Posted by admin in Uncategorized Nov 27th, 2009

It’s seems like an ideal situation, especially in these times of rapidly rising gas prices and emphasis on balancing both family and work – working from the comfort of your home. Your schedules are flexible, you are around when your spouse and kids need you, and best of all, you don’t have to make the stressful and expensive commute to and from work day after day.

But working at home is not all it’s hyped up to be, not if you do not enforce a strict circle of fire demarcating your personal and professional lives. There are problems aplenty, a few of which I detail below:

• Your concentration is shot to pieces by doorbells, phones ringing, family demanding attention and various other intrusions.
• It’s tough to make your kids understand (especially if they’re very young) that your work is important and that you should not be disturbed while in your office.
• The lack of colleagues and the informality of a home environment make it difficult to focus on work, especially if you’re not in the best of moods.
• There’s no one to talk to (unless you pick up the phone) about a problem in the line of work.
• With no boss peering over your shoulder, the incentive to work harder is less.
• The refrigerator and the television are distractions that interrupt work constantly, if you’re the kind who snacks a lot or does not want to miss a game (or soap opera) on TV.
• Unexpected guests could really tear your schedule apart.
• It’s sad but true, most people do not take you seriously when you say you work from home, no matter how important your work is.

In spite of all these issues, there are professionals who have made working from home really work for them. Following in their footsteps is easy, if you can be disciplined and dedicated to your work.

• Set fixed work times, no matter what the rest of the household is doing at the time. Make sure that your family members and outsiders know you are not to be disturbed during “office hours”.
• If that does not work for you, set yourself a target – do not leave your desk till you complete a certain set of tasks or a particular assignment.
• Switch off the phone and doorbell if you’re alone at home and do not want to be disturbed while working.
• Do not waste valuable time in idly browsing the Internet, watching TV or fixing a snack or a drink. Pretend you’re at a regular office with the boss breathing down your neck.
• Set targets and reward yourself when you achieve them. Even better, get your boss to pay you on an incentive basis – the more work you do, the more money you make. Money is one of the best motivators to stay focused on the job at hand.
• Maintain a circle of friends and co workers whom you can call or email if doubts and questions plague you.
• Set fixed time for coffee and bathroom breaks.

• If your work involves a lot of sitting down or typing on the computer, make sure you set aside time for exercise. Work outs boost your efficiency and rid you of that sluggish feeling you get from staying indoors all day. Get out in the fresh air and sunlight to avoid feeling blue and depressed sitting and working all by yourself with no colleagues to talk to and banter with.

Working from home is an opportunity most people would kill for, but it works only if you have the discipline to stick to a schedule and a sense of devotion to the work you do.

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Posted by admin in Uncategorized Nov 2nd, 2009

Fires ravage thousands of houses and buildings every year. It is very destructible, and if not extinguished on time, will cause great trauma to those who lived through it. Not only does fire destroy families, but business as well, and on occasion, kills people. That is something nobody wants, so people started to create systems that will help detect fire and save lives. Today, because of the modern technology and available resources, there are now options that will help with fire detection.

The most popular among the households is smoke detectors. Instead of detecting the fire itself, smoke is the one being sensed here. Smoke is the first sign of fire so to prevent a huge fire from taking over, this is being used. There are different kinds of smoke detectors namely optical, ionization, air-sampling, and carbon monoxide detection. They have some disparity in detecting smoke. Optical smoke detectors are quicker to detect smoke from smoldering fires than ionization which notice smokes from flaming hot fires first. You just have to choose one that you think will work best for you.

Smoke detectors sometimes react unnecessarily. Even a cigarette smoke could cause a big reaction from it. However, this isn’t as troubling as when it doesn’t react even during a real fire. These devices should be cleaned periodically. If not, the sensitivity it has could decrease.

Heat detector are also being used everywhere. As the name says, it is able to detect heat. There are two types of heat detectors: rate-of-rise or fixed temperature. The first one responds when the temperature rises abnormally, usually at a rate above 12-15°F or 6.7-8.3°C per minute. Fixed temperature heat detectors, meanwhile, reacts as the temperature reaches a certain point. To give some time for the people to escape, the newer units alarm at 117°F (47°C).

The third choice we have is flame detectors. Although you might think that it will respond only when fire touches it, it actually doesn’t take that long. It uses optical sensors to see the flames. Like the two detectors above, there are also different kinds of flame detectors. Ultraviolet and infrared are only two of the choices to decide on. They have different methods of detecting fire, and as long as these do the job, everything will be fine.

Finally, the newest detector technology could offer us is gas detector. These aren’t used in homes. Rather, the people who buy it are those who work in laboratories, MRI rooms, and other locations where different gases are abounding. This device detects not all gases, but those that can be a cause of harm to people and animals. It even notices the amount of oxygen in the area, and when it becomes dangerously low, it alarms the people around.

All of these devices need batteries. That’s why it is essential to replace the batteries regularly. Twice a year would be a good time frame.

Although all of these detectors will help us in case a fire breaks out, there are still some factors to think about before buying and placing one in your home. The most important would be location. Putting smoke detectors on top of the stove is pretty impractical, since smoke is naturally emitted there. Another thing to think about is the price. Because of the competition companies face today, they have to consider retailing their products at a high price. But we still need to see whether the product has good quality to go along with the price.

Finding reliable fire detector can be tricky. We need to be overly cautious in looking for one, because it would mean a lot when the time comes. Before buying, make sure that the manufacturer and the brand is approved by the government. There are now some counterfeit items to be worried about. Also, try to ask the salesman who knows a lot about this. His opinion really matters when you don’t know anything about fire detectors.

Let me just say that fire detectors are really essential in homes and buildings. It is to the benefit of everyone around. Even if you’re all alone at home, having one of these will keep you at ease. Having your house caught on fire is a traumatic event. It hurts financially and emotionally. So don’t waste the effort people made when they invented and invested on fire detectors. The benefit is much more than the cost you’ll pay for one.

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