Construction Incident Report of Hospital

Construction Incident Report of Hospital Introduction This report looks at incidents that have occurred on a project to extend and refurbish a cancer centre at a North-West Hospital. Assumptions With sectional completion dates, it is taken section cannot commence until the previous section has been completed (Chappell, 2011), with all the incidents relating to section 1. The contractor has issued their master programme as clause 2.9.1.2 of the contract, this programme is not contractually binding but for reference purposes only (Out-law, 2013). Incidents Overhead Cable The overhead cable diversion works do not form part of the contract (Chappell, 2014), clause 2.7.2 of the contract allows the client to undertake works not part of the contract with permission of the contractor and that permission is not to be unreasonable refused (Chappell 2014). Clause 2.27.1 requires the contractor to give notice as soon as they are aware an issue may cause delay (JCT, 2011), this allows the contract administrator to monitor the situation and insure the cable is diverted before any delay occurs (Chappell 2011). Failure to provide notice or late notice may be considered not to comply with clause 2.28.6.1 requiring the use of best endeavours to avoid delay (Chappell 2011). The client relocated the cable prior to the steel erection date thus no delay to the contract works occurred. The contract administrators response notice under clause 2.28.1 it will state that no extension of time is to be granted as no delay materialised. Access The tender information did not include the restrictions detailed in the quality manual, visiting site would not have highlighted these issues to the contractor. This omission of information is a relevant event under clause 2.29.7 as it imposes a new impediment on the contractor not included in the contract, this impediment being under the control of the client (Chappell 2014). However, clause 2.28.6.1 requires the contractor to use best endeavours to prevent delays, and clause 2.28.6.2 requires the contractor to proceed reasonably when a delay occurs (Dunn, 2011).   Knowing after the first meeting of restricted access it is reasonable that the contractor plan work so access is not required on these Thursdays, access for everyone else is still available so works can proceed (Dunn, 2011) Reduced Hours The no machine digging between 2pm and 4pm is different as this occurs every day making re-planning difficult for the contractor, the delay only relates to digging operations and no other site activities. In Amalgamated Building Contractors Ltd v. Waltham Holy Cross Urban District Council [1952] the cause of delays occurred every day, it was held that it was reasonable for the contract administratorto decide on extension of time on completion (ICE 2007). Delays associated with the other incidents are likely to mean that the adjusted completion date is not affected by this issue. Drainage Works Under clause 2.13.2 of the contract the contractor is not responsible for the employers design (Dunn, 2011), clauses 2.14.2 and 2.14.3 allow the correction of any errors in the design with corrections treated as a variation (Cartlidge, 2013). Thus, an instruction is to be issued under clause 3.10 to undertake investigation works and the alteration works being instructed under 3.10.2 requesting a quotation based on the revised design (Dunn, 2011). The investigation works should be valued as clause 5.7.1 daywork rates as the extent of the works would not have been known (Cartlidge, 2013) with the alteration works being valued as clause 5.2.2 and the accepted quotation. A variation is a relevant event under clause 2.29.1, with the drainage alterations solely in the confines of the site preventing any other works from progressing, clause 2.28.1 of the contract requires the contract administrator to issue a fair and reasonable extension of time. The completion date of section 1 should be adjusted by 5 weeks, this can be done even without notice under clause 2.27.1, London Borough of Merton v Stanley Hugh Leach Ltd. 1985 to prevent time going large (Dunn, 2011). Cladding The cladding is an undefined provisional sum, this will mean that the contractor has not allowed for these works in the price or programme (Suttie 2013).   Provisional sums require an instruction from the contract administrator to progress under clause 3.16 and an undefined provisional sum becomes a variation and relevant event under clause 2.29.1 (Brooks et al., 2011). In Walter Lilly Co Ltd v Clin [2016] the court stated that when not defined in the contract the client is responsible for providing sufficient information in time to obtain the required planning consents (Tulloch 2016), delay in issuing any instruction due to planning authorities is the responsibility of the client. When instructed, it should be based on a quotation from the contractor, the works are then valued as clause 5.2.2. The contract administrator needs to consider whether any delay to the cladding works will mean that the works go beyond the previously adjusted completion date of section 1. Cladding Programme and delay Time Weeks Date Task Complete Delay Weeks Revised Design 1 29/08/2014 Foundation works 0 Planning Decision 8 24/10/2014 2-week foundation works 0 5-week delay in steel erection 0 1-week steel erection 0 Quotation 2 7/11/2014 2-weeks steel erection 0 Material ordering 6 19/12/2014 1-week steel erection 5 Installation 4 16/01/2015 4 Total 21 9 Loss and expense Clauses 4.23 to 4.26 of the contract cover loss and expense relating to the delays (Chappell 2011). The current delay is 5 weeks for the drainage and 9 weeks for the cladding, any entitlement to loss or expense must be directly related to the actual timing of the delay (Chappell, 2011). The contractor cannot make an over exaggerated claim for loss as found in C P Haulage v Middleton (1983) the claim for any loss must be justified (RICS, 2015). The average weekly costs for the contractor during the delay were  £4,609, not all costs were non-productive as the investigation works, diversion works and cladding are valued in the contract, members of the site staff would have been carrying out both other on-site works and preparation works for future activities (Chappell, 2011). The contractor must minimise loss due to the delay this includes relocating staff and plant where possible (Chappell, 2011), evidence that relocation had not been possible is required to claim for these items as Shore v Horwitz Construction v Canada Ltd (1964) (RICS, 2015) Security  £650 Light/Power  £125 Sundries  £230 Insurances  £234 Safety Precautions  £123 Weekly Total  £1,362 14 weeks  £19,068 Actual on-site loss to the contractor following the removal of productive items or those that could be reallocate are as follows: The contractor may also claim for office overheads that they cannot divert to new projects during the extra time on-site (Lomas-Clarke, 2014). These losses can be calculated using a formula such as the Emden formula (Lomas-Clarke, 2014) as J F Finnegan v Sheffield County Council (1988) (RICS, 2015) (Overhead and Profit Percentage) 7% x (Contract Sum)  £4,000,000 (Contract Period) 52 Weeks Equals  £5,384 per week x 14-week delay =  £75,376 (Lomas-Clarke, 2014) The total loss and expense claim is  £94,444, for all loss and expense claims the contractor must provide evidence (RICS, 2015) Liquidated Damages The extension of time granted to section 1 adjusted the completion date for this section, if this adjusted date is not met by the contractor then the liquidated damages stated in the contract for section 1 can be claimed by the client (Murdoch Hughes, 1993). On completion of each section the liquidated damages no longer apply to that section going forward (Murdoch Hughes, 1993). Following completion of section 1 section 2 can commence with its original duration that is stated in the contract (Dunn, 2011) if the contractor then fails to meet the adjusted completion date for this section then liquidated damages as stated in the contract can be claimed by the client (Murdoch Hughes, 1993). Conclusion The project has suffered delays which have required adjustment of the contract completion date and allowed a loss an expense claim by the contractor. The contractor is required to proceed at a reasonable pace and if they do not complete by the adjusted completion date the client will be able to claim liquidated damages as set out in the contract.

Quatitative Research Article Critique

In this article, Roy and Therin present the results of an empirical study investigating the relationship between an enterprise’s knowledge acquisition activities and its environmental commitment. The article identifies past research related to knowledge acquisition and environmental commitment and informs the reader that although much as been written about this subject businesses remain confused about how to adopt these environmental considerations. This study shows to be significant, practical and the results could be utilized in real-world business applications. The literature review was comprehensive, up to date and well organized. The authors were able to identify and relate previous research to the current problem. The review identifies many different ideas from a variety of sources all of which relate to the problem statement. Activities specific to environmental issues should offer SMEs valuable knowledge to support their efforts towards a greater environmental commitment (Revel and Rutherfoord, 2003; Simpson et al. 2004) shows how an environmental relationship can help an enterprise. Also read this  Critique of Stuff Is Not Salvation The study identifies four questions of focus to determine if small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can be evaluated on how their knowledge network relates to environment commitment. A hypothesis is established, expecting that firms that are more involved in regular scanning activities will demonstrate a higher level of environmental commitment The methodology is clearly outlined in the study; the desired population was SMEs from six different manufacturing sectors identified using the Quebec Industrial Research Center database. Since these companies face direct involvement with environment issues they should be motivated to respond with un-biased and truthful responses. The data was gathered using phone interviews with senior administrators carried out by a specialized survey firm. The questions given in the survey were measured by the responders perception of the knowledge management processes and the answers were evaluated using Likert-type scales. The research compiles results and uses the information to classify the enterprises as low or high environmental commitment. Since the study could result in a positive or negative effect to a company’s business to can be questioned whether the responses can be completely valid. The authors provided precisely tabulated graphic and narrative evidence used to support the problem statement. Tables containing the various enterprise categories and their environmental commitment levels were provided and are easily understood. The sample consisted of 136 businesses and t tests were performed on independent samples and the significance levels were identified. All of the acquired results are closely related to the study questions and the information is interpreted accurately. This study confirms the author’s hypothesis and provided excess information related to the subject. The authors did recognize the need to preform further research in order to better understand the relationship. There is no evidence that the external validity of this study should be questioned, it is clear that the study can be applied to a separate sample group and produce similar results.

Labour relations Essay

Labour relations refers to the relations between employers and employees. They are affected by certain factors, including labour organizations, collective bargaining, labour market, government policy, the structure of the economy, labour law and technological change. Since industrial relations are regularly connected with unions, it is noteworthy that in Canada, until the 1970s, a greater part of unions and union members belonged to American-based craft and industrial unions. According to some observers, incidence of strikes has been very high and unusual in North American labour relations. Studies have also disclosed that the frequency of savagery and unlawfulness emerging out of labour disputes has been much higher in the US and Canada than in other comparably industrialized countries. They included the relatively recent development of large-scale â€Å"mass unionization,† a extensive deposit of pressure and common hostility arising from the boundless, extended and very ofte n violent opposition of employers to unions; intense organizational and leadership rivalries among unions; the highly decentralized structure of labour organization and collective bargaining in most industries; and the absence of a strong or dominant labour party capable of gaining power at the national level. The relative strength of organized labour in Canada was also affected by cultural and ethnic divisions among workers, especially the considerable gap between Francophone and Anglophones, which was symbolized by the development of the separate francophone confederation of national trade unions in Quà ©bec. Maintained geographic and political divisions also precluded effective unionization and often set the interests of the workers in one region against those in another. Politically, the labour movement had been divided since the turn of the century, when the trades and labour congress, backed by the American Federation of Labour, ousted the activist knights of labour. Disputes over conflicting beliefs, programs and organizational goals became less intense with the formation of the Canadian Labour Congress in 1956. Since then a lot of unions have subdued away from traditional American-controlled organizations in a drive for national sovereignty. Some are in the CLC and some in the Confederation of Canadian Unions. Government intercession is another factor progressively impacting labour relations. Since W.L. Mackenzie King, as federal deputy minister, presented the  Industrial Disputes Investigation Act of 1907 to curb western Canada’s militant coal-mine workers, governments in Canada have acted to maintain â€Å"law and order† and to protect employers’ property and latitude of action rather than to protect the rights of employees to organize and bargain collectively. This tendency is apparent in a history of expeditious resort to mandatory intrusion, such as back-to-work legislation and obligatory adjudication, to settle disputes. Canadian Labour Laws: Both Federal and Provincial Laws Canadian labour laws cover all employees in Canada with the majority (approximately 90%) covered under provincial labour laws. The remaining are secured under federal labour law through the Canada Labour Code. The labour laws varies from one province to another. Canadian labour laws and employment laws are quite challenging to employers doing business in Canada as these laws are constantly being modified. Furthermore, to these consistent progressions, those employers having business all around Canada, or in different provinces, are concerned to dissimilarity in the employment laws of the various provinces and territories. What can also add to the employment act disputes is the fact that both the federal and the provincial governments can have jurisdiction over labour and employment issues in a province depending on which industry the enterprise operates in. These labour acts and employment acts can be very confusing to new businesses to the Canadian labour environment, as well as for local businesses that are expanding from provincial markets into the Canadian national market for goods and services. The constant change associated with employment and labour law in Canada poses a significant challenge for employers doing business here. That test is intensified by the fact that employers with operations across Canada may be subject to differing employment laws in each province. Canada Labour Code (CLC): Federal Employment Law Canada Labour Law alludes predominantly to the Canada Labour Code (CLC) which is the labour law consolidated under a federal Act, and which regulates work undertaken by the federal government or business undertakings that falls under federal jurisdiction. This Code consists of three parts: 1. Industrial Relations: Deals with the general industrial relations aspects covering the union-management interaction, union official recognition, a difference declaration in those industries that fall under federal jurisdiction. 2. Occupational Health and Safety: Lays out the legislation covering workplace health and safety issues in areas under federal jurisdiction. 3. Standard Hours, Wages, Vacations and Holidays: This section interprets the federal employment standards which covers the conditions of employment such as operational hours, pay, common holidays, time off leave, layoffs, severance pay, and unreasonable dismissals, etc. Conclusion: Unions still have a place in Canadian Workplace. Labour unions engage in collective bargaining with employers to determine issues such as salary, the rules and regulations of labour, and employee security. Unions also take on in political activities on behalf of workers and have historically had ties to political parties, such as the New Democratic Party (NDP). Unionized workers in Canada include industrial and office workers and public employees in government administration, schools, and hospitals, engineers, professors, nurses, teachers, and other skilled workers. workforce are less expected to be unionized in private service-sector firms such as retail stores, restaurants, banks, and insurance companies, because employers in those areas have forcefully opposed unions. Labour organizations exist on a diversity of levels, from confined workplaces to global organizations. Reference JAMIESON, S. M. (2006). Labour Relations. Retrieved from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/labour-relations/#h3_jump_0 Canadian Labour Laws: Including Labour Relations Codes And Employment Laws. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.canadianlabourrelations.com/canadian-labour-laws.html Canada Labour Code: Federal Labour Relations Act And Regulations. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.canadianlabourrelations.com/canada-labour-code.html MacDowell, L. S. (2004). Labour Unions in Canada. Retrieved from http://autocww.colorado.edu/~toldy2/E64ContentFiles/HistoryOfTheAmericas/LaborUnionCanada060130.html

Ways to Spend Your Summer Vacation Productively

Ways to Spend Your Summer Vacation Productively Ah, the summer. You seem to have waited for it forever, right? Finally, theres enough time to watch your favorite shows, go to the beaches, party basically, relax in all the possible ways. Surprisingly, even these activities can turn into routine and bore you to tears. Weve come up with a list of suggestions to add some work to your play. Not only will they help you achieve something during those dog days, but youll also preserve the charm of thoughtless laying on the beach or indulging yourself to another episode of that TV-series. Ready to have fun and challenge yourself a bit? Lets get started then! Learn to Cook or explore new exciting recipes. In case youre not a rookie in the cooking world, you have the whole lot of opportunities to explore. Surprise your family and friends with your masterpieces! If you dont know how to cook at all – go for it. Its an awesome way to get fitter, healthier and more creative at the same time. Get Musical Playing a musical instrument is a powerful tool of self-development. It engages your brain in a completely different way, makes you enhance motor skills, trains your ability to concentrate and does miracles to your creativity. Learn to Code HTML, Python or Java – learning at least basics of these is becoming a real necessity nowadays. If youre not particularly technically savvy – think of it as a challenge to your mind and at least give it a try. Teach Yourself a New Language †¦or get your environment do this. The times when mastering a language was possible only after hours of heavy staring into the textbooks are now far gone. Start small: switch the language settings on Facebook or watch your favorite TV-show with a foreign sound-track. Apply for an Internship Participating in an internship program has a number of positive sides to it: you get hands-on experience at a real workplace, build new connections and may even kick-start your soaring career. Theres plenty of ways to find a perfectly suitable internship: from talking to a career counsellor to consulting one of online resources. Start a Blog in case you havent got one yet. Its a great platform for self-expression and even for learning to make money online. If you do have one – update it regularly and document your summer. Do Volunteer Work Helping others makes you a better person. Whether you feel the need to improve your karma or simply want to learn more about life – volunteer work is a sure way to fulfill these purposes. Choose the one that matches your interests and go make your contribution. Get a Part-Time Job Job will surely take up lots of your time. Despite that, it is quite a rewarding experience. Meeting new people, trying yourself in a new role and getting paid, of course – thats just the top of an iceberg. Just do your best to pick something you really like. Enter Online Courses There are so many spheres of life were completely ignorant about! Luckily, theres a plenty of online courses to change the situation. Choose the subject youre particularly interested in and let the knowledge capture you. Do Couch Surfing Travel enriches you mind. Couch surfing lets you gain plenty of experience without wasting tons of money for it. In addition to saving yourself trouble of booking and pre-paying the hotels you get a chance to get to know local culture better via communication with the hosts. Find the Joy of Reading Instead of reading with purely educational purpose, in summer you can actually do it for fun. Choose the book youve chosen a while ago and read to your hearts content. In case you arent quite sure what to choose, check out the hottest reading list for summer or visit Goodreads and What Should I Read Next to make up your mind. Meditate Summer is a great opportunity to restore your energy supplies and refill the reservoir of your inner strength. Meditation will be of a great help here. With all the classes gone, youll definitely have more time for it. Dive Into Culture Being a student you get plenty of discounts to visit museums, galleries and other places, soaked in beauty and culture. Check out the opportunities in your area and start the quest for the art: the experience might be not just educating but also fun! Opt for Documentaries Think of the time youve spent binge-watching all the TV-shows. Imagine how much you could have learnt, if you watched documentaries instead? Why not try doing so? â€Å"No Fast Food† Weeks Thats a tough, though beneficial one. Set yourself a goal and stay out of the fast food restaurants. Youre sure to get healthier and more creative with your nutrition choices. Your body will be grateful for a change! Start a Fitness Challenge With the abundance of fitness channels on YouTube and inspiration accounts on Instagram, everyone will find something to their likings. Be persistent, dont give up and prepare to be proud: youll get fitter, slimmer and more disciplined. Whats not to like, right? Go On a Bicycle Tour Bicycle tours have plenty of advantages: thats the greenest way to travel, you get a chance to see more gorgeous places in addition to saving all the money for transport. If you dont have a bike – rent one and enjoy the journey. Start New, Good Habits We have all the powers to shape our personalities. Thats why forming new, useful habits is so exciting: with a bit of motivation and discipline you can carve out a better version of your current self. Clean the Clutter Feel the need to organize your mind? Clean you room then. The less cluttered the space you live in is, the less garbage there is in your head. Start now. The effect is really fascinating. Manage Your Money Do you always know where your money go? With a bit of free time and effort youll become a real personal finance guru. Subscribe to a couple of smart finance blogs or choose one of the digital tools to help you deal with your income and spendings in a more reasonable way. There you go. Feel free to invent your own ways of adding productivity to your summer. Youre the one setting the limits. Have an awesome one!

Managing for ethical conduct in a global business environment

Managing for ethical conduct in a global business environment Since customs, culture and norms can be very different from their own, managers need to learn how to adapt to different cultures. .A good way to do this is by learning their language. In fact, according to this chapter, "language is an essential part of cultural learning and contributes to productive international business experience."(pg.318)In addition, learning about how people behave and conduct business in other countries is essential. Therefore, companies need to provide language training and guidance for the expatriate managers because this will help them be more effective in foreign assignments. In fact, being in a foreign country can present many challenges for the expatriate manager. Some of these challenges have to do mainly with ethical issues. For instance, employers in the United States usually hire employees with whom they have no personal relationship, but who have high skill and qualifications rather than a friend or relative who is less qualified for the job.Corpora tion: PeopleThis is part of our culture. But people from Spanish countries and Asia will consider this kind of practice unethical since they place more value on hiring family members or friends.Another challenge is the fact that some cultures consider gift giving as okay. For instance, in Japan gift-giving can be an important part of conducting business. But in the United States gift giving is considered to be a bribe. That is, "an attempt to influence an individual's business decisions."(pg.319) In fact, these cultural differences can be challenging. So it is important that managers be discreet and wise when dealing with other cultures. Their goal should be of making it a positive experience instead of tense and nonproductive.According to this chapter, if a company is doing business abroad, the company needs to develop guidelines and policies for their employees. Some of these guidelines...

Leaders as agents of Socialization Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Leaders as agents of Socialization - Term Paper Example That is, the gradual shift from an unfavorable environment to a more favorable one has the likelihood to reshape the initial cognitive cycle of the child, thereby emphasizing the role that conscious educational environments could create for the child. Essentially, inequality in educational achievement has been attributed majorly to the physical environment that the child grows in. The cultural capital theory helps to explain disparities in educational attainment based on the environmental setup that children grow in (Meyer, 2007). Intellectual ability is assessed through educational attainment of individuals. However, the interaction between such achievement and the socialization has prompted wide research into the impacts of social structures on the individual’s ability to socialize (loosely translated into the ability to interact freely and intelligently with other members of a social setup). Socialization is a key factor in the determination of the skill development in young children. Consequently, a great deal of attention has been concentrated to understanding how cultures create a social structure, and how such structures affect the ability to socialize (Turner, 2006). From the dimension of a school leader, the above argument presents a state to redefine the way children socialize. That is, irrespective of their cultural background. The leader aims at creating a supportive environment that recognizes the existence of each member of a society, and attempts to genuinely offer them equal opportunity to develop their social skills. In order to address the disparities between various members of a community, it is essential to create a transformative environment that will enable convergence of interests and encourage those who are seen to be underprivileged to come out more boldly and confront their past misgivings. The transformation environment created by a school leader cannot be complete without

Napoleon as a Child of the Enlightenment and the First Modern Dictator Research Paper

Napoleon as a Child of the Enlightenment and the First Modern Dictator - Research Paper Example This was an indication of his devotion to the enli. With scholastic and scientific advancements came the so called â€Å"opening of great minds†. Shortly after the advent of enlightenment, the revolution and civil war broke out in France from 1879 to 1899. This period required a strong leader and Napoleon’s leaning towards enlightenment’s principal-called the minds of the French, middle class (Posner 12). He displayed this in his policies and attitudes, resulting from his enlightened social reform agenda and religious ideas. Enlightenment taught principles of religious tolerance via the lessening of God and religion in everyday life. Napoleon was able to isolate himself from the devout and use religion for the furthering of his goals and political ideas. For example, he took the religion of the lands that he conquered. In France, he was a Catholic, but in Egypt, he took up Islam. It is difficult to reconcile whether Napoleon's political acumen was his source of e nlightenment or whether the enlightenment made him a political strategist (Posner 16). Regardless, Napoleon is considered a despot of the enlightenment. Though by today’s standards, Napoleon’s ideals, such as a puppet parliament and clergy would seem unenlightened, the 18th-century enlightenment despot was one able to introduce rational thought and reform while ignoring the minority. Napoleon’s most interesting enlightened social reform involved the institution of a law system that treated the citizens as individuals, without recognition of social class. Napoleon also instituted enlightenment principled reforms in the education sector by promoting scholarships for those with scholastic promise, as education became increasingly important in the enlightenment world. His enlightenment era actions and ideas led to the codified law system that was embraced all over Europe and continues to influence constitutions all over the world to date. Napoleon was a child of the enlightenment who followed the ideas that the period presented through his strategy and policies. Napoleon can be considered as the first modern dictator. Most dictators usually come to power during war or a state of emergence, just as Napoleon did. As an army general during the French Revolution, France witnessed a period of great political and social upheaval. From 1789, France evolved from being a monarchy to a republic and finally to an empire. In the middle of bloody coups, executions, and confusion, Napoleon rose to the high consul in the provisional government (Woloch 34). Because of his status as an undefeated commander, he enjoyed great popularity. He went on to write the Napoleonic code, which is still the basis for French civil law to this day.  Ã‚