Noise Pollution Essay Example

Noise Pollution Paper The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while its running. And of course the most famous of the automobiles evils is the exhaust. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. But why do we do continue to drive these walking time bombs. Some people will say It is progress, but the majority drives it for the convenience. Why walk four miles in four hours when you can drive the AMA miles in four minutes? Another popular source of waste is the post-consumer market. American citizens throw away millions of tons of garbage each year, and this trash has to go somewhere. While there are projects underway to clean and reuse this refuse most of it gets dumped into huge landfills. These landfills are disgusting festering blisters on our countrys landscape. But people continue to consume and throw away more and more in the name of convenience. As they see it, when things get old, throw it away and get a new one. We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer They blame the government for the trash problem, but the truth blame should be placed on themselves. The last great source of pollution lays in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste products into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but youre wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lakes ecosystem. Not only do companies dump chemicals, but also hot water. This hot water kills most life it comes into contact with, but also causes an overgrowth of algae that covers the surface of the lake, or pond, and blocks the light from reaching the bottom. This means the plant life cannot grow, which mean the small bacteria and other microorganisms cant grow which means fish cant feed which means the ecosystem dies. Pollution like any other problem can be solved, but this is a long process. Individuals can do their part to save the environment as well as themselves. Instead of driving, carpool, take the bus or any other method of mass transit. This will cut down on pollution made by cars each year, not to mention your gas bill. When it comes to the trash problem, take the time to sort your trash and lace it in the appropriate recycling bins. By recycling we reduce the amount of waste piled onto the landfills. As for consumption, pay attention to how the products you buy are manufactured and how they are packaged. Avoid those products made in unfriendly ways towards our mother earth. If a product encourages the destruction of land, or is of completely no use dont buy it. And finally voice your opinion in the polls. If each individual did their part, we will be creating a better world for ourselves as well as our children. Noise Pollution Essay Example Noise Pollution Paper Whether knowingly or unknowingly, every one of us contributes to noise pollution, because most of our day-to- day activities generate some noise. Often neglected, noise pollution adversely affects the human being leading to irritation, loss of concentration, loss of hearing. Identify the sources of noise pollution. Once identified, the reason(s) for increased noise levels to be assessed. Now, efforts shall be made to reduce the undesired noise levels from (unwanted) noise generating sources. This leads to marginal reduction of noise levels. It is still UN-bearable scientific ethos of noise control shall be employed. The statutory Regulations have prescribed the noise level exposure limits. The public may complain to the statutory Board for violation of noise level limits by any noise generator. Suitable action will be taken to attenuate the noise levels and controlling pollution. It is advisable that suitable noise control measures be taken and reduces the interference of Statutory Board. It IS high time that everyone should do this bit in curbing the noise pollution, which is otherwise becoming as effective as SLOW POISONING. Noise can be defined as unwanted or undesirable sound. The word noise is derived from Latin word nausea meaning seasickness. Be it human or machine-created noise disrupts the activity and balance of life. Humans, animals, plants and even inert objects like buildings, monuments and bridges have been the victims of noise pollution. Noise pollution is considered as major hazards of modern life especially in urban areas-areas that are most industrialized and urbanize. We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Noise Pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Noise by definition is unwanted sound, what is pleasant to some cars it may be extremely unpleasant to other, depending on a number of physiological factors the sweetest music, if it disturbs person ho is trying to concentrate or sleep is a noise to him. Just as the sound of pneumatic reverting hammer is noise to nearly everyone. Sound is a form of energy which is emitted by a vibrating body and on reaching the ear causes the sensation of hearing through nerves. Sounds produced by all vibrating bodies are not audible. The frequency limits of audibility are from 20 HAZE to 20,000 HAZE. A noise problem generally consists of three inter-related elements- the source, the receiver and the transmission path. This transmission path is usually the atmosphere through which the sound is propagated, but can include the structural materials of any building containing the receiver. Noise may be continuous or intermittent. Noise may be of high frequency or of low frequency which is undesired for a normal hearing. For example, the typical cry of a child produces sound, which is mostly unfavorable to normal hearing. Since it is unwanted sound, we call it noise. The discrimination and differentiation between sound and noise also depends upon the habit and interest Of the person/species receiving it, the ambient conditions and impact of the sound generated during that particular duration of time. There could be instances that, excellently rendered musical concert for example, may be felt as noise and exceptional music as well during the course of the concert! Sounds of frequencies less than 20 Haze are called infrasonic and greater than 20,0000 Haze are called ultrasonic. Since noise is also a sound, the terms noise and sound are synonymously used. Sound waves are often simplified to a description in terms of, sinusoidal plane waves which are characterized by these generic properties: C] 0 L] C] C L] Frequency, or its inverse, the period Wavelength Wave number Amplitude Sound pressure Sound intensity Speed of sound Direction SOURCES CAUSING NOISE POLLUTION: Road Traffic Noise Aircraft Noise Noise from Railroads Noise from Industry Noise from High Rise Buildings Noise from Construction Works Noise from Loudspeakers EFFECTS OF NOISE: Noise is one of the main pollution of the environment causing various hazardous consequences for human life. Noise not only impairs sensibility to auditory stimuli by masking effects, it has other consequence too. Studies have proved that a loud noise during peak hours creates tiredness, irritation ND impairs brain activities, so as to reduce thinking and working abilities. Its general effects on human being are that it covers disturbance in sleep which lead to other side effects. Control measures: Immediate measures Proper maintenance of vehicles Thick vegetation and growing trees on road side By lodging a formal complaint Raising obstruction and barriers between noise sources and residences. Prevention of use of loud speakers at loud levels etc. Noise from ducts or exhaust can be reduced by fitting silencers Long term measures Land use planning Infrastructure development measures Political will REGULATORY GUIDELINES: Statutory Regulatory guidelines were prescribed both for the ambient noise levels and for workspace environment noise levels. The Factories Act, 1948 prescribes the protection of workers against high noise levels (noise level > 90 db (A)). The State Pollution Control Board and Inspector of Factories have powers to administer the control of noise pollution. The Factories Act, 1948 The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 0 Note: 1. Day time is reckoned in between 6 a. M. And 9 p. M. 2. Night time is reckoned in between 9 p. M. And 6 a. M. Application in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies: The EIA study ill be carried out to evaluate and assess the impacts of any proposed (or existing) activity on the environment. Noise is one of the environmental attributes, on which the likely impacts due to the proposed (or existing) activity need to study. The likely steps to be carried out while conducting noise level studies for an EIA project are summarized below. The EIA will be carried out for either proposed or existing activities. The sequential steps involved will be same for both the activities. D The likely activities that generate noise from the proposed activity are to be identified The typical sound (noise) levels of the noise generating sources are to be assessed either from literature or from a similar source. CLC The likely exposure time of a worker at a noise generating source is to be assessed from the plant / utility records. 0 The workspace environment noise levels are to be checked with OSHA standards. If the noise exposure levels are higher, suitable noise control measures like personal protective equipment, installation of barriers, enclosures etc. , need to be suggested. 0 The EIA will usually be carried out in an impact circle of radius 3 Km to 25 Km or even more depending on the objective and the likely activities of the proposed project. The representative baseline (or back ground) status of the ambient noise levels need to be collected by monitoring at various stations in the study zone. The ambient noise levels are to be analyzed for the prescribed parameters like, Leg, Old etc. , and compared with the ambient noise level standards for the study region. If these values are higher than the prescribed limits, the likely causes for the high values need to be assessed. 0 The likely impact of the noise levels from the proposed activity on the local environment keeping in view the saline status of noise levels need to be predicted. L] If the predicted impact is adverse, suitable measures for attenuating the noise levels like, green belt development, in-plant control measures etc. , need to be suggested. The objective of the EIA study is to make ensure that, the local environment, say noise, will not get affected by the noise levels emanated from the proposed activity. If the ambient noise levels are high, then control measures are suggested to the project proponent to ensure that, ambient noise levels will not increase due to the proposed activity. Noise pollution Essay Example Noise pollution Paper Noise pollution is the disturbing or excessive noise that may harm the activity or balance of human or animal life. The source of most outdoor noise worldwide is mainly caused banishes and transportation systems, motor vehicles, aircraft, and Outdoor noise is summarized by the word environmental noise. Poor urban planning may give rise to noise pollution, since side-by-side industrial and residential buildings can result in noise pollution in the residential areas. Indoor noise is caused by machines, building activities, music performances, and especially in some workplaces. There is no great difference whether noise-induced hearing loss is brought about by outside (e. G. Trains) or inside (e. G. Music) noise. High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects in humans, a rise in blood pressure, and an increase in stress and vasoconstriction, and an increased incidence Of coronary artery disease. In animals, noise can increase the risk of death by altering predator or prey detection and avoidance, interfere with reproduction and navigation, and contribute to permanent hearing loss. It is extremely important that we understand how sound pollution affects us. Some of us may be suffering from the negative effects of sound pollution and not know it because they dismiss it something trivial when it is actually not. Therefore this page will be dedicated to explaining exactly what noise pollution is about, what causes it, how to calculate sound and how fast it travels. We will write a custom essay sample on Noise pollution specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Noise pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Noise pollution specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Effects Human [edit] Noise pollution affects both health and behavior. Unwanted sound (noise) can damage psychological health. Noise pollution can cause trouble, hypertension, high stress levels,tinnitus, hearing loss, sleep disturbances, and other harmful Furthermore, stress and hypertension are the leading causes to health Sound comes unwanted when it either interferes with normal activities such as sleeping, conversation, or disrupts or diminishes ones quality of life. [8] Chronic exposure to noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. Older males exposed to significant coco optional noise demonstrate more significantly reduced hearing sensitivity than their non-exposed peers, though differences in hearing sensitivity decrease with time and the two groups are indistinguishable by age 79. [9] A comparison of Mbabane tribesmen, who were insignificantly exposed to transportation or industrial noise, to a typical U. S. Population showed that chronic exposure to moderately high levels Of environmental noise contributes to hearing loss. 3] High noise levels can contribute to cardiovascular effects and exposure to moderately high levels during a single eight-hour period causes a statistical rise in blood pressure of five to ten points and an increase in and vasoconstriction leading to authenticated blood pressure noted above, as well as to increased incidence of coronary artery disease. Noise pollution also is a cause of annoyance. A 2005 study by Spanish researchers found that in urban areas households are willing to pay approximately four Euros per decibel per year for noise reduction. 10] Wildlife[edit] Noise can have a detrimental effect on wild animals, increasing the risk of death by changing the delicate balance in predator or prey detection and avoidance, and interfering the use of the sounds in communication, especially in relation to reproduction and in navigation. Acoustic overexposure can lead to temporary or permanent loss of hearing. [1 1] An impact of noise on wild animal life is the reduction of usable habitat that noisy areas may cause, which in the case of endangered species may be part of the path to extinction. Noise pollution has caused the death of certain species of whales that bigheartedness after being exposed to the loud sound of military 2] (see also Marine mammals and sonar). Noise also makes species communicate more loudly, which is called Lombard vocal response. [13] Scientists and researchers have conducted experiments that show whales song length is longer when submarine-detectors are on. [14] If creatures do not speak loudly enough, their voice will be masked by anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. When one species egging speaking more loudly, it will mask other species voice, causing the whole ecosystem eventually to speak more loudly. Marine invertebrates, such as crabs (Carious means), have also been shown to be impacted by ship Larger crabs were noted to be impacted more by the sounds than smaller crabs. Repeated exposure to the sounds did lead to acclimatization. 1 6] European Robins living in urban environments are more likely to sing at night in places with high levels of noise pollution during the day, suggesting that they sing at night because it is quieter, and their message can propagate through the environment more clearly. 17] The same study showed that daytime noise was a stronger predictor of nocturnal singing than night-time light pollution, to which the phenomenon often is attributed. Zebra finches become less faithful to their partners when exposed to traffic noise. This could alter a populations evolutionary trajectory by selecting traits, sapping resources normally devoted to other activities and thus leading to profound genetic and evolutionary consequences. [1 8] CAUSES When one thinks of Unwanted Sounds or Noise Pollution, it always brings to mind images Of transportation vehicles, industrial machinery, construction ties, loud speaker, big events, etc. These are very common or usual reasons of noise pollution in our internal and external surroundings. This article will give you further information about the causes of disgusting noise in our environment. . Public/Private Transportation Vehicle these are one of the daily causes of noise pollution in our streets, public hi-way, etc. Why? Because in every kind of vehicle it creates disturbing sounds by starting the engines, blowing of horns, playing music from car amplifier, etc. As a result the city has now become exposed from these types of unavoidable and uncontrollable Jose. 2. Industrial Machinery there are so many various examples of industrial machinery that creates severe disturbing and hazardous sounds to the industrial workers. The multiple kinds of industrial machinery are huge generators, large compressors, cranes, furnaces, exhaust fans and many more. It is through these objects that adds distractions and complications in our ambiance. 3. Construction Sites we all know that every construction area uses huge equipments as part of their job like pay loader, crane, cement mixer, bulldozer, etc. These construction items are expected to perform vibrations and loud noise that can affect illnesses to all construction workers. 4. Loud Speaker using loud speaker in public or private areas like residential, commercial establishment, public market, Concert arena, etc. Can definitely and instantly contributes disturbing sounds in our community or environment. The sounds from the loud speakers can immediately spread in our atmosphere and undoubtedly becomes one of the causes of noise pollution. 5. Big Events we all love celebrating big events such as birthdays, anniversaries, house parties, festivals. But, do you realize how much noise oh and your special visitors can create unpleasant and very disturbing sounds in your external surroundings or neighborhood? While you and your friends are enjoying your special occasion, your angry neighborhoods are having difficulties in their sleeping hours. These are the common causes and very prominent distractions in our precious space or environment. But there are still many ways to avoid and to decrease the sounds of these unlikable and harmful sounds in your local area. With a strong understanding about the main cause of noise pollution in your area, you will surely find the perfect solution of this kind of dilemma. Measurement of Sound . The intensity of sound is measured on a scale called decibel scale or db scale. It measures the loudness of sound in terms or relative units of energy or power on a logarithm scale. The scale starts from O db and is considered as threshold of hearing which the human can hear. A sound of 10 db is ten times louder than O (zero) db and a sound of 20 db is 10 x 10 times louder and likewise a sound of 30 db is 10 x 10 x 10 times louder. Mitigation[edit] Roadway noise can be reduced by the use of noise barriers, limitation Of vehicle speeds, alteration of roadway surface texture, limitation of heavy icicles, use of traffic controls that smooth vehicle flow to reduce braking and acceleration, and tire design. An important factor in applying these strategies is a computer model for roadway noise, that is capable of addressing local topography, meteorology, traffic operations, and hypothetical mitigation. Costs of building-in mitigation can be modest, provided these solutions are sought in the planning stage of a roadway project. Aircraft noise can be reduced by using quieter jet engines. Altering flight paths and time of day runway has benefited residents near airports. Industrial noise has been addressed since the asses via redesign of industrial equipment, shock mounted assemblies and physical barriers in the workplace. Legal situated] Main article: Noise regulation up until the asses governments viewed noise as a nuisance rather than an environmental problem. In the United States, there are federal standards for highway and aircraft noise; states and local governments typically have very specific statutes on building codes, urban planning, and roadway development. Noise laws and ordinances vary widely among municipalities and indeed do not even exist in some cities. An ordinance may contain a general prohibition against making noise that is a nuisance, or it may set out specific guidelines for the level of noise allowable at certain times of the day and for certain activities.

Piper Alpha Disaster Essays

Piper Alpha Disaster Essays Piper Alpha Disaster Paper Piper Alpha Disaster Paper Abstract Piper Alpha was operated by Occidental Petroleum. The platform began its production in 1976, first as an oil production and then later converted to oil and gas production. In the night of July 6th 1988, the platform was engulfed in a catastrophic fire, which caused the death of 167 men and cost billions of dollars in property damage. There are only 61 survivors who saved their lives by jump off the platform in to the sea. At the time of the disaster, the Piper Alpha disaster was the worst offshore disaster in terms of live lost and industry impact. There are two main factors that lead to the disaster, which are human factor and the design and process factor. Lord Cullen has made some recommendations on improvements and preventions on the offshore installations. The improvements and preventions are the Permit to Work System should be taken seriously when there are any maintenance works on being carried out on the platform. The offshore platform management should provide good training and well prepared their workers in emergency procedures when emergency situations. Besides, the two improvements and preventions, the offshore platform management should upgraded their fire walls to blast walls, to prevent the fire walls from disintegrated on the gas explosion, penetrating oil and gas pipe lines that can lead to fire. 1. Introduction 2. 1 Background of Piper Alpha The Piper Alpha Oil Production platform was located about 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland and built it for the Piper Field in the North Sea. The Piper Field was, discovered by Occidental Petroleum (Caledonia) Ltd. in January 1973, with the Piper Alpha platform becoming operational in 1976. 2. 2 The purpose of Piper Alpha operation The Piper Alpha platform had been designed as an oil production platform at first, but then the Piper Alpha platform went through several modification and redesigns to accommodate increased gas and oil production for the fields nearby. This redesigning make the Piper Alpha platform changed from a pure oil production platform to an oil and gas production platform in late 1980. A sub-sea pipeline, shared with the Claymore platform, connected Piper Alpha to the Flotta oil terminal on the Orkney Islands. Piper Alpha also had gas pipelines connecting it to both the Tartan platform and to the separate MCP-01 gas-processing platform. In total, Piper Alpha had four main transport risers: An oil export risers, The Claymore risers, The Tartan gas riser and The MCP-01 gas riser. The image below shows the locations of the platforms in the North Sea with their associated oil and gas terminals. 2. 3 What had happen to Piper Alpha Piper Alpha platform was engulfed in a catastrophic fire on July 6th 1988. The disaster caused the death of 167 men out of 228 men, which are 165 men on board of the Piper Alpha platform, and other two men on board a rescue vessel. The Piper Alpha disaster all began with a routine maintenance procedure. The Piper Alpha platform consists of two groups of workers, which are morning shift workers and night shift workers. On the morning of the 6th of July 1988, the morning shift workers have removed a gas condensate pump from service for maintenance of its Pressure Safety Valve (PSV). The Piper Alpha platform had two such pumps (gas condensate pump), which has been indicated as Pump A and Pump B. When the routine maintenance work had being carried out, the Pump A had been isolated and shut down. The maintenance work could not be completed by the end of morning shift worker finish their work, so they have been given permission to leave the rest of the maintenance work to be continued on the next day. Temporarily the PSV had been installed with a plate; this was to ensure to keep debris out of the pipework while the PSV was maintained. But the plate was not been installed tightly. Unfortunately, the night shift workers do not aware of this. The night shift workers had not been informed by the morning shift worker, that the Pump A as been isolated and shut down for maintenance work and temporarily installed a plate at the PSV. After few hours, the night shift workers took over from the morning shift workers, the primary condensate pump failed. None of the night shift workers were aware that a crucial part of the pump had been removed and decided to start the backup pump. Gas escaped from the hole left by the valve which was not closed tightly. Gas audibly leaked out at high pre ssure, ignited and exploded and produces a catastrophic fire which blown through the fire walls. The fire from the explosion had destroyed some of the oil lines and soon larger quantities of stored oil were burning out of control. An automatic system, which has been designed to spray water on such fire, had been turned off. Moreover, the accommodations were design in such a way that not smoke-proofed. Some of the workers realized that the only way to survive would be by jumping in to the sea and hoping to be rescued by boat. Only 61 men were survived, but most of them died due to suffocated carbon monoxide and fumes in the accommodations area on the Piper Alpha platform. . 4 The purpose of this report The purpose of the report is to examine the objectives and structures of the management of Piper Alpha platform for the oil and gas production industry in the North Sea, United Kingdom. Other than to examine the objectives and structures of the management of Piper Alpha, this report also is written to examine the causes of the explosion and the subsequent inquiry into the incident that claimed 167 men lives, and also how to improve in the management systems so that to prevent the Piper Alpha accident from occurring. 2. Management and Operation of Piper Alpha 3. 5 The Management and the Objectives of Piper Alpha Piper Alpha started its operation as a pure oil production platform in the North Sea approximately 170 miles northeast of Aberdeen, Scotland in 144 meters of water and comprised four modules separated by firewalls. McDermott Engineering at Ardersier and UIE at Cherbourg constructed the Piper Alpha platform. For safety reasons, they had made sure the Piper Alpha modules were organized so that the most dangerous operations were distant from nearby platform. Few years later, when the platform being converted from pure oil production to oil and gas production, it broke this safety concept. By this conversion, the sensitive areas were brought together to each other. The Tartan and Claymore platforms were installed in the Piper Field nearby to the Piper Alpha platform after the Piper Alpha platform being installed in the Piper Field. These two newly installed platforms also producing crude oil and gas and their export oil lines joining Piper Alpha’s oil export line to the Flotta terminal. After several modifications, the Piper Alpha platform then became a hub, processing its own gas, collecting gas from the Tartan platform and pumping this gas on to the MCP-01 platform. A pipeline was installed linking Piper Alpha platform to Claymore platform, receiving and supplying gas to Claymore platform as required for gas lifting purposes. At the time of the disaster Piper Alpha was one of the heaviest platforms operating in the North Sea. 3. Causes of the Piper Alpha Disaster 4. 6 The Causes of the Piper Alpha Disaster Later that year, in November, Department of Energy from United Kingdom Government Body who responsible for the operation and safety of offshore oil and gas installation has appointed Lord Cullen, a very experienced Scottish Jurist, to conduct a Public Inquiry in to the cause of the Piper Alpha disaster. Later by the end of year 1990, Lord Cullen has concluded and published his inquiry on the Piper Alpha disaster. The causes of the Piper Alpha disaster based on the Lord Cullen Inquiry are as follows. There are two main factors that lead to the Piper Alpha disaster which are Human Factors and Design and Process Factors. 4. 7. 1 Human Factor Permit to Work (PTW) is a document that notes the identity and location of the component that the work is to be carried out. In any offshore platform installations the PTW must be raised before any work can be carried out. PTW is an extensive, normally foolproof safety document kept in the platform control room. Once the work completed, the PTW is signed off and filed for future reference. On the morning of the disaster, the morning shift workers have removed a gas condensate pump (Pump A) from service for maintenance of its PSV, so the PTW was still ‘live’ and in force. It appears the Permit to Work System had become too relaxed with no verbal confirmation taking place at shift handovers from the morning shift workers to the night shift workers. Later, it has been discovered that, this was one of the main factor that lead to the Piper Alpha disaster. 4. 7. 2 Design and Process Factor McDermott Engineering at Ardersier and UIE at Cherbourg had constructed the Piper Alpha platform. For safety reasons, they had made sure the Piper Alpha modules were organized so that the most dangerous operations were distant from nearby platforms. After the Piper Alpha platform being converted from pure oil production to oil and gas production, the sensitive areas were brought together to each other. Like the Tartan platform and the Claymore platform. By this major conversion, it has been broken the safety concept that had been introduce earlier upon the construction of Piper Alpha. When the explosion occurs, the Tartan platform and Claymore platform continued to supply their products to the Piper Alpha platform, despite the fire from the Piper Alpha platform visible to the workers on the Tartan and Claymore platforms. Although it had been said that the explosion caused by the escape of gas from the PSV of Piper Alpha platform was the initial cause of the disaster, the major failure and rupture of the gas risers were responsible for Piper Alpha’s destruction and preventing the Piper Alpha workers evacuation. Although the Piper Alpha platform does have fire walls, they were not upgraded to blast walls. The fire walls in the platform were disintegrated on the gas explosion, penetrating oil and gas pipe lines and machinery, adding to the fire. Moreover, the Piper Alpha accommodations for the workers were not smoke-proofed and the lack of training that caused the Piper Alpha platform workers to repeatedly open and close the accommodation doors only worsened the problem. Some of the platform workers realized that the only way to survive is to escape from the Piper Alpha platform. However, the workers found the routes to life boats were blocked by the flames and smoke. Only 61 men were survived by jumping in to the sea but the other 167 men died due to suffocated carbon monoxide and fumes in the accommodations area on the Piper Alpha platform. 4. The Improvement and Prevention on the Offshore Installations Based on the Lord Cullen inquiry on the Piper Alpha disaster, we have known that there are two main factors that lead to the Piper Alpha disaster. Besides the findings of the factors that lead to the Piper Alpha disaster, Lord Cullen also has made some recommendations on improvements and preventions on any next offshore installations. There are some key lessons we can learn from the Piper Alpha disaster and made some improvements and preventions on the next offshore platforms. The improvements and prevention as follows: 5. 7 Permit to Work System The Permit to Work System was a system of documents that had been designed to have communications between all the workers on the platform that had been involved in any maintenance work that being carried out on the platform. Based on the Lord Cullen Inquiry, the permit to work system on the Piper Alpha platform became too relaxed on this system. There were also no formal verbal communication or confirmation that been done on shift handovers. In the earlier place, if the Permit to Work system had been implemented properly, the initial gas leak would never had occurred and lead to the explosion. So, the managements of offshore platforms should take a look this system seriously because it would save lots of lives of the workers. 5. 8 Safety training to the workers As we know, the accommodations on the Piper Alpha platform were not smoke-proofed. The workers on the Piper Alpha platform were not well trained in the emergency situations, the workers frequently open and close the accommodation doors and this only worsened the problem. The Piper Alpha management also was not responsible and not well trained to make up the gap and provide good leadership during emergency situations. The offshore platforms management should provide good training to their workers and well prepared their workers in emergency procedures when emergency situations. The managements also should take the responsibility and make up the gap and provide good leadership during emergency situations. 5. 9 Fire walls upgrading Although the Piper Alpha platform do had fire walls, but the fire walls was useless due to the Piper Alpha platform productions. At the time of the disaster, Piper Alpha platform were producing oil and gas. The fire walls should have been upgraded or improved to the blast walls, after the conversion had been made to the Piper Alpha platform from pure oil production to oil and gas production. If the fire walls in the Piper Alpha platform had been upgraded to blast walls, it would have withstood the initial explosion containing the resultant fire to the accommodations in the Piper Alpha platform. Therefore, all the offshore platform management should upgrade or improved their fire walls to blast walls, to prevent the fire walls from disintegrated on the gas explosion, penetrating oil and gas pipe lines that can lead to fire. 5. 10 Temporary Refuge The workers, who died in the Piper Alpha disaster, due to suffocated carbon monoxide and fumes in the accommodations area on the Piper Alpha platform. Based on this situation, we can conclude that the management of Piper Alpha platform does not provide safe accommodations to its workers. The offshore platforms management should learn from this major error and prevent this error repeat again by introduce or improve their current workers accommodations to Temporary Safety Refuge. This Temporary Safety Refuge should be designed in such a way that, the refuge has a breathable atmosphere through prevention of smoke ingress and provision of fire protection. This temporary safety refuge is a temporary shelter to the workers until evacuation is arranged. . 11 Evacuation and Escape At the moment of the Piper Alpha disaster, some of the Piper Alpha platform workers realized the only way to survived is to escape from the Piper Alpha platform immediately. Unfortunately, the routes to the life boats were blocked by the smoke and flames. Only 61 men were lucky enough to survive, as they made a jump to the sea and hoping to be survived by the res cue boats. The management of offshore platforms should earlier designed more than one route to the lifeboats or helicopter to ensure evacuation of the platform in emergency situations. The offshore platforms management should provide the secondary escape routes such as ropes, nets and ladders as a backup for the more sophisticated methods. 5. Conclusion Piper Alpha Oil Production platform was located about 120 miles northeast of Aberdeen and built it for Piper Field in the North Sea. The Piper Alpha platform had been designed as an oil production platform at first, but then the Piper Alpha platform went through several modifications and been changed from pure oil production to oil and gas production. Piper Alpha platform was engulfed in a catastrophic fire on July 6th 1988. The disaster caused the death of 167 men and with only 61 men as survivors. The disaster also cost billions of dollars in property damage. At the time of the disaster, the Piper Alpha platform accounted approximately 10% of North Sea oil and gas production. Later, the disaster was known as the worst offshore disaster in terms of live lost and industry impact. On November 1988, Cullen Inquiry was set up to find out the cause of the Piper Alpha. Based on the Cullen Inquiry, we can learn some key lessons from the Piper Alpha disaster and we can improve and do some prevention on the other offshore platforms. The first lesson we can learn and improve is the Permit to Work System. Based on the Cullen Inquiry, the Permit to Work System on the Piper Alpha platform became too relaxed and there were no formal verbal confirmation that been done on shift handovers. The management offshore platforms should take a look this system seriously. The second lesson that we can learn from is to provide safety training to the workers. The offshore platforms management should provide good safety training and well prepared their workers in emergency situations. The fire walls should be upgraded to blast walls. This upgrading is to prevent the fire walls from disintegrated on the gas explosion, penetrating oil and gas pipe lines that lead to fire. The offshore platforms management should provide temporary safety refuge and provide more than one route to the lifeboats or helicopter to ensure evacuation of the platform in emergency situations. The management also should provide the secondary escape route such as ropes, nets and ladders as a backup for the more sophisticated methods.

When College Has a Negative ROI - Guest Post by David I. Block, EA

When College Has a Negative ROI - Guest Post by David I. Block, EA My accountant from NYC, David Block, sent this out to his list and I thought it brought up some important issues to consider for anyone considering going to (or sending a child to) an expensive yet low-ranked college. For some, at least on pure economic/financial grounds, it might make sense to go straight from high school into the working world. Heres what David has to report: With graduation season pretty much behind us, there are a slew of high school graduates who are enjoying their last golden summer, before well, before that time that many consider to be another golden four years. [I fondly remember those halcyon days before the real world hits! Even in college, I remember thinking: Wow, am I ever  BUSY! All of these social events to juggle!!!  But alas, real life isnt quite so bubble-wrapped.] But over the last couple decades, there has been a rising chorus of critics who point to skyrocketing tuitions, and the corresponding skyrocketing debt-loads, and are just wondering:  is it ACTUALLY worth it? Well, for some schools, the answer is a resounding: NO. TaxMaster Financials Real World Personal Strategy Note When College Has a Negative ROI Whats right isnt always popular. Whats popular isnt always right. Howard Cosell As many have claimed (such as the US Census Bureau  https://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/p23-210.pdf  ), a typical college degree is worth up to a million bucks over a career but thats not true for every degree. Whats becoming more and more apparent is that  prospective  college students need to do their homework beforehand, because some degrees simply arent worth the investment. Of the 1312 colleges evaluated in the 2014 PayScale College ROI Report (found here:  https://www.payscale.com/college-roi/full-list/financial-aid/yes  ), graduates from 58 institutions are estimated to be worse off after 20 years compared with those who skipped college and went straight to work. These 58 lackluster institutions make up 4.42% of all the colleges surveyed. The lowest grade goes to Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, where PayScale estimates that grads will be $121,000 worse off after 20 years for earning a degree. To calculate this estimate, PayScale uses an opportunity cost measure they call return on investment (ROI). After factoring all the net college costs, the report compares 20 years of estimated income of a college graduate versus 24 years of income from a high school graduate who started working immediately and didnt have to pay college expenses (or take loans). Future college students (and their parents) must realize that not all colleges are equal. The graduates from the lowest ranking schools report earning less income after graduation. The PayScale website is helpful because it allows you to see reported earnings of graduates from over a thousand colleges. I also assume that low-performing schools in this report tend to offer less financial assistance, which leaves their graduates with larger debt burdens. However, the most highly endowed colleges can reduce their cost of attendance with grants and scholarships. For example, Stanford is one of the most expensive schools based on sticker price, but its financial assistance is typically generous. So the net cost is very competitive, and their ranking is number 4 based on the PayScale study. The list, unfortunately, is not all inclusive. For example, my alma mater does not seem to be in the list at all. And, of course, there is a question about whether or not college is to be best utilized to create well-rounded, intelligent students, well-versed in liberal arts, or if college is now simply to be considered as vocational school. Nonetheless, the list has some value, as there are differences between schools and majors.Debt burdens are relative. A doctors salary can more quickly pay off a high-price education loan than can a teachers. A good rule of thumb is to avoid incurring college debts that will be more than half of your expected annual income. Limiting loans to no more than 50% of a future salary allows graduates to pay off their debts after five years, using 10% of their future salary.Some students begin to realize their faulty economics only after they have enrolled. Not surprisingly, those schools with the lowest ROI also have the highest dropout rates in the coun try. For example, we have Adams State, which has a 21% graduation rate and a 20-year net ROI of minus $20,143. What should be clear from this data is the world of difference between the outcomes of graduates of highly-rated schools, and of those near the bottom of the barrel.  Attending a college with a poor ROI is not necessarily a mistake, but the financial aid package had better be sweet.  So, treat your college decision like any investment:  you also need to do your homework before you commit your time and money to an unknown outcome. I hope I am helping the college choice discussion for you, rather than hindering! Warmly, David   I. Block, EA For Arnold, Tina and Dianne TaxMaster Financial Service Corporation (212) 247-9090 What do you think of Davids  analysis of College ROI? Does it change your view of how you will approach the college choice process? Please share below.

Why Video Games Matter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Why Video Games Matter - Essay Example He does this for several days, showing how addicted he is to video games. Nonetheless, in this excerpt, he addresses the relevance of video games, based on his personal experiences. In this excerpt, Blissel specifically talks about the video game Fallout 3 produced by Bethesda in 2008. To show how addictive video games can get, Blissel begins explaining the circumstances around his playing of Fallout 3. In his case, Blissel remembers nostalgically, how he missed to follow the happenings involving one of the most important events in the history of United States. While people were glued on their screens, watching CNN and other authoritative television channels for the election and swearing in of the first black president in the history of United States, Blissel was busy playing Fallout 3. Even though he had planned to play this for only a few hours before he would watch CNN, the game got interesting, and he spent more hours than expected, thus, missing the important historical event (B lissel 349-350). Even though Blissel clearly reveals that video games can be addictive, he goes ahead to defend this art form with a lot of passion. It is true, we are in a generation of gaming, and most people, including children, young people, and even adults will confess their love for video games. Although Blissel tends to criticize video games in this excerpt, he again believes that these can get even better. He thinks of video games as frustrating, in the way one has to kill characters and watch them die: â€Å"I killed his mother, and then everyone else. . .allowing your decisions to establish for your character identity as a skull-crushing monster. . .these pretensions to morality suddenly bored me† (Blissel 358). At the same time, he gives credit to video games, for being dazzling. This is in the way he thinks video games have a storyline. This is what makes him prefer to play video games than watch a film or read a novel. Although a novel has a storyline too, one mi ght not be able to concentrate on it for a few more hours like they can do with video games. Blissel thinks films do not have a storyline in the same way as video games. What makes video games appealing to Blissel is the fact that the player of the game is the one in control; therefore, it can never get boring. Apart from this, Blissel thinks playing video games creates another world for a person. They can escape the real world life, and get into another world, which they create themselves while playing video games. Blissel justifies this with his depressing moments when he would get a break by playing video games. Nonetheless, this excerpt describes in detail, Blissel’s descent into the world of Fallout 3, a video game, which has themes that are a reflection of his own compulsions that are self-destructive (Blissel 353-5). In this excerpt, Blissel generally discusses the relevance and importance of video games in people’s social lives. He as well defends video games f rom those biased against them. However, Blissel’s stand with regard to the importance of video games in the cultural aspect is quite ambivalent. Here, he compares video games to the traditional art forms such as novels and films. Comparison shows both the negative and positive sides of video games. Nonetheless, what comes out is that video games, to a larger extent, show a greater degree of incompatibility with the traditional art forms. Blissel purpose is quite clear in this excerpt. He aims at showing the importance of video games in society. This however, ends up in a two-sided argument, as one cannot establish whether video games are good or

Turandot Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Turandot - Essay Example Happy ending of the opera, as opposed to the play, was gloomed by sacrificial death of Liu. This touching image was created by Puccini, who rethought the original image of Gozzi’s heroine - a captive princess, energetic and insidious, secret rival of Turandot, who revealed the secret of the hero by trick and betrayed him. While Calaf and Turandot occur in Puccini's sources, Liu does not exist in either Gozzi’s or Schiller’s versions of the story. Adami and Simoni, the librettists for the opera, created her at Puccini's insistence and based her somewhat on Gozzi’s character Adelma, who is not very similar.  (Digaetani 57) Puccini opposed two contrasting women images: cold, cruel, alien to human senses, princess Turandot and fragile, delicate slave girl Liu. In their spiritual fight the victory remains with Liu, who, with her death, proved the invincible power of love. The idea of creating an opera struck Puccini suddenly in November 1919. He took an activ e part in writing of the libretto, suggesting scenic and dramatic situations, their motives, to his librettists - prolific playwright Giuseppe Adami (1878-1946) and poet Renato Simoni (1875-1952). In 1921, he started to compose music. Feeling that it was his last work, the composer was in a hurry, nevertheless, the work on the opera stretched for several years - the librettists could not finish the last act until 1924. The final duet and finale of Turandot, after Puccini’s death, was completed by his pupil, composer Franco Alfano, who used Puccini’s drafts. Final acts were often very difficult for Puccini, and he often struggled to complete the final acts of his previous operas—a pattern which became tragic in the case of Turandot as his work on the third and final act of this opera was interrupted by terminal cancer.  (Digaetani 31) The opera was premiered on April 25, 1926, in Milan, under the direction of Toscanini. When the last chords written by Puccini s ounded, the conductor lowered his wand, stopped the orchestra and said, â€Å"Here the Maestro laid down his pen.† The curtain slowly fell; loud applause changed, in some minutes, to complete silence when performers and the audience were leaving the theater. Opera was played completely only the next day. Turandot is a drama of strong passions, unfolding against the colorful background, where oddly mixed are oriental splendor and bloody violence, reality and symbolism. Small lyrical ariosos, depicting the feelings of the main characters, are mixed with grandiose crowd scenes with powerful choruses and colorful orchestral episodes. Musical language of the opera is complex. It used many of the achievements of modern harmony and the vocals of the two main characters demand prominent voices. Maybe that is why the last opera by Puccini has not won wide popularity, as his previous works and early creations. In fairy, legendary times lived in Beijing the princess - Turandot. She coul d only belong to someone of the royal retinue, who could solve her three riddles. A candidate, who fails, will be, like all previous ones, put to death and his severed head will decorate the walls of the palace. The opera begins with a stage of preparation for execution of the Persian prince, who was unable to solve the puzzles. He ought to die with the rising of the moon and

Controlling the Spread of Disease

Controlling the Spread of Disease Cholera Cholera is caused by the bacterium vibrio cholerae, which contaminates food and drinking water This bacterium infects the small intestines with a toxin called CTX , which in turn causes severe diarrhoea Normally present in coastal waters, attaching to crustaceans known as copepods which are found in plankton rich environments (WordPress, 2014). This bacteria does not always make people ill however, this bacteria may come out in stools, which can contaminate the water supply When vibrio cholerae enters the human body toxic poisons are released, causing diarrhoea The nutrients in the water enables provides ideal condition for the bacteria to multiply Prevention To prevent contracting cholera use bottled or boiled water when drinking and preparing food and drink Thoroughly washing hands on a regular basis Malaria: a potentially life threatening disease The life cycle of malaria Malaria plasmodium parasites have two hosts; female anopheles females and humans Female anopheles mosquitos infected by malaria parasites Inject sporozites into humans whilst feeding on their blood Sporozites then infect cells within the liver; transforming into thousands of merozoites. These merozites travel out of the liver and then invade the red blood cells; where they multiply forming new merozites Red blood cells then burst; this releases merozites which go on to infect other cells Whilst invading red blood cells merozites can develop into gametocytes; which is the sexual reproductive stage. Gametocytes are sucked up by mosquitos when they are feeding; fusing with gametes to make zygotes in the mosquitos gut Zygotes become fertilised and form motile ookinete; which turn into oocyst, these then multiply producing thousands of sporozoites These then move into the salivary gland of the mosquito after around a week; ready to infect humans So what can be done to protect against malaria? The use of mosquito nets are commonly used to stop mosquitos from biting as well as the use of insect repellent Some medicines are given to people to help prevent the risk of contracting malaria: doxycycline, proguanil with atovaquone, mefloquine; some of which need to be taken for weeks after return (disqus, 2014). Influenza Influenza (flu) is a common viral infection which attacks the nose, throat and lungs (respiratory system) Influenza is air borne and can be transmitted between people if someone has the virus and sneezes, others can inhale this The virus can also be present on objects an infected person has touched Cytokines are produced when the innate immune system starts to respond to the threat these induce responses such as the inflammatory response Lifecycle The flu enters its host and then invades cells within the respiratory system The virus uses its host cell to replicate its DNA; forcing the cell to make copies of the virus This triggers the body’s immune response which sends white blood cells to the area of infection If not stopped the virus can then break free from the host cell allowing it to infect other cells around the body (fitbuff.com, 2009). Prevention Vaccinations are offered to protect against influenza but are not one hundred percent effective Washing hands regularly prevents the spread of infection Athlete’s foot (trichophyton) Trichophyton rubrum causes tinea pedis (athletes foot) which feeds off keratin in the upper layer of the skin, hair and nails Trichophyton rubrum form part of the dermatophytes which is a group of fungi Within four to ten days symptoms appear as a result of body’s inflammatory response; resulting in a red rash on the skin The blistered and itchy skin occurs as a result of the trichophyton reproducing on the skin, particularly they like moist places such as in-between the toes If the fungus infection is not treated it can spread to other areas of the feet such as the toe nails This fungi can be passed from person to person and is prevalent in public showers and swimming pools, where skin particles are left around Symptoms Skin between the toes can burn and become itchy Early treatment is recommended If untreated in the first instance it can cause the skin to become cracked and infected further with bacteria The fungus infection may cause an unpleasant smell Prevention Thoroughly washing feet daily and making sure all areas are completely dry before putting socks on Not wearing socks and shoes where possible to allow air to circulate around the feet Changing socks regularly, this is because fungus can multiply on flakes of skin Bibliography Advameg. (2014). Athletes foot. [online] Available: http://www.faqs.org/health/topics/2/Athlete-s-foot.html. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Bupa. (2014). Malaria – prevention. [online] Available: http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/m/malaria-prevention. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Horizon Primary Care. (2012). The Life Cycle of the Flu. [online] Available: http://horizonprimarycare.com/the-life-cycle-of-the-flu/. Last accessed 24/9/2014> How stuff works. (2014). How Viruses Work. [online] Available: http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/virus-human2.htm. Last accessed 25/9/2014> Interpod Pty Ltd. (2013). What is Tinea Pedis aka Athletes foot? . [online] Available: http://www.interpod.com.au/symptoms/what-is-tinea-pedis-aka-athletes-foot-diagnosis-treatment-and-pain-relief/. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Live strong. (2014). Life Cycle of Influenza. [online] Available: http://www.ehow.com/about_5491671_life-cycle-influenza.html. Last accessed 24/9/2014> malariavaccine. (2014). Life cycle of the malaria parasite. [online] Available: http://www.malariavaccine.org/malvac-lifecycle.php. Last accessed 24/9/2014> malaria.wellcome. (2014). The malaria lifecycle. [online] Available: http://malaria.wellcome.ac.uk/interactive/parasitelifecycle/interactive.html. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2014). Cholera. [online] Available: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cholera/basics/causes/con-20031469. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2013). Influenza (flu). [online] Available: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/flu/basics/definition/con-20035101. Last accessed 24/9/2014> medicalnewstoday. (2013). What Is Cholera? What Causes Cholera?. [online] Available: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/189269.php. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Medline Plus. (2014). Immune response. [online] Available: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000821.htm. Last accessed 24/9/2014> MIMS (NZ) Ltd . (2014). What is tinea?. [online] Available: http://www.everybody.co.nz/page-c172a44b-7f65-4de9-99d5-1568036d64c5.aspx. Last accessed 24/9/2014> OurHealthNetwork. (2006). What is athletes foot? . [online] Available: http://www.ourhealthnetwork.com/conditions/FootandAnkle/AthletesFoot.asp. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Patient.co.uk. (2012). Athletes Foot (Tinea Pedis). [online] Available: http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Athletes-Foot-(Tinea-Pedis).htm. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Viral zone. (2011). Bacterial viruses biology pages. [online] Available: http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/about/biology/. Last accessed 24/9/2014> virology. (2009). The inflammatory response. [online] Available: http://www.virology.ws/2009/07/01/the-inflammatory-response/. Last accessed 25/9/2014> WebMD. (2014). Athlete’s foot (tinea pedis):. Available: http://www.webmd.boots.com/foot-care/athletes-foot-tinea-pedis. Last accessed 24/9/2014> Wise Geek. (2014). What Is Trichophyton?. [online] Available: http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-trichophyton.htm. Last accessed 24/9/2014> References disqus. (2014). Body odour reveals malarial infection. Available: http://naijanetworknews.com/?p=390. Last accessed 24/9/2014 fitbuff.com. (2009). 10 Swine Flu Symptoms to Watch Out For. [online] Available: http://www.fitbuff.com/10-swine-flu-symptoms-to-watch-out-for/. Last accessed 24/9/2014> WordPress. (2014). Liu Lab Research. Available: http://research.pomona.edu/jane-liu/liu-lab-research/. Last accessed 24/9/2014

Chick Fil a

Ryan Simpson Marketing 476 Final Project Chick-Fil-A| GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #1 In this paper I will be giving a thorough analysis of the Chick-Fil-A company by discussing the history of the company as well as how the company was founded, the operations of the company, how the company gives back to the community, and how the company markets itself to the consumers. The reason I chose Chick-Fil-A to do my paper on is ever since I was a little boy Chick-Fil-A has always been my favorite fast food. I can remember when I was little the closest Chick-Fil-A to our home was the one on Cox Creek Parkway in front of the mall in Florence.Anytime we were in Florence I would beg my parents to take me thru the drive thru because I loved the Chick-Fil-A kids meal as well as the toy that came with it. Chick-Fil-A restaurants have been appealing to me ever since I was little so since then I have been a loyal customer of Chick-Fil-A. I have also always been interested in knowing how Chick-Fil-A alway s has had a huge customer base and every time I went to eat at a Chick-Fil-A, it seemed to always be crowded so that tells me that their marketing department is definitely doing something right because their restaurants are doing great business.In this paper I will be going over the history of the Chick- Fil-A company, how the company operates, how the company markets itself, and how close out the paper with a conclusion and summary. In the first part of my paper, I want to go over the history of the Chick-Fil-A company. The Chick-Fil-A company was first founded in 1946 by a man named Truett Cathy. Truett Cathy is considered to be one of the greatest entrepreneurs in the history of the United States. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #2Truett Cathy who grew up in Atlanta opened his first restaurant in his home town called the â€Å"Dwarf Grill†. However over time the name changed to the â€Å"Dwarf House† (www. chick-fil-a. com). In the year of 1964, Truett Cathy created his vers ion of a chicken sandwich that is today referred to as the original chicken sandwich. Truett Cathy’s invention of the chicken sandwich was the first step to his vision of developing a successful restaurant chain. In 1967, Truett Cathy opened the first Chick-Fil-A restaurant in the Greenbrier Mall in |Atlanta, Georgia.In 1973 years after the first Chick-Fil-A opened, Truett Cathy wanted all his employees, regardless of age, to have an advanced education so he decided to develop a Team Scholarship Program which included $1,000 scholarships. Chick-Fil-A took a big step in the right direction when they first introduced freshly squeezed lemonade on their menu in 1977. In 1982, all Chick-Fil-A started selling chicken nuggets in all their restaurants and because of this Chick-Fil-A became the first restaurant chain to offer chicken nuggets nationwide. 984 was a big year for the Chick-Fil-A Company because Truett Cathy established the WinShape Foundation to help â€Å"shape winnersà ¢â‚¬ . The reason Truett Cathy founded this foundation was simply because young people receiving a proper education was very important to him (www. chick-fil-a. com). Some milestones of the Chick-Fil-A Franchise; In 1985 all the Chick-Fil-A restaurants added their original waffle fries to their menus. In 1986 Chick-Fil-A expanded their operation by constructing the company’s first free-standing restaurant building on North Druid Hills Road in Atlanta. 987 saw the franchises offer their first kid’s meal package. Also in 1987 Chick-Fil-A expanded their operation by opening their first restaurants on GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #3 college campuses with Clemson University and Georgia Tech being chosen as their pilot campuses. In my opinion these colleges were chosen due to their proximity to the area of Atlanta from which the Chick-Fil-A franchise was originated. 1993 was a huge milestone for the Chick-Fil-A franchise, this was the year their 500th restaurant was opened and th eir first drive through only restaurant was created.Also in this year their first hospital based restaurant was opened. Arguably one of the greatest marketing campaigns in the world was the â€Å"cows† which began in 1995 introducing their first billboard which consisted of their cows attempting to paint their catch phrase â€Å"eat mor chikin† (www. chick-fil-a. com). With this campaign the Chick-Fil-A Franchise was catapulted into the category with McDonald and Burger King as one of the most popular fast food chain restaurants in the United States. Also in 1995 the Chick-Fil-A Franchise hit the mark of one billion dollars in sales nationwide.In 2001, Chick-Fil-A continued to expand their operation by opening their 1,000 restaurant. In the same year Chick-Fil-A continued to progress their popularity by being voted the â€Å"best drive thru in America† by QSR Magazine (www. chick-fil-a. com). In my opinion, this solidified their superior position in the fast foo d restaurant industry. Chick-Fil-A expanded their business in 2003 by opening their restaurants in Utah, Arizona and Southern California. By introducing their operation to the west Chick-Fil-A expanded their target market by not only marketing to the eastern United States, but to the GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #4 estern United States as well. This move made the Chick-Fil-A Company more popular nationwide In 2004 Chick-Fil-A expanded their menu even further by adding breakfast. By adding breakfast and opening earlier this also brought new business to Chick-Fil-A from business people on their way to work. In the same year Chick-Fil-A was voted â€Å"America’s best drive thru† for the third straight year (www. chick-fil-a. com). In my opinion Chick-Fil-A accomplished this prestigious honor by focusing on customer service and marketing their product.Truett Cathy wanted to increase the Chick-Fil-A Foundation’s scholarship program so in 2005 the Chick-Fil-A Bowl was devel oped to provide more money for scholarships (www. chick-fil-a. com). The Chick-Fil-A Bowl is played in Atlanta, Georgia in the Georgia Dome (www. chick-fil-abowl. com). In 2005, Chick-Fil-A awarded their 20,000th Leadership Scholarship. By doing so, this showed Truett Cathy’s dedication and commitment to encouraging young people to go to college and further their education. Chick-Fil-A expanded their menu again by adding â€Å"hand-Spun† milk shakes in 006. Also in the same year Chick-Fil-A surpassed two billion dollars in sales nationwide and as a coincidence it happened in the same year that the Cathy family celebrated 60 years in the restaurant business (www. chick-fil-a/com). This information shows me how great of an entrepreneur Truett Cathy was that he could start up a restaurant and in just 60 years it has become one of the most popular fast food chain restaurants in the United States as well as grossed over two billion dollars worth of sales. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #5On December 1, 2010 I conducted a phone interview with Mike Albretson who is the operations manager at the Chick-Fil-A drive thru in Florence, Alabama on Cox Creek Boulevard in front of Regency Square Mall. In the phone interview with Mike Albretson I learned many things that I didn’t originally know about Chick-Fil-A. The first thing that I learned was according to Mr. Albretson the one major factor that plays a role in the Chick-Fil-A franchises success is their efforts to make emotional connections with all the customers that eat at their restaurants.The main question I asked Mike Albretson is what three ways to do feel the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products to their customers and how they make their franchise appealing to the general public? Mr. Albretson’s response was the first way he believes they market their products to customers is by focusing on community and consumer relations. Mike Albretson also mentioned that one of the Chick-Fil-A franc hises main goals is to do everything they can to provide a clean family atmosphere in all their restaurants.The second way Mike Albretson believes the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products to the general public is by bringing the food to the people. I found this technique very interesting and what this means is Chick-Fil-A brings the foods to the people by simply taking sample treys with items from their menu or even foods that they haven’t put on their menu but are seriously considering it and taking them to public areas such as a park or anywhere that is a general public area and letting the people that come by ry free samples of their food and tell them what they think about it (Mike Albretson, operations manager). GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #6 I personally thought this is a great idea because you are advertising the Chick-Fil-A name out to the public, you are showing the community that Chick-Fil-A values and cares about their image, and also they can find out valuable information such as what the majority of the people like or prefer.So in a way Chick-Fil-A is taking a survey on what the majority of the people like so that they can consider putting that item on their menu if it is not already on there. The third way Mike Albretson believes that the Chick-Fil-A franchise markets their products and service to the consumers is by the experience the customers receive when they come and eat in their restaurants. Mr.Albretson stated that the ways Chick-Fil-A attempts to make the customers experience as pleasant as possible are by assisting people to their tables, by going around and asking if there is anything the customers need such as a refill on their drink or more ketchup. Mr. Albretson also stated that the Chick-Fil-A restaurants have employees help the customers clean their tables as well as throw their trash away (Mike Albretson, operations manager). In my opinion I believe these are excellent ways for Chick-Fil-A to set their selves apart from their competition such as McDonalds or Burger King.I understand that most fast food restaurants are pretty much the same when it comes to the service and atmosphere of the restaurant but if you have assistants help the customers clean up and throw away their garbage that definitely would give them the advantage over their competitors in the service aspect of their restaurants. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #7 I found a very interesting article that came from www. fastcompany. com, the article discussed how the Chick-Fil-A franchise was based customer centered.An example the article shared that supported this statement was during the opening of the Chick-Fil-A restaurant that is located in Evansville, Indiana, Truett Cathy himself showed up at the opening to meet and greet all the people who had been camping out the night before the opening to be new restaurants first customers (www. fastcompany. com). This tells me how down to earth Mr. Cathy is that he would take the time to go to Evansvi lle, Indiana to greet the customers on the opening day of one of his thousands of restaurants.Another fascinating article I found about Truett Cathy came from www. michaelleestallard. com, in this article, Mr. Stallard talks about a speech that he heard Truett Cathy give at a conference and how much it moved him on how inspirational and selfless Mr. Cathy was. I thought it was very interesting that here is Truett Cathy a multi millionaire that could be anywhere in the world, but here he is spending over half his time traveling to different Chick-Fil-|A restaurants and meeting and talking with tons of his employees (www. michaelleestallard. com).This example tells me how much Truett Cathy cares about his employees and about the service the Chick-Fil-A franchise brings to all their customers. One major advantage Chick-Fil-A has over most of their competition is most of their chicken sandwiches have a lot less calories and fat then most chicken sandwiches at fast food restaurants do. G arnerR MK-476 FP Page #8 According to www. livestrong. com, the original chicken sandwich at Chick-Fil-A only has 430 calories which is right about what McDonald’s chicken sandwich is, but what sets Chick-Fil-A apart from its competition is the chargrilled chicken sandwich.The Chick-Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich only has 300 calories and also has 29 grams of protein in it which is a very nutritious meal for anybody. The McDonalds chicken sandwich has 420 calories in it so this tells me that Chick-Fil-A is the healthier choice (www. livestrong. com). While researching about Chick-Fil-A coupons, I found a hilarious story about Chick-Fil-A coming up with a very unusual, but effective marketing idea. It was called the â€Å"cow promo†. What this meant was during a certain time period nyone could dress up like a cow and go into any Chick-Fil-A and all they had to do was moo and stop their foot or â€Å"hoof† and get a free chicken sandwich and according to the a rticle I read there were a few people who actually participated in this event (http://fastfoodcoupon. com). In conclusion, I learned so much about how a very successful business operates as well as several very effective marketing schemes and ideas. I personally thought the story about how Chick-Fil-A was started and how quick it became so popular and successful.In researching this paper I also learned how great of a man Truett Cathy is and I read many examples that taught me how far good customer service can take you. Overall, I really enjoyed researching Chick-Fil-A and learning about the franchise. The summary of this paper was the history of Chick-Fil-A and how it was started by Truett Cathy. The second part of the paper was marketing strategies of the Chick-Fil-A GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #9 Franchise. The third was how Chick-Fil-A sets their selves apart from their competitors.The last part of my paper was the conclusion and summary. GarnerR MK-476 FP Page #10 References Page 1. www. chick-fil-a. com 2. http://www. chick-fil-abowl. com 3. Interview with Chick-Fil-A operations manager Mike Albretson 4. http://wwwmichaelleestallard. com/chick-fil/as-competitive-edge-of-relationships 5. http://www. fastcompany. com/magazine/87/customer-chickfila. html 6. www. livestrong. com/thedailyplate/search/chick-fil-a 7. http://fastfoodcoupon. com/chick-fil-a-coupons. html