Trivandrum, Kerala, India

In Trivandrum, Kerala, India the average temperature is 27.00C (80.6F). 22.00C (71.60F) is the lowest monthly average low temperature (occurring in January) while 31.00C (87.80F) is the highest monthly average high temperature which occurs in March, April, May. The average temperature range is therefore 2.00C (35.60F). Wet weather in Trivandrum, Kerala accumulates so that there is a total average rainfall of 1835.00mm (72.24in) per annum. Divided over the year this gives an average monthly rainfall of 152.92mm (6.02in). June is the month with most precipitation when 331mm (13.03in) of rain falls over a period of 22 days while in January only 19mm (0.75in) of rain falls over 2 days. Trivandrum, Kerala’s weather is effected by 132 days per year with greater than 0.1mm (0.004in) of rainfall. Relative humidity at Trivandrum, Kerala averages 73.91666667% over the year. 63% is the lowest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in January & February and 82% is the highest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in June. Trivandrum, Kerala’s weather is effected by 2381 hours of sunshine per year which is an average of 6.52 hours per day. The range of sunlight hours is from an average of 4.0 per day in June to 8.8 per day in February. There is further information about the Kerala average temperature at the world climate and temperature website. Excellent climate graphs are provided that publishers can include on their websites.

Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir, India

In Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir, India the average temperature is 13.42C (56.15F). -2.00C (28.40F) is the lowest monthly average low temperature (occurring in January & December) while 31.00C (87.80F) is the highest monthly average high temperature which occurs in July. The average temperature range is therefore 23.50C (74.30F). Wet weather in Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir accumulates so that there is a total average rainfall of 664.00mm (26.14in) per annum. Divided over the year this gives an average monthly rainfall of 55.33mm (2.18in). March is the month with most precipitation when 104mm (4.09in) of rain falls over a period of 14 days while in November only 18mm (0.71in) of rain falls over 4 days. Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir’s weather is effected by 103 days per year with greater than 0.1mm (0.004in) of rainfall. Relative humidity at Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir averages 68.66666667% over the year. 57% is the lowest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in June and 83% is the highest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in January. Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir’s weather is effected by 2218 hours of sunshine per year which is an average of 6.08 hours per day. The range of sunlight hours is from an average of 2.0 per day in January to 8.0 per day in July. There is further information about the Srinagar climate on the excellent linked to website. They offer a detailed Srinagar, Jammu And Kashmir climate graph that webmasters can add to their webpages.

Visakhapatnam/ Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India

In Visakhapatnam/ Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, India the average temperature is 28.08C (82.55F). 19.00C (66.20F) is the lowest monthly average low temperature (occurring in January) while 33.00C (91.40F) is the highest monthly average high temperature which occurs in May, June. The average temperature range is therefore 9.00C (48.20F). Wet weather in Visakhapatnam/ Vizag, Andhra Pradesh accumulates so that there is a total average rainfall of 944.00mm (37.17in) per annum. Divided over the year this gives an average monthly rainfall of 78.67mm (3.10in). October is the month with most precipitation when 261mm (10.28in) of rain falls over a period of 11 days while in January only 7mm (0.28in) of rain falls over 1 days. Visakhapatnam/ Vizag, Andhra Pradesh’s weather is effected by 65 days per year with greater than 0.1mm (0.004in) of rainfall. Relative humidity at Visakhapatnam/ Vizag, Andhra Pradesh averages 72.41666667% over the year. 64% is the lowest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in November, December and 77% is the highest average monthly relative humidity which occurs in April, May. Furnish yourself with comprehensive information regarding the Visakhapatnam temperature on the excellent linked to website. Details of the average high and low temperature for each month are available there.

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There are actually tons of regular people, many like you, who have begun earning an money on the web. These people did not create any great new invention, nor do they make their own merchandise. In fact, they don’t even keep in stock the products they are selling! How can this be? It is easy to do with a drop shipping business.

So how does one get into the drop shipping business? It’s really very simple – you can accomplish it with your own web page, or even with no web site by using services like eBay or Squidoo. Create a PayPal account, place your items out there, and you are in business. But where do you get the products?

The system of drop shipping has been around for a long time – even before the advent of the Internet. The way it operates is simple – you advertise and sell the products- and your drop ship supplier sends the orders to your customers – with your firm’s name on the invoice. The client has no idea or cares that the item did not ship from your home or office. Some great product ideas include drop ship electronics, dropshipping of clothing items or drop ship electronics.

The advantages of the technique are obvious – no stock costs, no stockroom, no shipping hassles. You need to use a honest source to locate your suppliers, however. Don’t use services that want to sell you products directly, only buy direct from the company that really sells or distributes the products to other businesses. You will be surprised how many product makers will allow dropshipping of their products.

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A tiny jewel set in the blue seas of the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is just 8 km (5 mi) long, and 1,600 km (994 mi) northeast of Sydney, Australia.

It is the biggest of a cluster of three islands on the Norfolk Ridge, fringed by coral reefs and crowned by pristine rainforest and some of the world’s tallest tree ferns.

On 10 October 1774, James Cook first landed on this beautiful little island and named it in honour of the then Duchess of Norfolk.

Convicts started to arrive 14 years later and over time it gained quite a bad reputation, becoming known as ‘hell in the Pacific’.

Then in 1856, descendants of the Bounty mutineers with their Tahitian wives and children sailed for five weeks from Pitcairn Island to settle on Norfolk Island. These new settlers brought with them a unique culture and language, and many held mutineers’ names such as Adams, Buffett, Christian and McCoy. From that day, Norfolk Island began its steady climb out of hell and into heaven.

Once sustained by agriculture and fishing, tourists now keep the island alive. But traditional culture remains deep rooted with dancing, singing and a unique cuisine. Banana dumplings, fried fish and Hihi pie, concocted with periwinkles, can be sampled at one of the fine restaurants scattered across the island.

The blue waters around Norfolk Island are teeming with fish, and there are countless fishing charters and scuba-diving trips out to the reef to explore this kaleidoscope underwater world. In the sheltered waters of Emily Bay, you can also indulge in some lazy swimming and snorkelling, and endless relaxation.

Norfolk Island is favoured by well-heeled Australians and New Zealanders, and a few millionaires have migrated to this tax-free haven. There are over 70 low-tax shops and many eager customers. Yet the island seems to balance the old and the new perfectly honouring its Pitcairn people, its rich environment and its visitors.

Looking for cheap international flights? What about cheap holidays and holiday packages? Contact Student Travel for all your travel and holiday needs.

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Think about how great it would feel to be hanging out on your patio playing a game of pool. If you are in the market for an outdoor pool table it is a good idea to look around for the best quality table you can buy.

There are many things you will want to look for when deciding which outdoor billiard tables will give you the best performance. The outdoor pool tables you choose needs to be made from corrosion resistant materials designed for outdoor use like aluminum, slate, exterior fabric, and stainless steel.

It is never a good idea to buy an outdoor pool table made from plastic or vinyl coated wood. While they may cost less initially they are not really a good deal because they are more likely than not to need replaced rapidly. When shopping for a pool table for outdoor use cost should not be the only thing that you base your decision on.

While you want to get the best deal possible quality is also very important. The playing surface is the most important part of any pool table. It is no fun to play on an inferior playing surface. Without a doubt the best playing surface is one made from slate.

Many less expensive models of outdoor pool table use a surface other than slate. Some of the materials they use instead include fiberglass, cement fiber substrates, and particle board. None of these materials can match the durability and playability you get with slate. Another important thing to consider when picking an outdoor pool table is the rubber cushions.

You will find outdoor pool tables with many different kinds of rubber rail bumpers. Look for a model of pool table which covers the rail rubber fabric which is waterproof and can protect the rubber from the harmful effects of the sun. This enables you to place your outdoor pool table wherever you would like without worrying about damaged or soggy rails.

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To guard ones own property in the event of a looting, tradgedy or overflow, home insurance protection may be sought that can personal stuff. When you are a home owner, you may be tendered a combined online homeowners insurance quotes that secures both the home and it’s contents besides still this might not relevant if you are in rented accommodation.

Prior to you begin taking out any homeowners insurance cover it might be a good idea to take stock of your home recording all of your precious possessions. One way to do this in addition to a printed sheet is to capture video recordings of every room catching possessions which are of great value to you and if you don’t posses a video then a still camera will suffice. This can be included with your printed lists which will offer unique documentation of your house and items. A number of property owners fail to keep an up-to-date list for their home owners insurance though and don’t add new items to the cover in addition to taking photos to match that record.

Lots of American family home insurance agencies offer home insurance owner quote so it is easy to request a lot of different quotes that gives one the opportunity to look at what’s best for your needs. At least One clear advantage to looking at online offerings is that you can have your homeowners insurance online quote in minutes.

It shouldn’t take you no time at all to browse a sizeable array of insurance websites to get quotes from them all and see what one can arrange with them for the yearly premium they are looking for. However, the temptation is to go for the first quote that you arrange but it is a better idea to do some further looking to see what they are offering and then choosing a plan that matches your needs.

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It seems that more than ever our busy lifestyles require cleaning services to help keep things clean. Using cleaning services can alleviate the workload by allowing you to have someone else take care of those tasks on a regular basis. If you are considering choosing to use the services of a cleaning company, be sure to choose a cleaning service that is not incompetent. It’s important to select highly-skilled, competent individuals.

Some of these cleaning companies may have already captured your attention. If this is the case, be sure to select a company that can truly offer you what you want. It is similar to maid. For this reason, it is important to choose a professional cleaning service that has a solid reputation for being competent and thorough.

Your cleaning needs will need to be determined in order to get started. Although it might sound good, it is not like Jantorial service in Beverly Hills. Because of traffic, some places will require more frequent cleanings than others. Not only will you have to decide how thorough the cleaning will need to be, but you will also need to decide how frequently it should be cleaned.

Every professional cleaning service should be able to provide quick and reliable service. This is similar to house cleaning for Beverly Hills. The convenience of having a professional cleaning service will be something you will enjoy considerably. The cleaning service you choose should definitely be insured properly.

Omitting this step could yield serious consequences in the future. Also make sure that the company uses industry standards for their cleaning methods and regular schedules, and carry their own cleaning equipment.

A cleaning service should also offer specialized services for cleaning different surfaces. A cleaning service with a good reputation should be able to consistently provide you with cleaning services that are always satisfactory. An area that has been fully cleaned is not only enjoyable, but also better for your health.

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There are many brands of electric fireplaces that are well known across the globe. For those who are looking to buy a highly efficient and attractive appliance, a good choice is an electric fireplace from Classic Flame.

Classic Flame have been selling some of the highest quality heating appliances for quite some years now. The company has been manufacturing lines and sets of electric fireplaces that are well crafted. The style and quality of finish of each of their units are said to be superb that most of the models available are valued because of that.

The Classic Flame electric fireplaces are engineered out of the finest materials available, including veneers, hardwoods, and the so-called proprietary finishes. It is actually these materials that make Classic Flame the “fashion leader” in the fireplace marketplace. Furthermore, electric fireplaces manufactured by Classic Flame have won a number of design awards.

There is a long line of electric fireplaces produced by Classic Flame. Each of the units, according to reviews, is manufactured to match the requirements of every prospective customer. Among the units that Classic Flame proudly offers, the Plug and Play fireplaces are considered the best. You’ll find that there are many fireplace designs, whether it be electric, gas, or outdoor fireplaces.

The Plug and Play line of Classic Flame electric fireplace is grouped into series. There are the wall mantels, home theater mantels, petit foyer mantels, and corner mantels.. Under these series are individual units named after places, like Amherst, Beverly, Regency, and others. These fireplaces are also then divided according to style and color. For example, there is the Beverly Espresso, which comes with premium cherry, espresso, and premium oak finishes. This model has a very useful and convenient cabinet built in. It also features a media storage shelf, which is highly adjustable for added flexibility.

Another great example of Classic Flame’s award-winning electric fireplace is the Amherst-Corner. This unit boasts burnished walnut, premium oak, white, and premium cherry finishes, a hand distressed finish, a solid fireplace surround, a fully supported and equipped corner top, framed center panel, and a tiered mantel top. This arrives with a dimension of 42″w x 40″h x 28.5″d.

There are other models available under the Classic Flame Plug and Play electric fireplace series, but if what you require is a more professional style that needs professional installation, Classic Flame have a line of built-in electric fireplaces to meet this demand. You need to call experts from Classic Flame though if you’ll consider this option.

So, if convenience, unmatched quality, and comfort are what you are after, then why settle for another if you’ve already got Classic Flame?

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Back in your parent’s day, guys have been responsible for the finances and the women watched after the kitchen. With the invention of the world wide web there is no explaination why the whole family couldn’t get involved in the savings. Discover some of the best new online retailers:

• Boscovs – Boscov’s offers a broad selection of quality merchandise in its stores and online. For over 75 years, Boscov’s has been known for its great values and famous brands.
• Delias – dELiAs.cOm has the latest in clothing and fashion for teens and girls. Find fashionable girl brands of pants, dresses, skirts, shirts, tops, footwear, accessories, makeup and decorations.
• Luggage Pros – LuggagePros has the best discount Luggage, best price and luggage selection. They carry rolling suitcases, carry-on luggage, briefcases, laptop case, totes, garment bags and more from top brands like Samonsite, American Tourister, and Travelpro.
• Under Armour – The official site for Under Armour – performance apparel – gear engineered to keep athletes cool, dry and light throughout the course of a game, practice or workout.
• Silhouettes – Silhouettes® celebrates women of all sizes by offering the latest, fashionable choices that complement the demands and lifestyle of today’s woman. They offer the ultimate guide on looks that are easy to wear, easy to love and easy to afford.
• Home Decorators – As one of the nation’s largest direct sellers of merchandise for the home, Home Decorators Collection offers customers a vast range of high-quality home décor items such as area rugs, lighting, furniture, window treatments and much more

Today finding savings is for everyone no matter the age or sex. The whole family will enjoy the rewards.

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An Introduction to Home Working

Ask anyone to describe their perfect job and home working would come high on their wish list. Whether home working is an option provided by your employer or a decision you have taken yourself in starting your own business, the thought of just getting out of bed, walk over to a workstation and just start work is very appealing. No commuting to and from the office and working hours to suit yourself.

But is home or flexible working right for you as an individual, or good for your business as an employer? Well there are many advantages and disadvantages. Home or flexible working brings new responsibilities for both the employer and employee. Equally with advances in mobile technology it has never been easier to set up your own business to work from home.

An Increasing Trend

From a business point of view, allowing staff to work at home on either a full or part-time basis can bring a range of business benefits, from increased productivity, greater staff motivation to effective use of your premises. Advancements in mobile technology has contributed enormously to the increase in opportunities for home working.

The spread of home working using the internet or telephone opens up a new range of possibilities with regards to the way a business works and structures itself. Computers, mobile phones, broadband and mobile broadband all play a role. For the individual, becoming self employed and working from home has also never been easier. If you have a laptop and mobile phone the opportunity is there, it’s just deciding what you want to do. So home working is becoming a way of life for many individuals and businesses, but what is home working?

Some employers will offer selected employees the opportunity to become a teleworker, whereby an employee can undertake their role from home utilising various types of technology, which is installed at the employees home by the employer. The employee will remain in touch with the business and other teleworkers. Some businesses, for example the utility companies who require gas, electric and meter readers, will class employees undertaking this type of work as teleworkers or outworkers.

Some individuals opt for the self-employed work life. The self-employed will operate their business from home, offering a product or service such as web development or business consultancy from home. In these types of roles, the individual can often plan their day to suit their own needs. I know one web developer who often works well into the early hours of the morning as this is when he feels most productive.

Others such as a painter and decorator, plumber or gardener, whilst providing their services away from the home, use home as the office for paperwork such as pricing future jobs and preparing invoices. I know of several painters and decorators who work Monday to Thursday, but use Friday’s to go out and price up future potential work. That is one thing to bear in mind when setting up as self employed, you need to allow time to find or prospect for future work.

Some types of work are more suitable for home working than others, the following list is not exhaustive, but will give some guidance:

• Telesales and Marketing
• Customer Services
• Professional services & consultancy i.e. HR Administration & Accountancy
• Certain types of administration work
• Data input
• Creative/Graphics
• Writing, editing, translation and research.
• I.T. Support & Programming

Many of the above have a common theme and that is that as long as you have access to a computer and a phone, you can undertake almost all of these tasks from home.

The shift towards flexible working does not mean employees only work from home. Splitting time between the workplace and home is the most productive solution, as you want employees to attend meetings, therefore keeping them informed and involved. Continued face to face interaction within the business remains a key requirement.

With the introduction of home working regulations, employers now have to seriously consider employee requests to work flexibly from home, especially if they have parental responsibility for children under 16 years old, disabled children or they are carers for other adults with disabilities.

Employers and individuals also need to consider what equipment will be required to ensure that an efficient business operation and working environment is set up.

The increase in home working has required that manufacturers develop a wider range in office furniture to fit in with varying home decoration styles.

The Pros and Cons

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of an employer allowing employees to work from home or use their home as a base for at least part of the working week? It’s clear there are a number of benefits to the employer:

• Staff Retention is increased
• Wider pool of applicants to recruit from e.g. disabled people who prefer to work from home.
• Productivity gains through having fewer interruptions and less commuting time.
• Reduced stress and sickness increasing staff motivation.
• Savings on office space and facilities.
• Sales staff closer to clients, rather than being based at the office which could be miles away.
• As with life if there are advantages then there are also disadvantages to home/flexible working:
• Management of staff and monitoring performance
• Possible deterioration of key skills and quality of work.
• Capital costs – training and providing suitable equipment, this could include adaptations to meet Health & Safety standards or meet the needs of disabled workers.
• Difficulties maintaining staff development and upgrading of skills.
• Information security risks
• Increased telecommunication and I.T. costs
• Sense of isolation and communication problems amongst home workers.
• Staff morale and difficulties in maintaining team spirit.
• Home working may not be suitable for certain types of jobs.

One thing I particularly miss is the Monday morning office banter about what you did at the weekend of how your football team has fared compared to others. Often the camaraderie that is unique to an office where you get to know people well over many years is also lost where home working becomes an option.

Are You Suited o Working at Home?

Having identified the types of work that is suitable for flexible working, the employer must satisfy themselves that employees are suited to this type of work. It’s likely they will need a number of skills in key areas to allow them to work away from base.

• Time management and self discipline
• Motivation
• Communication
• Technology

We must make it clear that home working is not suitable for everyone and care should be taken, because allowing one person to work from home will set a precedent that others will want to follow. Others will see an attraction to working at home particularly on a lovely summer’s day, rather than being stuck in an office. I must confess that as I write this article, I am sitting in our summer house at the bottom of the garden with the laptop on a glorious summer’s day in June.

An employer you must have a clear idea of how home/flexible working could fit in with the needs of the business. A set of house rules need to be established and maintained, i.e. priority is given to requests from parents of young or disabled children. My wife for example, plans her day around the hours of taking the children to school and collecting them later. She maintains that she is extremely focused on what she needs to achieve within those six hours in between. No distractions or idle chit-chat that will occur in an office environment.

In some cases the employer is legally obliged to seriously consider requests for home/flexible workers. Employee with parental responsibility for children aged 16 or under, or disabled children who are under 18 and receive disability living allowances can request a range of flexible working patterns from their employers, this includes the right to work from home. There are similar rights for employees who are carers of adults.

The introduction of flexible working can also lead to an changes to employment contract terms and conditions. In a majority of cases an employee’s place of work is listed in the written schedules of their employment contract. It’s important that when an employee starts to work from home it may be necessary to review and amend their employment contract.

The following is a list of contractual aspects an employer should consider when implementing a home/flexible work policy:

• Stated hours of work
• Identify core times when employees undertake to work and/or are contactable.
• Extra duties or responsibilities that may need to be assigned in addition to those already agreed
• Identify the terms regarding the supply and insurance of any equipment that may be required, these should clearly state ownership and use, especially that its not to be used for personal use.
• Clearly identify what the employer will reimburse to cover additional expenses the employee may incur, its especially important to identify the calculation method when costs are shared i.e. utility bills and telecommunications
• Procedures to be put in place if either the employee or employer wishes to terminate the home/flexible working arrangement.

Allowing home working the employer should remember that they still have health and safety responsibilities for people who work at or from home; and you are likely to have to provide and maintain equipment for employees to use, these include:

• Workstation complete with suitable task chair
• Filing cabinet, shelves or storage
• PC/Laptop with office software, email and broadband internet connection
• Dedicated business telephone line
• Printer & fax machine
• Stationery and Office Supplies

The many productive hours spent at a work station or desk means that you should choose carefully when selecting desk chairs to ensure a comfortable and risk free working position.

IT equipment and software can be expensive so it’s important to ensure it meets your genuine business need and is compatible with your existing systems. Technology changes almost daily and with today’s advances the establishment of virtual teams where employees work together despite working at home can be set up easily and at reasonable expense. These teams could be two employees talking over the phone or you could use more hi-tech solutions like high speed internet, instant messaging, webinar and video conferencing.

Providing all this kit and equipment it is important to ensure your business insurance cover is extended to cover home workers, as their home insurance is unlikely to cover this, however they should check with their insurer and extend their policy to cover working from home.

Workers who undertake home working should check with their local council and mortgage company the position regarding using their home as a work base, and whether they may have to pay business rates for the portion of their home they use as an office. Some self employed businesses will involve use of a vehicle which will need to be parked up at certain times of the day. For example painters and decorators and builders are likely to utilise a transit van or pick up truck in the work. You should therefore ensure that neighbours will not be offended by having the vehicle parked in the street or to block light out of their homes. If you are to park a vehicle at home, let the neighbours know, it may save a lot of hassle later.

The employer needs to ensure that employees take care of business equipment and information in their possession, it’s important to establish procedures to be followed if any item is damaged or lost, especially data and intellectual rights.

We all agree that flexible working offers a wide range of benefits to both the business and employees, but it needs to be carefully managed to be successful. Procedures should be put in place for managers to monitor and assess home workers, this is the most significant managerial challenge an employer will face. It can be helpful to measure their effectiveness in terms of output rather than the hours of work. Agree set goals and deadlines for particular projects, and ensure these are being met, give feedback promptly and sensitively if things go wrong.

Ensuring home workers have access to training can prepare and help employees develop the necessary skills they need.For staff who work alone a sense of isolation is one of the main factors most likely to make home working fail, therefore it’s important to ensure procedures are put into place to make people feel part of the team, these should include:

• Frequent two-way feedback sessions about work and work related issues
• Regular visits to the workplace
• Inclusion in social activities for home based workers.
• Clear procedures to be followed and contact lists if things go wrong.

When the employees job is entirely home-based from the start, make sure their initiation is undertaken at your premises, this helps the home worker focus and be productive if they have a chance to establish a clear idea of the people they will be working for. The most successful home workers are those who have worked from the business premises previsouly.

When I decided to work at home, I had to find somewhere I could buy office chair plus other office furniture to get myself set up.

A Brief Health & Safety Obligations Check List for Home Workers

If you use your home as your main business workplace, you must carry out a health and safety risk assessment to identify any possible hazards to yourself, workers, visitors and other members of your household.

Possible hazards include:

• Using work equipment at home, including electrical appliances
• Your workstation set-up
• Handling loads
• Hazardous substances and materials
• Psychological hazards, such as stress or loneliness
• Fire
• Slips, trips and falls
• Excessive noise or vibration

Slips, trips and falls are one of the most common causes of injury in the work place. Even something we take for granted on a daily basis, such as walking up and down the stairs, should be regarded as a hazard. Evaluate whether a hazard is significant and if it is, whether you have taken enough precautions to make the risk as low as you reasonably can.

You need to consider:

• Your home and those who live there – including vulnerable persons, e.g. children, the elderly, and new and expectant mothers
• The work done in your home
• The equipment in your home
• Emergency procedures
• First aid provision

Five steps to a health and safety risk assessment

1. Identify any hazards.
2. Decide who might be harmed and how.
3. Assess the risks and remove them or, otherwise, reduce them as far as is reasonably possible.
4. Record your findings.
5. Check the risks regularly and take further steps if needed.

Conclusion

With advancements in mobile technology, working at home has become far easier to do. It can offer a very balanced way of life and the rewards can be significant. In the current economic climate, many who have been unfortunate to suffer redundancy or reduced hours are considering setting up their own business to work from home. Having worked in the corporate world for over twenty years and just suffered redundancy, it is certainly an option to consider.

But working at home needs to be considered carefully. Is it right for you? Is it right for your employer? What impact will it have on your homelife? Many advantages, but also many disadvantages and bear in mind the health and safety requirements and risks. Your health is important so choosing the correct office furniture to meet your needs is a must for any home worker to ensure you have the proper facilities for home working.

For years a friend of mine worked from home with his desk in his living room and eventually he realised that he could never get away from work, which is as important as doing the work in the first place because we all need time away from work.

If you are lucky enough to really love your work the temptation can be to do it all day long. Eventually this can lead to burn out and can also take away some of the pleasure of working, even if it is something you really love. Therefore it is important to have balance in your life, even more so when you work from home. Some suggestions to help to achieve this are to make sure that when you have lunch, for example, remove yourself from the work space and don’t eat at your desk, get some separation from the work when you are not doing it.

Remember that just because you work from home it doesn’t mean that work has to take over your life.

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Reykjavik is one of Europe’s “hot” cities, thanks to its music scene and famed nightlife, with bubbling geysers and thermal springs nearby. Reykjavik’s special energy draws on its unique physical and cultural landscape.

The northernmost national capital on Earth is a city of breathtaking contrasts. Small wooden houses with corrugated-iron roofs stand alongside futuristic glass buildings. Sophisticated cultural centres are just minutes away from newly created lava fields. Reykjavik is also a city where international influences blend seamlessly with Icelandic traditions, creating a unique European culture with roots that are ancient, but an outlook that is supremely modern.

The founders.

In 874, Ingolfur Aranson became the first settler to step onto Icelandic soil. He called the place where he settled “Smoky Bay” because ghostly vapours rose out of the earth near his home. Where they came from and why, no one knew, Over the next thousand years, very few people settled along the widely spaced inlets leading into Smoky Bay.

Reykjavik would not prosper until well into the eighteenth century, when Governor Skiili Magnusson revitalized Iceland’s economy by promoting wool manufacturing, fishing and shipbuilding. In 1749, he ordered that new harbours and shipyards be constructed on Smoky Bay, making Magnusson the city’s founding father. Reykjavik received its city charter in 1786.

Independence.

Once under way, Reykjavik thrived. Nevertheless, Iceland was still under Danish sovereignty and subject to the ups and downs of political and economic decisions made in distant Scandinavia. Iceland danced to the tune of the Danes until 1944, when everything changed. British and American troops stationed in Reykjavik during World War II brought Iceland a level of prosperity it had never known, leaving Reykjavik poised to become an important commercial centre. On 17 June 1944, the city finally gained independence from Denmark. Since then, Reykjavik has continued to thrive, and there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight.

Not just for the scenery.

Many visitors to this far-flung island in the North Atlantic come for the amazing, unique scenery, but there are many sights to see in Reykjavik itself. The Old City, located on a small plot of land between Tjornin Pond and the sea, has a number of eighteenth-century buildings, and Tjornin Pond is a bird watchers’ paradise. The new city hall (1992) is located on its northern bank.

The relief map of Iceland on display in its exhibition hall is a must-see. The Fogetinn (1751) is the oldest building in Reykjavik, and currently houses a restaurant serving traditional Icelandic food. Across the street is the newly restored monumental statue of Ingolfur Aranson, built in part with basalt columns said to be similar to those from his original homestead.

Hallgrimskirkja church.

The modern Hallgrimskirkja is the symbol of Reykjavik, and a great place to begin a tour of the city. It was built on a hill and looks down over the entire city. Rising 73 metres, the church’s central spire offers the best view of Reykjavik with the wide expanse of ocean in the background. A statue of Leif Ericson stands in front of the church’s main portal.

It was a gift from the United States in honour of the 1,000-year anniversary of the founding of Iceland’s parliament, the Althing, the first democratic assembly in Europe. Valley of the hot springs. The Laugardalur hot springs are just 3 km outside the city. Nearby are a huge camping site, a youth hostel, large open-air baths, a botanical Garden, a zoo and a sculpture garden. Hot water is pumped from numerous holes drilled in the earth. The steaming water is then circulated to heat the turf of Reykjavik’s football stadium, among other things. Geothermal heat is the basis of nearly every heating system in Iceland. For centuries, Reykjavik’s residents have derived their hot water and winter heat from the Earth.

It doesn’t matter where you want to holiday, Escape Travel has a range of destination packages including Fiji holidays, New Zealand holidays and flights to London. Call or visit us online today.

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