7. Manage Vibration and Noise Levels – Controlled explosions in quarrying reverberate through the earth and emanate loud sounds, and powerful mining machinery also adds elements of vibration and noise. Strategic drilling can ease the tremors, especially in techniques where buffer holes are inserted in advance.

How can we improve safety in mining?

To improve worker safety, we put together five essential safety tips: Assess hazards, maintain a safety culture, wear personal protection gear, keep your equipment in perfect shape, improve visibility.

What is the safest method of mining?

In-Situ Mining – Also referred to as solution mining, in-situ mining does not involve removing intact ore from beneath the earth’s surface. Instead, it involves pumping chemicals underground to dissolve resource-containing ore and then pumping what is known as the “pregnant solution” back up to the surface, where it can be processed to recover minerals.

How can hazards be controlled in mines?

Hierarchy of controls – Hazard controls should be applied in this order:

1. Elimination—remove the hazard, or the need to perform the hazardous activity.
2. Substitution—substitute a safer alternative.
3. Separation/isolation—isolate or separate people from the hazard by use of barriers, distance or time.
4. Engineering controls—redesign or modify tools or equipment.
5. Administrative controls—use training, rules, procedures to reduce the risk of the hazard.
6. Personal protective equipment—provide fit-for-purpose protective equipment.

More than one control may need to be used to adequately control the hazard. Controls used must be maintained to ensure they continue to remain effective.

What is factor of safety in mining?

The factor of safety fs is usually defined as the ratio of the capacity C of the object upon the demand D, and failure is assumed to occur when it is less than 1.

What is the best mining strategy?

Straight Staircases – A straight staircase heads down, but also over, This may or may not be useful — with a map, the player might learn about more of the surface they are going ‘’under”, but if they need to dig their way back up a different way, they may come out in unknown territory.

Also, a long staircase from their base may take them out of chunk-update range from their base, or at least far enough out that further exploration will take them out of range. Then their crops won’t grow and so forth while they are mining. All of these can be 1, 2, or even 3 blocks wide. The most basic strategy is to mine in a straight line at a 45° angle downwards, moving one block across for every block down.

If the player dig out four blocks above each step instead of three, climbing back up is easier, since they won’t “hit their head” with each jump up the steps. Placing a torch every fifth block helps the player keeping track of their elevation, and maintain a decent light level.

1. Alternatively, the player can dig diagonally.
2. Face a corner, and imagine that the corner block is the missing block of a 2×2×2 cube.
3. Now dig that cube.
4. Repeat, adding torches at every step.
5. This takes more effort for each level dropped, but exposes more blocks along the way.
6. They can also dig a shallower stair, two blocks ahead for each block down.

This takes the player even farther away horizontally, but makes it much easier to run minecart trains up the stair.

What are the problems of mining?

Environmental effects of mining can occur at local, regional, and global scales through direct and indirect mining practices. Mining can cause in erosion, sinkholes, loss of biodiversity, or the contamination of soil, groundwater, and surface water by chemicals emitted from mining processes.

Which type of mining is safer for the miners?

What Is Surface Mining? The Definition – So what’s the definition of surface mining? As stated by GreatMining.com, it’s: Surface mining is a form of mining in which the soil and the rock covering the mineral deposits are removed. It is the other way of underground mining, in which the overlying rock is left behind, and the required mineral deposits are removed through shafts or tunnels.

Our friends at AZO Mining provide some additional context: There are two basic classes of mining: mining at the Earth’s surface and mining underground.Surface mining accounts for two thirds of the world’s solid minerals, and is predominantly used in obtaining sand, gravel, crushed stone, phosphates, coal, copper, iron and aluminum.

There are 5 main types of surface mining, which are used in various degrees and for different resources. These mining categories are: strip mining, open-pit mining, mountaintop removal, dredging and high wall mining. All methods of surface mining will remove the waste material, or overburden, above the desired resource.

How do you stay safe from data mining?

Stopping Data Miners from Getting your Information – It can prove quite difficult to keep all of your information from data miners. However, it would be beneficial if you become able to control the type of information they get from you. Below are some solid ways to prevent data miners from knowing all about you.

Utilize a Virtual Private Network

One of the best ways to stop data miners from getting your information is to use a secure VPN, Normally, when you want to access the internet, you would need an IP address. This IP address contains private information about you such as your location. To be able to browse the internet anonymously, you would need an IP address-changing tool.

• A Virtual Private Network, as the name suggests, is a tool that makes provision for users to send and receive internet traffic through a private network.
• VPNs facilitate the connection of the private network to a public one, making sure you can browse the internet.
• In essence, a VPN acts as a protective barrier between your device and the internet.

With a VPN, you can change your IP address by connecting to a server in any location of your choice. VPNs typically provide hundreds of locations you can connect to.

Use Cash More Often

Every time you use your credit card for an online or in-store purchase, data miners grab the information to predict your future purchases. To stop them, you can start making use of cash for products you want to buy and the service you need.

Tighten Browser Privacy

Your browsers can leak a lot of information about you. Through cookies, data miners can get a hold of your information, even if you don’t know it. You need to modify your browser settings to send a ‘Do Not Track’ request to websites and clear your browser history and cookies after your online sessions.

Change App and Social Media Settings

Your mobile device may be sending a lot of information about you to data miners. For instance, some applications track your location in real-time. You can change app permissions to protect your data. You also need to delete apps you no longer use. Refrain from posting private information such as your phone number on your social media profiles.

Use Private Tools

Search engines such as Google record a lot of data about you such as your location, search history, purchase history and so on. You can switch to a search engine that never records your data. For communication, you can use encrypted messaging apps. These apps use end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only you and the party you’re conversing with would be able to see your chats.

Stop Downloading Free Software

As juicy as using a service for free sounds, it could pose serious consequences for you. Apart from your data getting mined, unscrupulous elements could use free software to install adware or malware on your device. If your information is gotten by this kind of people, it would be sold on the dark web.

What is a safety share in mining?

A Safety Share is when a worker shares lessons learned from personal experience in relation to a health and safety incident. The idea being that if the information is shared, others will be educated on ways to prevent and manage similar issues. This is known as peer learning where we learn with, and from, each other.

How are hazards controlled most effectively?

Methods for Controlling Hazards The best way to protect workers is to remove or eliminate the hazard from the workplace using the following hazard control methods: Substitution. Substitute dangerous chemicals, equipment or work methods with safer and less hazardous ones to eliminate the hazard altogether.

Example: Replace the open-topped manual skinner used for skinning pieces of meat with an automated skinner. The manual skinner exposes workers to the hazards of amputations and skinning of the hands and forearms, while the automatic skinner feeds the meat on a conveyor belt to an enclosed blade. Engineering Controls.

Engineering controls are used to make changes to the work environment, machine or piece of equipment, often reducing the hazard at the source. Example: Exhaust ventilation can be used to remove a harmful substance such as carbon dioxide (dry ice) from the air.

What are the 5 effects of mining?

Environmental Impact of Mining Quiz – Teste dein Wissen – Question There are many negative environmental impacts that can result from mining activities. Some examples include. Show answer Answer Deforestation/habitat destruction Show question Question True or False: Local indigenous human populations are also often negatively affected by tin mines.

Show answer Question Through a process called _, hazardous chemicals build up in the tissue of organisms and affect other organisms further up the food chain that use the fish as a food resource (including humans). Show answer Question It is estimated that, worldwide, mines discharge _ of hazardous materials into water bodies annually.

Show answer Question The Grasberg Mine alone discharges around _ of waste, a staggering _ of the worldwide total, annually into the Aikwa River and the Arafura Sea. Show answer Question Illegal sand mining operations around a wildlife sSanctuary in the state of Madhya Pradesh are believed to have decimated the local population of _.

Show answer Answer Indian gharials ( Gavialis gangeticus ) Show question Question Around _ of the world’s population currently relies on coal power. Show answer Question The burning of coal currently makes up around _ of the carbon dioxide emissions worldwide annually. Show answer Question Indonesia is the world’s leading supplier of tin and _ of that tin is mined on the Bangka and Belitung islands.

Show answer Question What unexpected impact is tin mining believed to have had in the Bangka-Belitung Islands? Show answer Answer Saltwater crocodiles began attacking and preying upon people with greater frequency. Show question Question _ of the bat species present in the United States use abandoned mines as habitat for a wide variety of purposes.

Show answer Question What is one positive impact of mining on the environment? Show answer Answer It provides habitat for some wildlife species, particularly bats. Show question Question This mine, which is owned by the world’s largest mining company, discharged 90 million tons of waste annually into downstream river systems for a period of nearly 30 years.

Show answer Question Illegal sand mining has become such a problem in parts of India that sand miners are now referred to as the. Show answer Question True or False: Hazardous chemicals, such as arsenic, lead, and mercury, are contained within mine waste.

Show answer How would you like to learn this content? Creating flashcards Studying with content from your peer Taking a short quiz 94% of StudySmarter users achieve better grades. Sign up for free! 94% of StudySmarter users achieve better grades. Sign up for free! How would you like to learn this content? Creating flashcards Studying with content from your peer Taking a short quiz Free environmental-science cheat sheet! Everything you need to know on,

A perfect summary so you can easily remember everything. Email Address*

Why should we stop mining?

Environmental Risks of Mining Environmental Risks of Mining

• How they arise and how their effects can be mitigated
• Overview

Unregulated mining has the potential to release harmful substances into the soil, air, and water. Mission 2016 proposes that governments enforce regulations on companies and use cutting-edge technology to reduce the damage from mining-related sources.

• As more mines open in countries with varying levels of environmental protection, it is increasingly vital that safeguards established by the Strategic Minerals Association (SMA) are in place before operations proceed (see the page).
• Environmental Damages of Mining Open pit mining Open pit mining, where material is excavated from an open pit, is one of the most common forms of mining for strategic minerals.

This type of mining is particularly damaging to the environment because strategic minerals are often only available in small concentrations, which increases the amount of ore needed to be mined. Environmental hazards are present during every step of the open-pit mining process.

1. Hardrock mining exposes rock that has lain unexposed for geological eras.
2. When crushed, these rocks expose radioactive elements, asbestos-like minerals, and metallic dust.
3. During separation, residual rock slurries, which are mixtures of pulverized rock and liquid, are produced as tailings, toxic and radioactive elements from these liquids can leak into bedrock if not properly contained.

Underground Mining Underground mining has the potential for tunnel collapses and land subsidence (Betournay, 2011). It involves large-scale movements of waste rock and vegetation, similar to open pit mining. Additionally, like most traditional forms of mining, underground mining can release toxic compounds into the air and water.

1. As water takes on harmful concentrations of minerals and heavy metals, it becomes a contaminant.
2. This contaminated water can pollute the region surrounding the mine and beyond (Miranda, Blanco-Uribe Q., Hernandez, Ochoa G., & Yerena, 1998).
3. Mercury is commonly used in as an amalgamating agent to facilitate the recovery of some precious ores (Miranda et al., 1998).

Mercury tailings then become a major source of concern, and improper disposal can lead to contamination of the atmosphere and neighboring bodies of water. Most underground mining operations increase sedimentation in nearby rivers through their use of hydraulic pumps and suction dredges; blasting with hydraulic pumps removes ecologically valuable topsoil containing seed banks, making it difficult for vegetation to recover (Miranda et al., 1998).

• Deforestation due to mining leads to the disintegration of biomes and contributes to the effects of erosion.
• In situ leach (ISL) mining ISL mining has environmental and safety advantages over conventional mining in that the ore body is dissolved and then pumped out, leaving minimal surface disturbance and no tailings or waste rock (World Nuclear Association, 2012).

There is no ore dust or direct ore exposure to the environment and a lower consumption of water is needed in the mining process (International Atomic Energy Agency, 2005). However, the strong acids used to dissolve the ore body commonly dissolve metals in the host rock as well.

The fluids remaining after the leaching process commonly contain elevated concentrations of metals and radioactive isotopes, posing a significant risk to nearby ground and surface water sources (IAEA, 2005). Additionally, the low pH of ISL mining wastewater can result in acidification of the surrounding environment.

Heap Leaching Environmental issues with heap leaching are centered on the failure to keep process solutions within the heap leaching circuit. Release of toxic heap leaching fluids into the environment can affect the health of both the surrounding ecosystem and human population (Reichardt, 2008).

Water balance is crucial in heap leaching projects because of the possibility of the overflow of solutions containing toxic concentrations of heavy metals after a heavy rainfall or rapid snowmelt (Norman & Raforth, 1994). In some cases cyanide is used to extract metals from oxidized ores and the resulting leach ponds have caused significant wildlife mortality, including the deaths of about 7,613 animals between 1980 and 1989 at cyanide-extraction ponds in California, Nevada, and Arizona (Eisler, 1991).

Brine Mining Brine mining involves extracting and evaporating the brine solutions to remove harmful elements and compounds (Gruber et al., 2011), potentially releasing them into the environment. The drilling and transport of brine solutions can disrupt existing ecosystems and well casings, pipelines, and storage tanks are subject to corrosion due to the high salinity content of the solutions that they are exposed to, which can lead to leaks and contamination of adjacent bodies of water (New York State Division of Mineral Resources, 1988) Currently, there is no economically plausible plan to clean up contamination of an aquifer by sodium chloride and harmful concentrations of chloride inhibit plant growth and can cause fish kills (Division of Mineral Resources, 1988).

Specific Contaminant Materials Radionuclides All REE-bearing minerals contain low levels of the radioactive isotopes that can become concentrated in mine tailings. Radionuclides are released as dust during mining or from exposed waste rock stockpiles where they are least containable (and mostly airborne).

Radiation can also leak into the ground, and nearby water sources after they have been separated into tailings, if the tailings are not stored safely. Once radionuclides are in an ecosystem, they accumulate in plants, where the higher concentrations are ingested and ascend the levels of the food chain (Paul & Campbell, 2011).Radioactive contamination has become such a problem that monazite mining has been banned by China and the United States has imposed strict regulations effectively accomplishing the same (Schuler, Buchert, Liu, Stefanie & Merz, 2011).

1. Dust & Metal When companies break up materials during mining, the dust can release a variety of heavy metals commonly associated with health problems.
2. As dust, these minerals (such as the asbestos-like mineral riebeckite) can be absorbed into lung tissue, causing problems like pneumoconiosis and silicosis, commonly known as “Black Lung” (Paul & Campbell, 2011).

Another example of harmful dust generated is flue dust, a byproduct of mining fluorine. According to the Chinese Society of Rare Earths, every ton of REE produced generates 8.5 kilograms of fluorine and 13 kilograms of flue dust, waste materials which contain the heavy metals discussed above (Schuler et al, 2011).

1. This chart illustrates the many environmental hazards associated with mining.
2. Additional Environmental Problems with Mining:
3. In addition to the issues addressed above, there are many other environmental issues associated with mining:
4. Carbon output

Mining, like most heavy industries, is dependent on fossil fuels, which generate the energy needed to operate a mine. To combat these carbon emissions, some countries have enacted regulations requiring emission credits, but many countries do not have codes dealing with carbon output (“Molycorp, inc.,” 2010). Mining is an inherently invasive process that can cause damage to a landscape in an area much larger than the mining site itself. The effects of this damage can continue years after a mine has shut down, including the addition to greenhouse gasses, death of flora and fauna, and erosion of land and habitat.

An example of the scarred land of a Chinese mine is shown above. Water use and wastewater Most modern mining techniques have high water demands for extraction, processing, and waste disposal. Wastewater from these processes can pollute water sources nearby and deplete freshwater supplies in the region surrounding the mine.

Some mines, such as the Mountain Pass mine in southern California, have implemented waste-water recycling technologies, resulting in a huge decrease in water demands and liquid waste (Molycorp, 2012).

• Case Studies
• We have compiled three short case studies of environmentally-harmful mines, to illustrate the results on the environment and surrounding community of poorly regulated or monitored mines.
• Greenland

Greenland Minerals and Energy Ltd, based out of Australia, planned to open a mine in Greenland in 2013. However, the tailings disposal plan involved storing tailings in the Taseq lake, which will cause pollution of not only the lake, but the rivers leading from it and the ocean beyond.

Fluorine, heavy metals, and radioactive decay products would all be introduced into the lake by these tailings (Schuler et al, 2011). Due to the lack of environmental regulations from Denmark, the country overseeing the project, plans for the mine continue to move forward, despite the harmful effects it would have on the environment and the surrounding community.

China Current estimates state that around 20,000 tons of REEs are illegally mined and exported from “off-grid” mines in China every year. It is unlikely that any of these illegal mines have environmental safeguards in place, which means that contamination, dust, and other wastes are not being addressed.

This affects the health of the workers as well as destroys the surrounding environment (Schuler et al, 2011). Molycorp In 2002, Molycorp had a problem with its waste disposal at Mountain Pass, when a pipeline leading out to evaporation ponds in the desert burst, spilling radioactive and toxic waste onto the desert floor (Danelski, 2009).

The resulting uncovering of past spills, coupled with economic factors, caused the shutdown of Mountain Pass and a complete reworking of their environmental practices. However, the damage was done and the area and surrounding water sources are affected, perhaps permanently.

Case studies like these illustrate the result of ignoring the environmental damages of mining, and leaving them unaddressed or unregulated. Mission 2016’s plan would address these issues. See the page for more information. Cost of inaction/action If no action is taken to remediate the many environmental problems inherent to modern mining, the end cost for governments and communities would be devastating.

Already mines in China release 9,600 to 12,000 cubic meters of toxic gas containing flue dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid for each ton of rare earth elements produced. Additionally, nearly 75 cubic meters of acidic waste water and one ton of radioactive waste residue are generated (Paul & Campbell, 2011).

• Preemptive actions such as stricter regulations and proper waste disposal strategies can reduce the costs of environmental damage, and in some cases pay for themselves.
• For example: the US company Molycorp spent 10 million USD on its paste-tailings operation, but the water and chemical reagents it was able to recycle saved have already paid for the installment, in addition to generating less waste.

“Although the operating cost of the paste tailings operation is expected to be greater than it would be for a tailings pond. we expect that increased water recycling and reduced environmental risks associated with the paste tailings facility will ultimately mitigate that additional cost” (Molycorp, 2012).

Mission 2016’s plan will increase recycling efforts, greener mining and refining techniques, reduce the cost of environmental damage on the surrounding community, and increase government involvement in the regulation of dirty mining practices. Betournay, M.C. (2011, April 7). Underground Mining and Its Surface Effects.

Retrieved from http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/geotech/hazards/mine/workshops/iawkshp/betourna2.cfm Danelski, D. (2009, February 9). Expansion in works for S.B. County mine with troubled environmental past, The Biz Press. Retrieved from website: http://www.inlandsocal.com/business/content/manufacturing/stories/PE_News_Local_S_molycorp09.44b8a72.html Division of Mineral Resources.

(1988, January). Solution Salt Mining. In Draft: Generic Environmental Impact Statement on the Oil, Gas, and Solution Mining Regulatory Program (13). Retrieved from http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/materials_minerals_pdf/dgeisv2ch13.pdf Eisler, R. (1991). Cyanide hazards to fish, wildlife, and invertebrates-A synoptic review.U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 85(1.23), p.55. Engels, J. (2002). What Are Tailings?-Their nature and production. Retrieved from http://www.tailings.info/basics/tailings.htm# Gruber, P.W., Medina, P.A., Keoleian, G.A., Kesler, S.E., Everson, M.P., & Wallington, T.J.

1. 2011). Global lithium availability: A constraint for electric vehicles? Journal of Industrial Ecology, 00(00).
2. Retrieved from http://www.eenews.net/assets/2011/07/27/document_gw_02.pdf International Atomic Energy Agency. (2005).
3. Guidebook on environmental impact assessment for in situ leach mining projects.

Retrieved from http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_1428_web.pdf. King, B. (2012, March 15). The 2012 rare earth saga — more entertaining than a soap opera. Retrieved from http://dailyresourcehunter.com/2012-rare-earth-saga/ Long, K.R., Van Gosen,, B.S., Foley, N.K., & Cordier, D.

1. 2010). The principal rare earth elements deposits of the united states—a summary of domestic deposits and a global perspective.
2. Retrieved from website: http://pubs.usgs.gov/sir/2010/5220/ Miranda, M., Blanco-Uribe Q., A., Hernández, L., Ochoa G., J., & Yerena, E. (1998).
3. All That Glitters Is Not Gold: Balancing Conservation and Development in Venezuela’s Frontier Forests.

Retrieved from http://pdf.wri.org/all_that_glitters_is_not_gold.pdf Molycorp, Inc. (2010). Molycorp, Inc. (001-34827). Retrieved from http://quote.morningstar.com/stock-filing/Annual-Report/2010/12/31/t.aspx?t=XNYS:MCP&ft=10-K&d=27fc1afdb5a753c7039e5aac54ed08d4 Molycorp (2012).

Molycorp innovations. Retrieved from http://www.molycorp.com/technology/molycorp-innovations/ Norman, D.K., & Raforth, R.L. (1994, December). Cyanide Heap Leaching: A Report to the Legislature. Retrieved from http://www.dnr.wa.gov/Publications/ger_misc_cyanide_heap_leaching_1994.pdf NQA. (n.d.). What is iso 14001:2004?.

Retrieved from http://www.nqa.com/en/atozservices/what-is-iso-14001.asp Paul, J., & Campbell, G. (2011). Investigating rare earth element mine development in epa region 8 and potential environmental impacts (908R11003).U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Retrieved from website: http://www.epa.gov/region8/mining/ReportOnRareEarthElements.pdf Reichardt, C. (2008). Heap Leaching and the Water Environment-Does Low Cost Recovery Come at a High Environmental Cost?. Retrieved from http://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_2008/IMWA2008_008_Reichardt.pdf Ruiz, O., Clemente, C., Alonso, M., & Alguacil, F.J.

(2007). Recycling of an electric arc furnace flue dust to obtain high grade zno. J Hazard Mater, 141(1), 33-6. Retrieved from http://digital.csic.es/bitstream/10261/36443/1/eaf1-R1.doc Schuler, D., Buchert, M., Liu, R., Stefanie, G., & Merz, C. (2011, January).

Why mining should not be stopped?

No matter what side of the fence you are on, one must agree that mining is a necessity in our modern world. Without it, we would not be capable of new technologies that allow us to advance; nor would we be able to maintain our current standard of living. So, what would happen if the world suddenly stopped mining tomorrow?

Automobiles, both gas and electric would disappear.27 States would lose 25% of their electricity output. No nails to hammer projects home. No more high rises, bridges, airplanes, trains, or space exploration. Granite, marble, and anything steel in homes would be gone. Formica would make a huge comeback! Oops it uses a white crystalline compound (borax). No Formica, either! Anything plastic ; molded or otherwise. Nuclear energy? Renewables? Well, that can’t happen without mining! Like that Fitbit? No more Televisions. No more smartphones – or phones – period. Computers, unfortunately, also gone Not my Alexa??!!!?? No more going to the gym phew! (at least one good thing would come of it) Some medicines would disappear, and the medical advancements over hundreds of years would disappear. Need a knee replacement? Pacemaker? Dialysis? Surgery? Sorry. Gold and Silver used in pretty much all technology out there – poof! A historical form of money throughout millennium – gone.

Which improves the safety in an industry?

Improve Industrial Safety with These 7 Steps – When it comes to workplace safety, certain industries must take extra precautions to keep their workers safe on the job. Many workers in the oil and gas or construction industries come up against hazards that other industries do not, including falls, electrocution or contact with dangerous chemicals.

Don’t Choose Budget Over Safety, Unfortunately, one of the first things to be cut when reducing a budget is safety training or key safety systems. While it may seem as though your business is saving money by removing safety training, it could instead be costing you more over time. Employees who are not sufficiently trained are more susceptible to accidents, which could put them out of work for good and force employers to find replacements. Depending on the employee’s job and skills, replacing them could cost anywhere from 5.8 to 213 percent of the employer’s salary, according to the Center for American Progress. This all said it’s in everyone’s best interest to resist cutting safety training from the budget. Create a Safe Work Culture When employers and their employees all see safety as a priority, the workplace will be safer. The problem is many employers fail to take the lead to promote a safe work culture, which can lead to careless attitudes in the workplace. To create a safe work culture, employers should lead by example and celebrate the successes of employees. It’s helpful for employers to recognize when employees are doing a good job and practicing safe work habits. This can keep employees wanting to do better and better, and such positive reinforcement goes a long way toward promoting safety overall. Implement Fall Prevention Systems Fall prevention systems are essential in many industries, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration has fall prevention regulations that all companies must adhere to. In order to remain compliant with OSHA’s standards, it is critical that you find fall prevention equipment that fits your application. If you need customizable fall protection, ErectaStep offers stairs, platforms and gates that can all be customized and even repurposed to meet the needs of any application and reduce the risk of fall. Hire the Right Contractors A business that hires independent contractors must take care to ensure that these workers are practicing safety in the workplace, just like their own full-time employees. While independent contractors operate under their own name, your partnership with them can also affect your company’s reputation. They are not your employees and are not required to have the same core values as your company, but the contractors you hire should have a good reputation in their line of work, and it helps to see eye to eye on the importance of safety. The Federal Trade Commission has some key tips for consumers when it comes to hiring contractors that business owners could find useful. Perform Preventative Maintenance Conducting regular preventative maintenance on equipment can significantly reduce the chance of injuries in many industries. Inspection and maintenance of your equipment should be scheduled regularly so that your equipment is not only safe to use, but its lifespan is also extended. Regular preventative maintenance helps you identify potential hazards before they become a problem, and it will keep your workers safe from easily preventable accidents on the job. Encourage Communication Many workplace accidents to occur because employees fail to speak up or report potential problems. This may be due to a work culture that does not encourage employees to communicate effectively with one another. You can increase communication in the workplace by holding regular meetings that give employees the chance to speak their minds and make improvements within the business. Encouraging employees to communicate about potential problems can help make the workplace safer by reducing potential hazards. Keep the Workplace Clean It may seem obvious, but many places have cluttered worksites that can spell disaster for companies — especially those in dangerous industries like manufacturing or construction. Reduce the risk of falls and trips by making sure your employees see the importance of keeping their work areas clean and free of debris. By emphasizing that it is for their own safety, employees may be more willing to keep their areas mess-free.

How do you stay safe from data mining?

Stopping Data Miners from Getting your Information – It can prove quite difficult to keep all of your information from data miners. However, it would be beneficial if you become able to control the type of information they get from you. Below are some solid ways to prevent data miners from knowing all about you.

Utilize a Virtual Private Network

One of the best ways to stop data miners from getting your information is to use a secure VPN, Normally, when you want to access the internet, you would need an IP address. This IP address contains private information about you such as your location. To be able to browse the internet anonymously, you would need an IP address-changing tool.

1. A Virtual Private Network, as the name suggests, is a tool that makes provision for users to send and receive internet traffic through a private network.
2. VPNs facilitate the connection of the private network to a public one, making sure you can browse the internet.
3. In essence, a VPN acts as a protective barrier between your device and the internet.

With a VPN, you can change your IP address by connecting to a server in any location of your choice. VPNs typically provide hundreds of locations you can connect to.

Use Cash More Often

Every time you use your credit card for an online or in-store purchase, data miners grab the information to predict your future purchases. To stop them, you can start making use of cash for products you want to buy and the service you need.

Tighten Browser Privacy

Your browsers can leak a lot of information about you. Through cookies, data miners can get a hold of your information, even if you don’t know it. You need to modify your browser settings to send a ‘Do Not Track’ request to websites and clear your browser history and cookies after your online sessions.

Change App and Social Media Settings

Your mobile device may be sending a lot of information about you to data miners. For instance, some applications track your location in real-time. You can change app permissions to protect your data. You also need to delete apps you no longer use. Refrain from posting private information such as your phone number on your social media profiles.

Use Private Tools

Search engines such as Google record a lot of data about you such as your location, search history, purchase history and so on. You can switch to a search engine that never records your data. For communication, you can use encrypted messaging apps. These apps use end-to-end encryption, ensuring that only you and the party you’re conversing with would be able to see your chats.

Stop Downloading Free Software

As juicy as using a service for free sounds, it could pose serious consequences for you. Apart from your data getting mined, unscrupulous elements could use free software to install adware or malware on your device. If your information is gotten by this kind of people, it would be sold on the dark web.

How does safety improve quality?

The Three Pillars: Safety, Quality, and Productivity – Too often, businesses will see safety, quality, and productivity as interfering with each other, while they actually operate in concert. Organizations must not think of safety as a nuisance, but rather as an incredibly important component to business success.

Safety improves quality and productivity. When operations are unsafe, they aren’t well-managed. Employees will not be motivated nor mindful, and employee churn will be far greater. Quality and productivity both suffer when employees are under stress, unsatisfied, or unable to complete their mission. But when businesses are safe, it frees up employees to focus on their quality and their productivity. The safer the organization is, the less frequently the organization will experience large scale disruption. Quality improves safety and productivity. Safety is a measure of conscientiousness and proactiveness. High quality work means better results and better products. The higher quality the work, the fewer re-works are needed, and the greater overall productivity is. When quality is high for a business, it can be assumed that standards for the business are generally high, including safety equipment, safety software, and safety processes. Productivity improves safety and quality. Carelessness is often what begets safety issues. With the appropriate (and productive) safety processes, safety can be improved, and quality can be improved as well. The more productive employees are, the less likely they are to cut corners on things like safety processes. The more productive they are, the more likely they are to put extra attention into the quality of their work.

As you can see, all three of these pillars really rely upon each other to improve upon the organization’s outcomes. When one pillar falls, the others follow. But when one pillar is strong, it strengthens the entire business. Companies need to take a look at their safety, quality, and productivity, so they can explore where they may be falling short, and where their business may be destabilized.

Jack Gloop