of the Taliban leadership. Bibi ran away from abusive in-laws who beat her and made her sleep in the barn. The slicing off of parts of her face and head was her punishment for running away.  She was left to die, but survived to tell her story. She was taken to a US military medical unit by her father because the local Afghan hospital would not treat her. Other members of her own family would not help her.  From the US military medical unit, she was taken to a shelter created and supported by a US organization, Women for Afghan Women (WFAW). It has now been reported that she will come to the US for reconstructive surgery. Additionally, Time reported that the religious council of Taliban influenced Herat province issued an edict in May forbidding women from leaving their homes unless accompanied by a male relative.

Taliban law forbids the education or employment of women or examination by a male doctor without the presence of a close male relative. Since women were teachers and nurses, these professions have practically disappeared in parts of Afghanistan. This has caused the physical, mental, and intellectual health of women under Taliban rule to deteriorate. Burqas are required clothing for women under Taliban rule. A burqa covers the entire body of a woman in tent like fashion, with only a small window with which to see. Under Taliban law, women not wearing burqas or unaccompanied by a male relative outside the home can be beaten in public with sticks. Women, by law, were only allowed to read the Qur’an and windows must be blackened so no one could see into houses. We now have in the news a woman who was to be stoned to death for adultery in Iran. This is also a Taliban law. With international publicity, the stoning has been suspended, but can be reinstated at any time. We see from this that open international dialogue can have some positive effects.

The rules of the Taliban date back to the 1400’s.  It takes them back to a time when disease was rampant, women were property, sanitary systems for waste had not yet been invented, there was no TV or schools for girls and men were in charge.  In the Middle ages, torture was an acceptable form of punishment or of forcing confessions. This represents a very primitive way of living. This lifestyle is supported by the opium trade, as well.  The world has advanced since then, morally, ethically, and socially.  These are moral and humanitarian issues, not religious issues.

On the positive side, female talk Show host, Mozhdah Jamalzadah, is an example of how some things are changing in Afghanistan. She has her own TV show and fears she may lose it if the Taliban are included in a coalition government. The constitution of Afghanistan now guarantees equal rights for women and it is said that this is non-negotiable. However, the constitution also cannot contradict Islamic law (Shari’a) which is yet to be defined in the constitution. The Taliban has the most restrictive interpretation of Islamic law. There are fears that with sufficient votes, the laws and practices will return to Taliban restrictions when the US leaves Afghanistan and the Taliban joins the Coalition government.

Women for Afghan Women (WFAW) have shelters in Afghanistan for abused women. The Taliban wants them declared as brothels and eliminated. They have also burned down girls schools. WFAW have counseling centers to help end violence against women. Their fate is in questionable hands if the US removes troops from Afghanistan. There are 15 million women in Afghanistan. Some have already started wearing burqas again, fearing the influence of the Taliban on a coalition government when US troops leave Afghanistan.

So, are the difficulties in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Iran, at least in part, about women’s rights and human rights? If they are, does this represent larger moral, human rights, and psychological issues? Is it more like Nazism, Apartheid, slavery, or any other violence against a single group? Slavery of one group by another cannot be allowed. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Lord Acton, 1887). As was seen in the Zimbardo Prison Experiment, one group having absolute power over another and thinking of them in derogatory terms leads even “normal” people to become extremely cruel toward the “undervalued” group. We also know that when a group with cruel beliefs about another group, as in Rwanda, is isolated and does not have the oversight of a larger society or organization, there is the risk of abuse of power and extreme violence.

The psychology research is clear that being exposed to violence against women in the home can contribute to children growing up to be heartlessly and criminally violent as adults. It appears from news reports that the Taliban, as a sub-culture, is cruel and demeaning toward women. It would be logical that a societal sub-culture, such as the Taliban, would raise children that are violent toward others. We cannot stop terrorism until we stop cruelty toward women in the Middle East.

The role of oil, the opium trade, and emeralds in the conflicts in the Middle East cannot be ignored. Whoever controls the country controls the very rich resources. So the conflicts are about power, ideology, resources and who controls them. Nothing new there. Young Taliban recruits are told that if they allow women to be educated and have freedom, the Afghan men will lose their power. Therefore, their position of control depends on the control of women by any means necessary. By the way, TV and radio are also banned by the Taliban, so no one gets new ideas.

The question is, “What do we want to do about it?” Did Slavery, Apartheid, or Nazism end without violence? No.  How far do we go to end a cruel sub-culture that enslaves part of its group (women)? I am not advocating for ongoing war forever.  diplomacy and humanitarian aid has a place, as well.  My goal is to put the conversation openly on the table. I am advocating for calling cruelty what it is, unacceptable. If cruelty and enslavement of women is culturally acceptable by one group, the larger society must say, “No, this is not acceptable.” Some are afraid to say so because it is presented as part of a religion and it is politically incorrect to criticize someone’s religion.

What would have happened if everyone was silent about the inappropriateness of slavery? We would still have slavery. We must have the necessary conversations with everything out in the open. This article is a contribution to the dialogue. There may be positive or negative feedback. Either will generate discussion. Cruelty can only exist in secrecy. Open discussion is needed but not sufficient.  The criminalization of abuse of women and children in Afghanistan is needed and should be enforced by law throughout the country.

by Darryl Jones

Completing Arts & Crafts for Kids is a really important thing to achieve. There are many benefits to completing this. When kids are completing crafts, then they are learning. They are able to be creative and they are really able to show their creativity through their work.

There are Crafts for Kids of all ages. Some are more appropriate for certain ages then others. So, what are some of the age levels and some of the crafts that children can complete? We will discuss those for you as it is important to know.

Let’s start with the preschool age. There are many arts & crafts you can do with them. Kids at this age put everything in their mouth, you need to be sure that you use products that are non toxic and that you make sure that you use things that they can grasp. One craft that they might enjoy making are butterflies. You cut the body of the butterfly out, and then help them to glue tissue paper on the wings. This gives them another texture to work with.

Something that we like to do with kindergartners is to create items that they can play with when arts & craft time is over. Something that we have found for this age is that making puppets is fun. They can cut out the things to create the eyes and so forth and then glue them on. This is one form of arts & craft you can do with your children.

Some of you who work with elementary aged kids are wondering what sort of crafts to do with them, then you may like to find things that help them use their imagination in a sense that they also develop their motor skills. One of the things you need to remember is that they need to work with both their hands as well as their minds. So, you might find that creating something out of molding clay is something that they really benefit from.

Something that has been found to be really neat looking is by creating a paper spider web. What you do is allow the kids to take glue and make a web with the glue. Then you sprinkle it with glitter and shake it off so you are left with this sparkly web. Then, from here, you will find that what you can complete after that is that you can then make a spider on it.

When it comes to craft projects, there are many projects that you and your children can accomplish. When you do these arts & crafts projects, you help them to grow. The more they complete, the more the kids can use their mind and the more they can grow. That is what you really want is to help them to grow. Do this, and you will be able to watch how well they do not only in crafts but in all facets of their life.

Want to find out more about Crafts for Kids, then visit Darryl Jones’s site on how to choose the best  Craft Projects for your children.

This financial state has taken a toll on US employee’s finances. What age must I obtain a long term care insurance in this economy economy is a great question. You can use measures to do and guides to follow to aid answer the questions you have. Policies for long term care cover, home based help, a facility for long term care, and living in a retirement home.

These expenditures may be covered but what do they cover exactly will be your question. Find specifics regarding the partner discount, get a description of the supported facilities, and ask in regards to the inflation riders and life assurance riders. This type long term care policy will provide according to the structure of the agreement. Know what you are agreeing to prior to signing.

Understand your present fiscal backdrop to figure out the difficulty you will have or won’t have is coughing up the monthly or yearly bills. The payments shouldn’t take away from the life-style your live now. Start whenever you will not have to stop due to fiscal pain.

Your golden age master plan will need to include the price for long-term health care. Medicaid may not even cover all of the expenditure but is likely to cover some. You will need to buffer yourself with a little extra for those out of the blue circumstances. Starting around mid-life you can obtain the lowest payments and longest payout. Delaying until retirement will certainly make the payments substantial along with a short term payout.

Everybody has a family history they are able to use to define a probable future. Look for lingering illnesses that are genetic and the family’s history of Alzheimer’s. Perform some groundwork in relation to your private family and makes use of the data to aid in making your call. These are depressing facts to find but will help counsel you what policy to pick and the specifics to have in your policy.

You can look at the actual company you’re planning to select for setting up your contract. Open to the public is, Moody’s Investors, ıs really a service that provides ratings for strength and weak points of insurance companies. Learn the power of the Insurance company.

The USHC, a cooperative organization, gives us some guides which you can follow. Follow these and you may better decide when to start. Confirm you have $70, 000 per person of assets. Is your annual salary a minimum of $30, 000? They too suggest not beginning paying premiums till your lifestyle can handle it.

Ages fifty or 55 are good ages to start a long term medical care program. Your payments will be low with many years to payout the said amount. Wait until retirement time and the payments will double, paid out in half the time.

Renewing your policy is a warranted provision called,’A Waiver of Premium’. This is provide you have to draw on the advantages for a short while and will not have to make your payments. Know the facts of your polices eligibility necessities and you may cover important information describing exactly what your purchasing. Now asking yourself, When Should I Buy long-term care insurance in this tight economy, your can answer that for your self.

Inspired and enthused about writing another adventure for Belle and Winnie, in my sequel to Belle in The Slouch Hat, I sat in front of my computer and placed my forearms on the armrests. I extended my fingers toward the keyboard with my forearms slightly angled down, and noticed my right pinky finger had developed a permanent downward curve in it. That didn’t bother me because I felt grateful that I had found something I love doing as much as I did when I had a real paying job. I straightened my back, threw back my shoulders and smiled to myself about the joy I find in writing for tweens. Suddenly, a thought rushed through my mind that the main reason I like writing books for tweens is because we have the same mentality! I gasped and gradually lifted my fingers off the keyboard; I folded my hands and quietly placed them in my lap. My shoulders automatically slumped and I gently, and ever so slowly, lowered my head to prevent the annoying cracking sounds my neck makes when it moves after I sit at the computer for any length of time. I took in a deep breath, shut my eyes, relaxed my body and calmed my mind by counting backwards from seven to one.

Determined to know where that thought came from, I looked around to make sure no one was listening to me, and I repeated the question out loud, “Is the main reason I like writing for tweens because we have the same mentality?” Within a nanosecond I heard a small voice inside my head say, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, maybe ya do, and maybe ya don’t. The next thing I knew all of my fingers were properly positioned back on the keyboard and I began writing this article on why I write for tweens, those precious 8 to 12 year olds.

There are many reasons I enjoy writing for tweens, and one is because I have tween grandchildren, ages nine, ten, and twelve. I’ll have two more next year, and in four years two more tweens will come into my life.

I love the innocence of tweens and their ability to believe in the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, ghosts, goblins, and mythical creatures. Tweens are loving, adventurous, silly, smart, eager to learn, determined, strong-headed, temperamental, ultra-sensitive, imaginative, sensitive, moody, serious, and sassy. They are fun to be with, and if you haven’t had a good giggle in a long time, hang out with a tween.

A Tween’s Advice On How To Write For Tweens

She is a bright, beautiful, and bold ten-year-old girl who loves to read. She reads because she likes to, and not because she has to. After spending a day with her, I continue to bask in the love and fun we share for a least two more days. Being with grandchildren is the best anti-aging product on the earth. Recently, I took her with me to make a donation to the Salvation Army homeless shelter; afterward, she innocently lifted our spirits by choosing a trip to have a delicious frozen yogurt. During my cherished time with her, I interviewed her and we took turns writing down her advice on how to write for tweens. I have not changed her words because they are the words of an expert reader!

Things you need to know before you write for tweens: When you write for tweens it cannot be boring. You want a hint of love, but no kissing. Use medium words; not new words we have to look up (trust me). It doesn’t matter what the time, or where the place is for the story; but if you write about the past you need to have lots of adventure in it.

Advice for the author: If the author doesn’t have fun; the reader doesn’t have fun.

Important things to make a good story: One of the main characters needs to be pretty, or handsome, but don’t make it like a fairytale with too many princesses. Trick the reader; it is good for our brains. have lots of action and scary parts, but not all scary. You need jealousy because it leads to fighting and fighting leads to disaster, and disaster leads to hatred. You really need fighting in a good story. Have lots of hanging parts, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Important things about the good guys and the bad guys: Have the good guys care about each other and only give the bad guys one chance. If you have a big bad guy make him so bad he will kill some of the other bad guys.

Important things about a good ending: Don’t let the main character die. Have a big wrap up at the end.

She is a bright, beautiful, and bold ten-year-old girl who loves to read. She reads because she likes to, and not because she has to. After spending a day with her, I continue to bask in the love and fun we share for a least two more days. Being with grandchildren is the best anti-aging product on the earth. Recently, I took her with me to make a donation to the Salvation Army homeless shelter; afterwards she innocently lifted our spirits by choosing a trip to have a delicious frozen yogurt. During my cherished time with her, I interviewed her and we took turns writing down her advice on how to write for tweens. I have not changed her words because they are the words of an expert reader!

Things you need to know before you write for tweens: When you write for tweens it cannot be boring. You want a hint of love, but no kissing. Use medium words; not new words we have to look up (trust me). It doesn’t matter what the time, or where the place is for the story; but if you write about the past you need to have lots of adventure in it.

Advice for the author: If the author doesn’t have fun; the reader doesn’t have fun.

Important things to make a good story: One of the main characters needs to be pretty, or handsome, but don’t make it like a fairytale with too many princesses. Trick the reader; it is good for our brains. have lots of action and scary parts, but not all scary. You need jealousy because it leads to fighting and fighting leads to disaster, and disaster leads to hatred. You really need fighting in a good story. Have lots of hanging parts, it keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Important things about the good guys and the bad guys: Have the good guys care about each other and only give the bad guys one chance. If you have a big bad guy make him so bad he will kill some of the other bad guys.

Important things about a good ending: Don’t let the main character die. Have a big wrap up at the end.

Because of the onset of puberty, tweens are experiencing a lot of physical changes and can have tremendous mood swings. They are fragile, yet tough; hot one minute and cold the next. Then out of the blue, they will surprise you by sharing some of their special love emotions that will lift your spirits so high above those complex puberty hormones you will never want to come down.

To wrap this up, I think tweens, like every other category of young people, are blessings. And that is the real reason I, and my inner child, like writing for them.

Mimi Mathis

One of the biggest secrets in the world of business is no longer a secret despite the fact that it remained that way for many years after the advent of the telephone. This former secret involves teleprospecting and how it increases sales. We are going to spend some time to spell out this further and also discuss several things to expect from any outbound service.

There are a few readers who might not be very familiar with the concept of telemarketing. This is the practice of company trained agents randomly phoning leads to attempt to sale a company’s goods or services. The term outbound service refers to a company that is hired as a third party to perform such phone marketing for a company that has chosen to hire them.

A lot of readers might be well aware of the simple fact that the practice of telemarketing can sometimes have very negative results when the wrong person is phoned. Many readers may have become discouraged and angry by such telemarketers during the course of their lives. Do not let negative social opinions deter you from hiring an outbound service because time and time again, research has more than proven that the practice of telemarketing is often associated with a large rise in sales.

If you or your company are considering the notion of hiring such an outbound service, you need to keep in mind that there are certain things that you should come to expect from not only the outbound service but the agents that work for them. While some of these things might seem insignificant they are all equally important and should be considered as such as you shop.

The greatest feature to be possessed by any telemarketing companies is their agent’s ability to handle negative rejection in a positive way. We all know that many leads will tell an agent “no” politely, however some readers might not be aware of the type of brutal negative abuse that some people give to such agents. If an agent is able to not let such a thing affect them, they will be most effective at their job.

A good outbound telemarketing will know how important it is for them to train their agents in the significance of daily goal setting. This is because so many agents receive hourly pay and no commission. If they do not keep the practice of setting goals, they might lose interest and therefore inspiration. Never forget how important it is for telemarketers to set goals.

A telemarketing agent should have verbal skills that are very well versed. To put it in the simplest possible way, they need to talented talkers and this should be recognized as territory that comes with the job. They need to know the phone script but be able to properly improvise conversation as customers will cause agents to easily stray away from the confines of a phone script.

After reading this, you should now be able to understand that telemarketing not only increases sales but is a time proven business tactic. As long as you remember what things to look for, you should be able to find an outbound telemarketing firm that will fit both your company’s time and budget. Just be sure to always do some research before making any decision however.

Glass tiles aren’t simply a recent design trend, they are here to stay for the long term. With so many home owners looking for a way to add their own unique touch to their living spaces, glass mosaic tiles have become a popular solution to customize a room.

Glass tiles are available in a nearly endless array of shapes, sizes, textures and colors. Glass mosaic tile can be purchased in single color sheets as well as mixes, and even gradients that once installed can give a wall a color fading effect. Because of the high demand and nearly endless range of options, the cost of glass mosaic tiles has also been drastically reduced when compared to their original cost. The majority of glass mosaic tiles can be purchased for between $10-$20 per square foot, and glass mosaics usually come mounted on a paper or mesh backed sheet equal to about one square foot, which makes calculating how much you will need for your project easy.

There are a few notable advantages of glass tile over comparable materials like stone, ceramic, or wood. First, glass tile is non-porous which means it won’t absorb any liquid and therefore it won’t stain, glass is easy to clean even if something gets splashed or spilled on it. Glass is very resilient, in fact if you look throughout history many ancient artefacts made of glass still exist in their original form, whereas stone, ceramic or wood pieces have vastly deteriorated.  In addition to glass being non-porous and resilient it also has some unique properties that unlike its counterparts that absorb light, glass can reflect light and make a dull room appear brighter and larger.

Another benefit of glass tiles is that installation is not really any different than regular ceramic tile installation, the same wall adhesive or mortar is used to affix them, and the same non-sanded grout is used to fill in the gaps between the tiles. If you have laid ceramic tile, stone tile or any other mosaic tile before, installing glass mosaic tile will be a breeze.

As previously mentioned, glass mosaic tiles are available in a huge array of designs; however there are certain recent noteworthy trends that have been gaining ground in the world of glass tile. First, a linear random brick pattern with thin and long pieces of glass tile is very popular right now, likely due to it lending itself to a modern aesthetic as well as the fact that when the tiles are installed, it’s impossible to determine where the original seam was. Next, glass and stone mixes are becoming a hot item, the beauty and cleanliness of glass mixed with the wonderful natural colors and textures of natural stone is a welcome contrast that is finding its way into a lot of homes.

Glass tile isn’t just for the obvious kitchen or bathroom backsplash application but glass tiles are finding their way into other installations such as showers, tub splashes, tile borders as well as fireplace surrounds. In fact, glass mosaic tiles can pretty much be installed onto any surface, opening up a huge range of possibilities for this wonderful design material.

Whether you want to have a highly vibrant and colourful backsplash or a warm, comforting subtle look there are glass mosaic tiles available that are ready to be installed in your space and instantly beautify your room and your life.

Whether you are a travel agent, school, or a stadium, if you have information you want to get out on a daily basis not only does it involve spending a lot of money to print but is also not so good on the environment with most leaflets being thrown away straight after reading and this is where Digital Signage comes into its own. Digital signage falls under the audio visual umbrella, so if you are searching for companies its a good idea to look for audio visual companies.

A Digital Signage package consists of a LCD, plasma flat panel screen or projector and screen for really big images and connected to either a PC or laptop

If you want to save money on paper, ink and man hours but your budget if tight then the best option for you would be a LCD or plasma flat panel screen and a laptop or PC. This combination will allow you to show power point, picture slide shows, video presentations or DVD. For this combination for your Digital Signage I would recommend using a screen of not less than 32 inch  as you have to have a screen that will show your information at a size that your public can easily see and using smaller screens make this very difficult, Also the smaller the screen the less information you can show.

The more expensive Digital Signage systems consist of a screen or projector system and Digital System software.

Digital Signage software has loads of features and allows you to split your screen into different zones therefore allowing you to show different content in various formats. When using Digital Signage software I would recommend using a screen of no less than 40 inch. This is due to the zoning of the screen. The more zones you have the smaller the sections of the screen becomes so if you wish to show more that four  zones then I would recommend a 47 inch screen.

The features of using Digital Signage software are impressive and allow you to do the following:

split your display screen into multiple zones which can play on its own loop allowing you to combine live RSS feeds, live web feeds, live TV, picture slide shows, video presentations, power point , atomic clock and scrolling text all on one screen. The software also allows you to schedule each zones so you can switch on and off each zones independently on date and time from minutes up to five years in advance.This makes an excellent addition to any school audio visual communication platform. It can be used to advertise and increase revenue for any private company to boot.

Many of the Digital Signage systems are fully online which allows you log on from anywhere in the world and make changes to your screen and this feature is particularly important if you have a head office for example and local offices because you can password protect the zones to suit therefore giving your local office some control of zones but you can have overall control if required.

Programming of the zones is very straight forward and is usually done by drag and dropping files into the zones which are, in some cases, color-coordinated i.e. yellow for video files, red for power point etc. Systems have built in layouts to make programming even easier.

I hope by reading this you have a better understanding Digital Signage and what is available and my next article will be on the best type and positioning of your screen. If you are investing in audio visual then digital signage will give the majority of organizations to maximize its investment.

Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease or Syndrome as it is also known is a painful condition which affects children and adolescents. It can however continue into adulthood. It usually strikes during a growth spurt and affects millions of active children every year- up to 30% of overuse injuries in this age group, according to international research.

The presenting symptom is typically intense knee pain. It usually occurs during sporting activities such as running and jumping and also every day activities such as going up and down stairs. Pain varies with activity  and is often intermittent . In the acute phase the pain can be  severe and continuous in nature. The impact of the condition  can be very  disabling and may even affect both knees at the same time.

It is usually quite straight forward to tell if your child has Osgood-Schlatter’s. Firstly the child will usually be aged between nine and sixteen and going through a growth spurt. The child will be active, maybe playing sports on a regular basis. The final indicator is a painful lump at the top of the shin bone at the front of the knee.  It is usually very tender to touch.

There are a limited variety of treatment for Osgood Schlatters commonly available to sufferers. The present standard treatment advice is to treat the symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease. That’s Rest, Ice, Compression to reduce the pain and swelling, anti-inflammatory medication and modification of sporting activities.

This advice does not address the cause of the problem. This means that it is likely that the condition will return when the child resumes sports.  When Osgood Schlatters returns the lump can increase in size and the soft cartilage starts to change into bone making the knee lump permanent. This will have future implications as over half of patients with these lumps will have pain whenever they kneel down for the rest of their lives.  A number of chronic sufferers may need to have bony splinters surgically removed from the front of their knees. Eventually painful symptoms suffered with activity will subside  as they finish their growth spurt.   So if you do nothing it will finally settle  in two to three years, although the lump may remain.

There is a new treatment which has been scientifically proven at The European College of Sports Science Conference; Lisbon Portugal, 2008. The treatment is known at the “Strickland Protocol” and the results showed that : “All patients achieved a full loading to the tendon in an average of 20 days (±12).  This was significant to 98% (p

The “Strickland Protocol” is readily available online and comes with support throughout the treatment from Jenny Strickland, a leading Chartered Physiotherapist and creator of the protocol. The child can become pain free and cured of Osgood-Schlatter’s  Disease within 3 weeks. The protocol consists of several minutes of simple home treatment each day. However the child must completely refrain from all sporting activities during the treatment and the protocol must be strictly followed to achieve the quickest results.

Find help and support online at Osgood Schlatter Disease Support webpage.

S K Fire Protection – Fire Extinguishers, Safety and Equipment Specialist based throughout the midlands. Depots include: Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Peterborough, Birmingham, Manchester, Lincolnshire and many more.
Further information can be found on our website www.skfireprotection.co.uk or by calling one of our fire safety advisors on 08453 888 999.

Portable Fire Extinguishers
Portable fire extinguishers enable suitable trained people to tackle a fire in its early stages, if they can do so without putting themselves in danger.
All workplaces should be provided with means of fighting fire for use by people in the premises.
In the event of a fire, using the correct extinguisher is as important as discovering the fire itself. All modern fire extinguishers are clearly marked as to the type of fire they should be used on, so you can tackle small fires safely and easily.
Where the fire risk is not confined to a particular location, e.g. Class A fire, the fire extinguishers should be positioned on escape routes close to the exit from the room or floor, or the final exit from the building. Similarly, where the particular fire risk is specifically located e.g. flammable liquids, the appropriate fire extinguisher should be placed on a dedicated stand or hung on a wall at a convenient height so that employees can easily lift them off (at about 1m for larger extinguishers, 1.5m for smaller ones, to the level of the handle). Ideally no one should have to travel more than 30m to reach a fire extinguisher. If there is a risk of malicious use you may need to use alternative, and more secure, locations.
Fire extinguishers manufactured to current standards (BS EN 3-7) are predominately red but may have a colour-coded area sited above or within the instructions, denoting the type of extinguisher. Most older extinguishers manufactured to previous standards, have bodies painted entirely in a single colour which denotes the type of extinguisher. These older extinguishers remain acceptable until they are no longer serviceable. However, old and new style extinguishers are not to be mixed on the same floor of a building.
There are 5 main fire extinguishers currently in use which are listed below. Each fire extinguisher has instructions stating what type of fire it is suitable to be used on.
The five main types of fire extinguishers are as follows:

• Water
• Foam (AFFF)
• Dry Powder (ABC rated)
• Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
• Fat Fryer (Wet Chemical)

No single type of extinguisher is totally effective on every kind of fire. So before buying a fire extinguisher, it is vital to look carefully at what type of fire it has to be used on.
The following chart shows you what type of extinguisher can be used for the different types of fire risks. Each risk type has a letter associated with it (A, B, C, F), with the exception of electrical risk. Fire extinguishers for sale in the UK are all marked with some of these letters to indicate to the buyer which risk the extinguisher can be used for. Next to these letters the buyer can also see numbers, which indicate how strong the extinguisher is in the relevant category – The higher the number, the bigger a fire the extinguisher can tackle.
 
Water Fire Extinguishers are good for tackling fires involving burning paper, wood and soft furnishing (Class A fires), as the water soaks into the materials and cools them while extinguishing the fire. This type of extinguisher does not contain harmful chemicals but has a low fire fighting rating. Due to this water fire extinguishers are usually large and heavy to overcome their lack in fire fighting power. It is also important to remember that water is an electrolyte and conducts electricity. Care must therefore be taken with regards to accidental use on exposed power cables or electrical appliances.
Foam Fire Extinguishers also called AFFF FOAM (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) for class A & B fires creates a smothering film of foam over the fire, which starves the fire of oxygen. The foam also penetrates porous materials and cools the fire through evaporation of the water content in the foam. As the foam creates a foam carpet on burning liquids like petrol, foam extinguishers are particularly suitable for flammable liquids and areas where manmade fibres in soft furnishings and carpets might liquidise under the influence of heat. Foam extinguishers are safe if accidentally used on any electrical equipment.
CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) Fire Extinguishers contain only pressurised CO2 gas and therefore leave no residue. This type of extinguisher is suitable for use on fires involving burning liquids (Class B fires), but is also an excellent solution for computer equipment and other electrical appliances as it does not cause damage to the electrical items and does not cause the system to short circuit. It is important to remember that when using CO2 extinguishers there is a possibility that once the smothering CO2 gas has floated away the fire may re-ignite if the source of the fire is not removed (e.g. switching off the power supply) or if the materials are still very hot. Please be aware that CO2 extinguishers that are not fitted with double-lined swivel horns may cause your fingers to freeze to the horn during the deployment of the extinguisher. CO2 extinguishers are NOT suitable for deep fat fryers.
Powder Fire Extinguishers, also called ABC powder extinguishers or dry powder extinguishers, are suitable for fighting class A, B and C fires. ABC powder extinguishers have a very good fire fighting capacity, but the powder does not soak into materials and does not have a good cooling effect on the fire. This can result in the fire re-igniting if it is not properly extinguished. Care must be taken when using powder extinguishers that you do not inhale the powder. Powder extinguishers should therefore not be used in small, confined spaces where there is a risk of inhaling the powder. The clean up after applying a powder extinguisher is very difficult and the powder causes damage to soft furnishing, carpets and computer drives etc. So a careful balance has to be struck between the generally quite cheap but powerful powder extinguishers and the cleaner, but less powerful and sometimes more expensive foam/water (with additive) extinguishers.
 

Wet Chemical Fire Extinguishers are especially designed for use on kitchen fires involving burning oil and deep fat fryers (Class F fires). These extinguishers come with a special, long application lance which allows you to safely lay a cooling layer of foam on top of the burning oil. They can also be used on Class A fires, although their fire fighting power for general risks is not very strong.
Alternatively, a (kite marked) fire blanket can be placed over the pan containing the burning oil/fat. The pan should then be left to cool down. NEVER carry the pan outside or lift the fire blanket after a short period of time to inspect the burning oil as the introduction of oxygen through this action can reignite the fire. NEVER use pressurised water, powder, CO2 or foam extinguishers on fires involving burning fat, as the pressurised jet can cause the burning oil to be carried out of the pan onto surrounding surfaces causing more damage and a larger fire to tackle.

Application of fire extinguishers

Water and powder fire extinguishers
Aim the jet at the base of the flames and briskly sweep it from side to side.
Foam and wet chemical fire extinguishers
For solids, aim the jet at the base of the flames and move it over the area of the fire. For liquids, don’t aim the foam straight at the fire – aim it at a vertical surface or, if the fire is in a container, at the inside edge of the container.
 

Points to note before tackling a fire

• Don’t attempt to use an extinguisher on a fire unless you feel it is safe for you to do so.
• Position the extinguisher where you can get to it quickly, like the hall.
• Buy extinguishers that you can carry easily.
• Don’t position extinguishers over a heater or fire, but do fix them to the wall, so they are out of reach of children but still easily accessed.
• Read the instructions and be familiar with how to use your extinguishers. Don’t leave it until you have a fire.
• If you require the extinguishers for a business (including letting premises) you must have them serviced once a year.
• If you are using a fire extinguisher on a fire, keep yourself on the escape route side of the fire.

Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
Fire extinguishers do not have an indefinite life, even if they are never actually used. Their contents can lose pressure, the inside of the canisters are prone to rust and corrosion if liquid contents, and the canister seams can be weakened by continual high pressurization.
Seals can deteriorate, valves can stick, and fire extinguisher can become knocked and dented simply by being part of a building’s fixtures and fittings
Fire extinguisher maintenance and care in accordance with the Code of Practice stipulated in British Standard 5306 part 3 should be integrated into your premises Fire Risk Assessment and is, in effect, a legal requirement of the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005.
Annual inspections (or more frequent for high risk locations or corrosive environments) by a competent person will involve inspecting every fire extinguisher, and identifying those extinguishers which need re-pressurising, require replacement parts, or which have reached the end of their useful lives.

Further fire extinguisher information can be found here: Fire Extinguishers

S K Fire Protection – Fire Extinguishers, Safety and Equipment Specialist based throughout the midlands. Depots include: Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Peterborough, Birmingham, Lincolnshire and many more.
Further information can be found on our website www.skfireprotection.co.uk or by calling one of our fire safety advisors on 08453 888 999.

If you think that there is no way for you to escape the rat race in your nine-to-five job, then think again. You are beginning to dread the job you have been employed in for a long time and the only reason why you are staying is because of the assurance of a steady monthly income. If you find yourself in this situation then you might want to consider starting your own business. Among the many types of businesses that you can choose from, a hot dog cart business is the most lucrative of them all. It is said to be the most lucrative business to date because you can start one without investing a lot of money.

One feature of the food cart business is flexibility and affordability. By this, it means that since it is not a permanent structure you are not required to spend on construction material that are needed to build the establishment and you can move it to any location that you want.

Another advantage of having a hot dog cart business is that you are able to stay away from the hassles that a regular nine-to-five job entails. You do not have to worry about pleasing your superior or your colleagues too, because in a food cart business you are your own boss. Following this advantage there is no more need for you to adhere to a strict work schedule because you control the business and you can work at any time that you please.

The most important and favourable reason for you to start a hot dog cart business is its ability to weather even the worst effects of global recession. It is a fact that because of global recession, many people are forced to cut down on their expenses. However there is one thing that remains to be in demand and cannot be taken for granted and that is food. Regardless of the crisis, everybody needs to eat and considering the affordable price of a hot dog, people will always crave for it. Also, the fact that hot dogs have become part of the American lifestyle can never be discounted. The hot dog cart business has been existing for many decades now which only proves that people will always look for it and are willing to try new varieties of hot dogs.

Before deciding on opening a hot dog cart business, here are some things that you must do:

Conduct a research on the hot dog cart business. Look for magazine articles and online resources that talk about the business. You can also find these information on electronic or e-books. Most e-books provide a step-by-step guide that will help you create a business plan starting with providing you a rough estimate on how much capital you will be needing to start the business. Take time to find the best deals in terms of purchasing the necessary equipments. Depending on your budget, you can find advertisements that will tell you where to buy used or new food carts and the other needed equipments. In searching for the best deals, don’t just look for the cheapest price. Make sure that even if they are offered at a low price, their quality is at par. Do not settle on mediocre equipments that are likely to break down after a short period. You might find yourself spending more for repair or repurchase that would mean additional expenses.

Give out survey questionnaires to the people in your area who are your target market. This will help you determine their tastes and preferences. This will give you a picture of the recipes that you will create. Also include in the questionnaire a range of prices they can choose from so that you will have an idea on how much your target market is willing to spend for your hot dogs.

Search the market for the best suppliers where you can buy the ingredients to your product. Make sure that the suppliers you contact are reliable and that they have a good business standing. This will assure you of the availability of your supplies at any time.

Conduct an ocular inspection of your area. Find the perfect spot for your business. Consider the volume of people that are in that place. You must always remember that the number of sales you make will depend on the number of people that are present in your location at any time of the day.

Once you have completed your research, you need to accomplish some things that your city or municipal government will require you such as securing a health permit, a vendor’s license and a food handler’s cards. These things can all be done in a few days.

Health is the foremost concern of the government which is why they require all businesses to secure a permit that will ensure the cleanliness and safety of their products. In some cities and municipalities, they require business owners to get a vendor’s license. Without this, you may not be allowed to operate your business so it is important that you apply for this before you open your business. You would not want your operation to be shut down while it is at its peak. You also need to attend classes that will teach you proper food handling. Once you pass this class you will be given a food handler’s card. All these things will assure your customers that the food you serve them is safe and that you are operating a legitimate business.

Lastly, you must think carefully of your recipe. Make sure that your business offers something that long-established hot dog stands and restaurants do not have. It will also be very helpful if you offer other foods aside from the hot dogs. Think of strategies as combo meals and other upsell techniques that can help rake in more profit. Do not limit yourself to offering only one recipe. As your business grows, make sure that you have new things to offer to your customers so that they will keep coming back.