The real danger to the quality of the water is not industrial wastes but human created wastes that comes from residential neighborhoods. This pollution is called Nonpoint source (NPS) pollution.
This type of pollution is caused by rainfall or melting snow that runs over cement and parking lots and carries insecticide, oil and gas, fertilizers and herbicides that are sprayed on gardens and grass directly to our waterways.
Other pollutants are the oil, grease or toxic chemicals that are produced as a result of urban sprawl. Many people ignore the warnings of our governmental agencies and continue to use poisonous substances on their lawns and in their day-to-day life.
These pollutants end up in our water resources. As a result, pollution from these sources are cited by many state agencies as “uncontrolled pollution” Stormwater runoff pollution impacts the quality of water and will eventually impact where and how humans can live.
If left unchecked, the water supply will not support life. While the EPA has created programs under the Clean Water Act to protect the quality of our water, the prevention of pollution is dependent on individuals learning to prevent pollution.
Most of the Pollution Prevention programs are managed by the state environmental agencies and the rules and regulations are created for larger business sectors. The exceptions to this rule are in the states of:
Massachusetts
New Mexico
Alaska
Idaho
New Hampshire
In these states, the EPA retains complete authority. According to the EPA, states are more concerned about nonpoint source pollution. States report that this pollution is the leading remaining cause of water quality problems.
Phase I of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System(NPDES) requires all point sources discharging pollutants into waters of the United States to obtain a permit. This program was designed for cities with populations of more than 100,000. The NPDES also targeted large industrial and construction sites. The statues required that industries and construction sites begin treating storm water runoff from their locations.
These restrictions limited and reduced the pollution from these industrial sites. Site pollution control maintenance is a priority for most industries. Heavy fines and penalties are levied against those industries when they do not adhere to the EPA guidelines. However the pollution from the residential areas continue to increase. It is difficult to pinpoint residential hotspots.
Phase II of NPDES was announced in December 1999 and required that more than 5,000 municipalities and all new developments of one acre or larger implement Best Management Practices ’s (BMP's) for stormwater treatment to the maximum extent that was practical.
The compliance to these BMP's was also implemented. The data indicated that pollution was reduced and controlled from those municipalities that were regulated. But the reduced level of pollution from industrial and commercial sites was ineffective because the level of pollution from non-industrial locations continued to increase.
The effects of nonpoint source pollutants on specific waters vary within separate municipalities. Governmental agencies have released critical data that confirms that nonpoint source pollution is the leading cause of water pollution. This type of pollution is difficult to control or to legislate because the source is so widespread and not easily contained. This type of pollution is created by the public at large.
The focus of state environmental agencies is to increase public awareness of this problem. Implementing programs at the community level will provide strategies to manage nonpoint source pollution.
These pollutants have harmful effects on drinking water, recreation, fisheries, and wildlife. It is the responsibility of industry as well as individual citizens to work together to protect our water supply.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Industrial Safety Can Be Funny
Safety in the industrial environment is challenging.
How much money do you have to spend to purchase safety protective equipment to prevent accidents? Try asking yourself how much it will cost you whenever an accident happens - loss of life, loss of work and productivity, insurance claims, material damage, and not counting those extra hours writing reports...
Accidents are not cheap. In fact, they can be very, very expensive!
And ironically, most accidents are caused by people! And it is not easy to get people to follow what you want them to do. Everybody has a free will and they know it.
How useful are your protective equipment if your workers are not using them? How do you ensure that your workers remember safety guidelines and avoid dangerous practices? Or observe good safety practices when nobody supervises them?
Somehow, people need to get it into their subconscious mind to want to follow safety rules and regulations. If not it will be an uphill task for the safety practitioner. Do they have to wield the big stick like a policeman and play a cat-and-mouse game all the time?
Safety awareness is the key to controlling accidents. Safety awareness is critical in any construction site. So many dangerous activities are happening at the same time. It only takes one unsafe act to bring your safety record plunging down.
What is the best way to deliver your safety message?
Interestingly, researchers have found that people remember 50% more in what they see than in what they hear. Visuals get people's attention. Advertising people know about this. The many images on billboards, magazines, newspapers or even on the internet are testimonies that visuals do attract people and advertising using visuals are so effective.
Humor in posters brings good feelings and makes ideas more memorable and receptive. This again has a lot to do with the working of the mind. Pleasant thoughts generate more receptive learning. Have you ever tried studying for an exam when you have ugly thoughts disturbing your mind?
Humor effectively drives a point that is so easy to understand when done correctly. Accidents situations cannot be photographed. Only stuntmen are crazy enough to do things that can result in accidents. Cartoons can be effectively used to illustrate dangerous situations which might be impossible to capture on film in real life.
What do you mean by done correctly? Well, in any graphic design, there must be a certain composition that makes a picture stand out. It's what makes people stop and stare. It's the difference between a prize-winning visual and a mediocre one.
Composition is simply the arrangement of the subject matter within the confines of a picture space. It's not just a matter of putting the main focus in the center. The arrangement of other components of a picture will lead the eye of the beholder to the center of interest. Through composition, a picture is unified into a well-balanced and pleasing design.
There are many techniques for arranging subjects to create attractive graphics. Some of the well known ones are: the S-shape, L-shape, three spot composition, tunnel, silhouette, golden mean, radiating line and many others.
Another way to capture interest is by the use of colors or lack of it. Strong reds will stand out in a green background. Skilful matching of colors can enable pictures to stand out, and make people take notice.
In safety communication, the safety slogan must also be eye-catching. After all, that is the safety message that you want to deliver to people. To be successful, the words must stand out above the rest.
The successful safety poster first captures people's attention with the graphics and the color. Next, it lets them enjoy the images to relax their mood. Finally, it presents the safety slogan or message for the finale.
If done well, people will remember the messages in safety posters for a long, long time. And when a similar situation occurs during their work, the vivid graphic comes back to their minds, perhaps causing them to smile knowingly for what to avoid. They have seen the consequences and they will avoid putting themselves in that similar accident-prone situation.
Does it make sense then to use eye-catching cartoon graphics to influence safety behavior in people? I think it might work when we expose people sufficiently over a long period of time. The messages must sink into their subconscious mind so that it becomes second nature to them.
There had been a lot of propaganda graphics created during the world wars and also during political campaigns. Many of them used cartoons to influence the thinking of the masses. People in advertisement use a lot of graphics - all for one purpose - to influence people's impression or buying behavior.
Truly, cartoon posters with the proper messages can influence people's behavior. That should be good news to safety professionals. It's a tool with a lot of potential.
If you are involved with safety, where can you obtain suitable safety posters that are both cheap and good, where you can store in your computer, and print at any time you want?
How much money do you have to spend to purchase safety protective equipment to prevent accidents? Try asking yourself how much it will cost you whenever an accident happens - loss of life, loss of work and productivity, insurance claims, material damage, and not counting those extra hours writing reports...
Accidents are not cheap. In fact, they can be very, very expensive!
And ironically, most accidents are caused by people! And it is not easy to get people to follow what you want them to do. Everybody has a free will and they know it.
How useful are your protective equipment if your workers are not using them? How do you ensure that your workers remember safety guidelines and avoid dangerous practices? Or observe good safety practices when nobody supervises them?
Somehow, people need to get it into their subconscious mind to want to follow safety rules and regulations. If not it will be an uphill task for the safety practitioner. Do they have to wield the big stick like a policeman and play a cat-and-mouse game all the time?
Safety awareness is the key to controlling accidents. Safety awareness is critical in any construction site. So many dangerous activities are happening at the same time. It only takes one unsafe act to bring your safety record plunging down.
What is the best way to deliver your safety message?
Interestingly, researchers have found that people remember 50% more in what they see than in what they hear. Visuals get people's attention. Advertising people know about this. The many images on billboards, magazines, newspapers or even on the internet are testimonies that visuals do attract people and advertising using visuals are so effective.
Humor in posters brings good feelings and makes ideas more memorable and receptive. This again has a lot to do with the working of the mind. Pleasant thoughts generate more receptive learning. Have you ever tried studying for an exam when you have ugly thoughts disturbing your mind?
Humor effectively drives a point that is so easy to understand when done correctly. Accidents situations cannot be photographed. Only stuntmen are crazy enough to do things that can result in accidents. Cartoons can be effectively used to illustrate dangerous situations which might be impossible to capture on film in real life.
What do you mean by done correctly? Well, in any graphic design, there must be a certain composition that makes a picture stand out. It's what makes people stop and stare. It's the difference between a prize-winning visual and a mediocre one.
Composition is simply the arrangement of the subject matter within the confines of a picture space. It's not just a matter of putting the main focus in the center. The arrangement of other components of a picture will lead the eye of the beholder to the center of interest. Through composition, a picture is unified into a well-balanced and pleasing design.
There are many techniques for arranging subjects to create attractive graphics. Some of the well known ones are: the S-shape, L-shape, three spot composition, tunnel, silhouette, golden mean, radiating line and many others.
Another way to capture interest is by the use of colors or lack of it. Strong reds will stand out in a green background. Skilful matching of colors can enable pictures to stand out, and make people take notice.
In safety communication, the safety slogan must also be eye-catching. After all, that is the safety message that you want to deliver to people. To be successful, the words must stand out above the rest.
The successful safety poster first captures people's attention with the graphics and the color. Next, it lets them enjoy the images to relax their mood. Finally, it presents the safety slogan or message for the finale.
If done well, people will remember the messages in safety posters for a long, long time. And when a similar situation occurs during their work, the vivid graphic comes back to their minds, perhaps causing them to smile knowingly for what to avoid. They have seen the consequences and they will avoid putting themselves in that similar accident-prone situation.
Does it make sense then to use eye-catching cartoon graphics to influence safety behavior in people? I think it might work when we expose people sufficiently over a long period of time. The messages must sink into their subconscious mind so that it becomes second nature to them.
There had been a lot of propaganda graphics created during the world wars and also during political campaigns. Many of them used cartoons to influence the thinking of the masses. People in advertisement use a lot of graphics - all for one purpose - to influence people's impression or buying behavior.
Truly, cartoon posters with the proper messages can influence people's behavior. That should be good news to safety professionals. It's a tool with a lot of potential.
If you are involved with safety, where can you obtain suitable safety posters that are both cheap and good, where you can store in your computer, and print at any time you want?
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