" " " Task Chair: May 2011 "

Friday, May 27, 2011

The Challenges and Pitfalls of Airline Captains

Young pilots and aviation trainees alike dream of becoming an airline captain. In the United Kingdom, airline captains typically need to have a decade or more of experience in the airline industry before settling into the captain’s chair. As well, captains usually have to exert an extraordinary amount of patience in rising to such a high level as there are many pilots waiting to ascend the airline ranks. However, the large number of pilots waiting for captain positions in the UK is only one of the challenges a pilot faces in advancing their career. By recognising these challenges, an aspirant to the captain’s chair can work on their skills and manage these issues before they become problems.





One of the major challenges for airline captains is learning to delegate responsibility to fellow staff members. First officers, trainee pilots, and flight attendants alike need to help ease the pressure off of captains in terms of pre-flight checks and customer service. However, airline captains have risen through the ranks and are used to doing these things as part of a team. A good airline captain learns quickly that their role is to be a leader and to be decisive in case of emergencies. Younger professionals in need of seasoning can do a lot of the administrative tasks required before, during, and after flights.





Another challenge for airline captains comes in building a strong flight team. Many captains have young co-pilots and other flight crew members, which mean that there may be a generational gap between the veteran captain and his youthful professionals. Airline captains will usually find that time is best solution to this challenge, as airline crews get comfortable with each other after a few weeks of repeated flight. However, a captain should also feel free to be outgoing with his staff and look for ways to relate to younger professionals.





A third pitfall of the airline captain position in the United Kingdom is the increasing amounts of regulatory and administrative tasks that they have to take on. As pilots age, the government’s regulatory body requires increased scrutiny on physical and mental condition. Airline captains often have to perform physical tests every six months to maintain their position and their certification. As well, airline captains are ultimately responsible for all of the administrative tasks that they perform. Many airline captains delegate this to junior pilots, which mean that a captain needs to look over the materials and affix their name. Captains need to take this challenge in stride, as it is meant for the safety and security of everyone in the airplane.

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

11 Office Ergonomic Tips for Easing the Workplace Stress Caused Due to Working Long Hours!

“No day in your working life will be so bad if you follow the right ergonomic techniques.”





Usually, an employee working at the desk has a habit of working for longer hours without following proper ergonomic techniques. In order to avoid stress throughout the day and work with maximum alertness, you need to follow some ergonomic techniques.





Ergonomic techniques are very important to ease the stress and work with maximum alertness. When you spend maximum amount of time in front of your desk, you should be aware of how the arrangement and design of your equipment can impact your health, comfort and overall productivity.





These tips are highly effective for modern workers.





1. Create a great computer work space!





In designing your office work space, it is essential to think creatively and innovatively. Employees with longer limbs experience a greater risk with congested work space, so ensure that the space is large enough.





Provide proper place for the equipment and the things that are essential to make your dream workstation.





2. Right way to organize the desk or workstation!





Standard desk sizes are not suitable for everyone’s needs, so choose the desk that is right for you. If the desk is for a group of people, then prefer adjustable furniture.





• Organize the desktop to access the things easily without any strain.


• Place frequently used objects at a closer distance to avoid excessive extensions.


• Accommodate the place below the desk suitable to your legs at correct height and the place should be free for stretching.


• Use a foot rest if your feet don’t rest flat on the floor after adjusting your chair height.


• Use matte finish on the work surface to minimize the glare or reflections.


• Use a document holder, if you need to refer documents during keying.





3. Make suitable chair adjustments!





Begin your work with correct chair height. To arrange the chair in an ergonomic position, just stand in front of the chair and adjust the chair height to your knee length.





Adjust the chair’s backrest in order to support your lower back. Then tighten the chair’s backrest, so that it does not give away with your body weight.





Throughout the working day, re-adjust the chair to your various body postures. Don’t stay in a single static position for long hours. Alternate your posture between sitting and standing positions when you are performing daily tasks. Take small breaks and walk for few minutes.





4. Maintain accurate ergonomic monitor distance!





You need to sit in an awkward position if the monitor is too close or too far to your eyes. Finally this can lead to an improper ergonomic posture thus causing eye strain. Forward leaning can fatigue the eyes and put stress on the torso because there is no support for your back.





Follow the below tips to reduce the eye strain:





• Clean monitor surface.


• Attain optimum comfort by adjusting the contrast and brightness.


• Maintain right distance from the monitor to the user i.e. 18-30 inches.


• Place the monitor at an angle of 90 degrees to the windows.





5. Seek right ergonomic keyboard!





Do you spend most of your work time in typing? Using the keyboard and placing it can greatly affect the risk of getting RSI and carpal tunnel syndrome.





Follow these techniques in order to reduce the risk of these injuries:





• First make suitable chair adjustments, then place your hands comfortably at your sides. Your forearm should be at an angle of 90 degrees with your upper arm.


• Place the keyboard in such a manner so that your arms should be parallel to your thighs.


• If needed, place a keyboard tray to achieve right ergonomic posture.


• Follow right typing techniques.


• Set the keyboard at a closer distance from you to avoid unnecessary trouble in reaching the keyboard.


• Gently press the keys and don’t hold them down for extended periods.





6. Exercise at your desk!





Desk exercises offer relief to computer users from pain, stiffness and posture problems. Computer work at office involves maintaining same posture for long periods resulting in muscle stiffness and tension.





Practice simple stretching exercises which can be performed at the desk. Stretching exercises improves flexibility and decreases the risk of injury, physical stress and improves performance.





7. Light your working area!





Improper lighting can cause visual discomforts like burning eyes, eye strain, itching, and blurred vision. So, adjust the lights to reduce the glare and also position your monitor at an angle to reduce the reflection.





Reduce the eye fatigue by following the below tips:


• Avoid intense lighting in your working area.


• Monitor should be at an angle of 90 degrees to the windows.


• Use desk lamps, instead of overhead lights.


• Use monitor shield to reduce the glare due to overhead lights.





8. Know the right usage of input device!





Whatever might be the input device you use, make sure that it must be within your reach and don’t hold it too tightly so that there is less stress on the muscles. If you are not feeling good with your mouse, try an alternate one like trackball or touch pad.





Placing the input device too close or too far can cause discomfort in your forearm, shoulder, elbow and wrist.





Follow these tips to overcome from these discomforts:


• Place the mouse at your comfortable reach for natural relaxation and comfortable eye-hand coordination.


• Avoid bending wrist upward and ensure that you are sitting lower than your elbow height so that holding the mouse can be easier for you.


• Make sure the mouse surface is stable.





9. Give priority to the work habits!





Working at the desk can cause discomfort on your upper extremities and on your eyes. So, to avoid these discomforts, you need to learn some work habits.


• Take frequent breaks for every 20-40 minutes, get up and walk around for 2-3 minutes.


• Don’t stay in one static position for longer hours, change the posture periodically.


• Provide your eyes with vision breaks for every hour.


• Stretch your neck, back, and hands for every hour.


• Substitute the mouse usage by using alternative keystrokes.





Follow these work habits, so that you won’t experience any stress on any part of your body.





10. Identify Proper usage of laptop computers!





Work on a laptop computer only when it is on the table but not on your lap. If you need to use it very frequently, it is better to use separate mouse and keyboard to reduce the stress on your hands and wrists.





Techniques you need to follow while using laptop computer:


• While typing, place your hands straight so that your wrists should not bend and should not be resting on your lap, table, or on a palm rest. Use palm or wrist rests to give support in the break.


• If the table you are using is too high for keying, then use a laptop holder by tilting the laptop towards you.





11. Know how to use the phone at your desk!





Avoid placing the phone receiver between your shoulder and neck as it can cause strain on your neck muscles. Use a headset or put the call on speakerphone to reduce the stress on neck muscles.





You can notice an amazing improvement in your work related discomforts and also in the quality of your work after following these techniques. Visit Office Ergonomics


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Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tips On How To Build Adirondack Chairs

Building adirondack chairs is both rewarding and fun at the same time. Looking   and lounging in an adirondack chair that you've built with your own hands is certainly one of the reward.

How to Build Adirondack Chair - Getting Started

To build adirondack chair you need to have some of the groundworks first. You need to consider the type of wood you'll be using, the tools you'll be needing, the plan or the design of your adirondack chair as well as the finishing you are going to use to achieve your preferred look.

WOOD

You can use variety of woods to build adirondack chairs however, you also need to keep in mind the type of climate you have in your area as woods are subject to decay in adverse climates.
Most woods can be used within arid climates. Cedar as well as redwood can be used in most climate zones while pine, with an applied finish can be used in temperate zones. For tropical zone, I highly suggest limiting your to cedar or cypress.

TOOLS

Learning how to build adirondack chairs certainly doesn't require use of power tools. However, if you have some of those tools around, it would really speed up the process.
Personally, I've used a table saw, tape measure, square, clamps, drill/driver, drill bits, jig saw, goggles (safety measures must always be in place no matter how big or small your project is), dustmasks and palm sander if you have one available.
Nothing fancy, really.

FINISHING

The type of finishing you are going to use is going to depend on the type wood you used as well as the look you wish to achieve with your adirondack chair.
Generally, spar urethane is good for pine. Exterior stain works great on cedar and oils like linseed and tung can be used on teakwood.
But I said earlier, you also have to consider the design you wish to achieve in choosing the finishing. So as a general rule, I Strongly advise that no matter what the finish you decide on, you test it out first on a same type of wood that you are using before applying it on your adirondack chair.
ADIRONDACK CHAIR BUILDING PLANS
One of the reason why I had such an easy time building my adirondack chair was I had such a goodadirondack chair building plans that I was using. Each task was easy to accomplish as I was able to follow the step-by-step guide laid out in the plan.
I also had some options on the designs for the adirondack chair as it has many designs to choose from.
Given that I was able to build my own adirondack chair using a very workable plan, I strongly suggest that you do the same. It would save you some trouble and headaches.
A good adirondack chair building plan must have a comprehensive list of the materials you'll be using and a step-by-step intruction along with it. This way you'll be able to anticipate the cost as well as the tools you'll be needing.

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Friday, May 6, 2011

Rep. Christopher Lyddy on Adolescent Substance Abuse

State Representatives Cathy Abercrombie, Christopher Lyddy and Public Health Chair Betsy Ritter hosted a public forum on Adolescent Substance Abuse and its impact on communities and family. Pending legislation (HB 5998), sponsored by Abercrombie and Lyddy, would establish a task force to study issues concerning children in rehabilitation. For more info: www.housedems.ct.gov

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