Month: May 2020

What Can you Do to Promote Safety at your Business Premises?

Every business owner should be asking themselves this question, as you strive to create and maintain a safe working environment for all your employees, and with a little forethought and a small investment, there are things that you can do to make the workplace safer. Assuming you have a staff member who is tasked with checking on the availability of protective clothing and equipment, they should arrange monthly meetings with every staff member in attendance, to discuss the topic of safety in the workplace.

Checking your Safety Record

All businesses should have an accident record book, into which the fine details of any work-related accident are recorded. This would include:

  • How the accident occurred.
  • Details on any injury sustained.
  • Date, time and location of accident.
  • Necessary treatment given.

If your company has an excellent safety record and have not reported any accidents for a long time, this could lead to complacency, so it is good to review standard practices.

Essential Supplies

Whatever essential protective clothing and equipment your employees use, it is essential that they have access to things like eye goggles and safety boots, and by registering with an online supplier, you can easily order items that you need.

The clothing and equipment would include the following:

  • Reflective jackets and trousers.
  • Safety boots.
  • Hard hats, goggles and ear defenders.
  • Respiratory accessories – Face masks and air filters.
  • Safety PPE – Hand sanitising gel and bacterial wipes.

Checking Signage

You could assign a staff member to check all the safety signage, which needs to be clean, legible and in the right locations. Stickers sometimes need to be replaced, and with an online supplier, ordering is easy, plus you can keep some spare, just in case. If you use bollards in your yard, inspect them for damage and reorder when necessary, plus any tapes you use to cordon off zones should be stocked in adequate quantities.

Regular Staff Meetings

Holding monthly safety meetings is a very valuable tool, as this raise an awareness of something that can easily be forgotten, especially when working a heavy schedule. This can be a short session that looks at recent accidents and identifying the causes, while also reminding people of best practices, and praise when it is due, as motivation is important.

Manual Handling Training

This involves a team of medical experts who come to your place of work and determine what your employees do, then they design a short 4-5 hour course to educate employees regarding safe handling practices, and this could save you thousands of dollars in compensation payments, not to mention many days of absent employees due to personal injury. An online search will reveal the whereabouts of a manual handling specialist and for what it costs, you are doing what you can to educate your workers on correct handling techniques. This preventative approach empowers your workers, as it teaches them how to carry out risk assessments, while also introducing safe handling techniques.

The Top 5 Tourist Attractions in Bangkok

Bangkok is a city like no other and if you are about to arrive in this amazing city for the first time, be prepared to be blown away. The traffic in the ‘City of Angels’ really is something else, and most people’s first reaction is one of disbelief, yet after a while, you begin to realise that there is some form of order in the seemingly chaotic way in which people get from A to B in this unique metropolis. There are so many must-see attractions in Bangkok, but here are our top 5 sights that you simply must include in your schedule.

  1. The Grand Palace – The home of the Emerald Buddha, Wat Prakeo, as it is called in Thai, is probably the most famous of all the amazing attractions to be found in this city. One must be suitably dressed when entering the Grand Palace, women should cover their shoulders and wear a skirt below the knee (or pants) and there are tour guides available, who can speak English and can inform you of the fascinating history of the most famous palace and temple in Thailand.
  2. Chao Phraya River Dinner Cruise – If you’re staying at the Ibis in Bangkok, you’re not far from the Chao Phraya River and at around 5pm, if you head to the area where there are many hotels on the banks of the river, you can book a table on one of the many dinner cruise boats. Experience the very best of Thai cuisine while enjoying traditional Thai dancing. The cruise lasts about 2 hours and you will be treated to the most spectacular views of Wat Arun and other amazing temples that are bathed in artificial lighting.
  3. Soi Cowboy – Whether you love or hate Go-Go bars, you simply must spend an evening at Soi Cowboy (Sukhumvit Soi 23), which is in the central area of the city. Neon and pretty girls are everywhere in the short strip of bars that began in the 1970s as a R&R venue for US GIs who were stationed in Vietnam, and today, this venue is populated by expats and tourists alike. Of course, there are other night spots in Bangkok, all you have to do is ask a Tuk-Tuk driver and he will take you on a tour.
  4. Rama IX Park – Located at the north end of Sukhumvit Road, this park is the perfect place to relax in pristine natural beauty. Built in 1987 to commemorate King Rama IX’s 60th birthday, the park is open to the public from 5am to 7pm daily and you simply must spend a day in this unique park that is full of interesting attractions.
  5. Khao San Road – Known as the backpacker’s area of Bangkok, this street is full of hostels and restaurants, with night markets where you can buy Thai souvenirs. The nightlife is quite vibrant, with live music and pleasant company, where you can explore the narrow lanes where small bars and restaurants can be found.

You need at least one week to really appreciate Bangkok, and by booking a hotel in the central region, you are perfectly located to experience the best that this unique city has to offer.

The Main Reasons To Send Your Child To An International School

Wanting the best for your child is something that every parent thinks about while education is no different. Indeed, if you want your child to develop a variety of different and essential skills that are needed to achieve success in the world, then you should think about placing them in the international education system while a number of international schools are available in your area. Furthermore, if you want your child to study a curriculum from the United States or the United Kingdom, you should think about choosing the right international school for your family’s needs.

As a result, it is important to understand that international schools were established so that the children of foreign workers, including politicians, diplomats, managers and expatriates can enjoy the same standard of education as if they were at home. It is also imperative to understand that international schools also have teachers with experience and qualifications from their home country so that your child will be given the best opportunity to learn.

  • Undertake some research
  • Develop English skills
  • Understand how to think critically

A.           Carry out some research

One of the simplest things that you should do before deciding to send your child to an international school is to carry out some research. Indeed, determining which curriculum a particular international school uses is an important step in deciding whether it will be appropriate for your child. This is especially pertinent if you work overseas and you want your child to enjoy the same standard of education as they would receive at home. As a result, you should make sure you choose an international school that follows a curriculum that is appropriate for your home country while you should also be aware that your child can achieve the same qualifications as if they were studying in your home country.

B.           Good English skills

Another important factor that you should think about before deciding to send your child to what might be the best international school in Thailand is that they will develop essential English skills. Indeed, if you want your child to speak English throughout the school day, you should register them with an international school as soon as possible. As a result, it is important to understand that your child will enjoy a considerable exposure to the English language while they will also study a variety of subjects in English.

C.           Develop critical thinking

It is also important to understand that by following a curriculum from the United States or the United Kingdom, your child will be able to develop critical thinking skills. This is especially pertinent because in Asia the government system is generally based on rote learning which uses memorisation techniques so that the learners remember a number of important elements of a subject. However, you should also be aware that the main aim of the education system in the West is based around the development of critical thinking skills.

Therefore, in conclusion, if you are based outside your home country and you want your child to study a curriculum that is similar to the one back home, you should think about enrolling them into an international school as soon as possible because they will be able to develop good English skills as well as critical thinking.

3 Reasons you Might Want to Move to Another State

Australia is a huge country and that brings with it many benefits; you can go to new and exciting locations for your holidays again and again, and still there will be undiscovered treasures. We have such a diversity in climate, with a combination of temperate and tropical zones, and it is not uncommon for a family to relocate to another state.

  1. Retirement – After working for 4 decades and raising a family, you and your partner deserve a great retirement, and sunny Brisbane is the perfect location. Other great areas include Gold Coast, where you can enjoy sunshine all year round, and you can take your time looking for the perfect retirement home where you and your partner can really enjoy your golden years. Once the family home is paid for and the children have families of their own, why not sell up and relocate somewhere nice? If you downsize, you would still have a significant amount of money after buying a small bungalow in Brisbane, and you can enjoy life to the full in a tropical climate.
  2. Pursuing a Career – If that golden opportunity arises and you are offered a promotion that involves moving to another state, you must take the opportunity; It might be that you have been given your very own region, with a few key team members, or a move to a different department, and even if you have a family, the opportunity might be too good to turn down. Of course, once you have found your dream home in the sun, the best interstate removals can be found at www.youpack.com.au, a leading company that has helped many career-minded people make the relocation that offers advancement within the company.
  3. Change of Lifestyle – A person might be unhappy with their life, living and working in an urban environment, and one day they decide to take the plunge and live an alternative life. Some people have a stong urge to have a connection with nature and selling up and purchasing a small farm holding is a dream that can actually become reality. If you crunch the numbers and have a good business plan, you could change your life in many ways by selling your own produce; indeed, a few of the very successful farming ventures in Hunter Valley were started by city people who missed being around nature.

Once you have made the decision to relocate out of state, viewing properties is easy with the Internet and when you’ve done the deal, start looking for a reliable interstate removalist who can handle everything. The best way to move interstate is to self-pack, requesting the removal company to deliver an empty container to your home, then you can pack at your own pace, and you’ll save some money by self-packing.

Moving interstate is not as daunting as you might think, if you have a good removal company and once you are in your new home, you can begin the next exciting chapter of your life.