Revisionary breast surgery is commonly performed at Pousti Plastic Surgery. For patients with malposition of the breast implants, it is very important that they have a qualified surgeon performing their revision. Medial displacement of breast implants is known as symmastia. This is commonly referred to as “breadloafing” or “uni-boob”. This results from the loss of tissue support along the sternal area, allowing breast implants to move excessively towards the woman’s midline. If the pectoralis muscle that is connected to the sternum and goes across the implant is cut during surgery, then the implant can move toward the middle of the chest. Symmastia may result from overly aggressive attempts to alter chestwall anatomy trying to increase cleavage in patients. This outcome is made worse by use of larger implants in thin patients, and is a problem for implants over or under the muscle, though submuscular implant placement allows the muscle to provide some softening of the transition to the cleavage area from the augmented breast mound.

The degree of medial displacement varies from patient to patient and the reconstructive technique therefore, also varies. Usually, the medial displacement of the breast implants causes the nipple-areola complex to appear off-center on the patient’s breast mound. Often, there are other problems associated with the symmastia including “bottoming out” (inferior displacement of the breast implants), rippling / palpability of breast implants and breast asymmetry.

Correction of symmastia involves careful planning and intra-operative reinforcement of the medial fold of the breasts. Reconstruction usually involves removal of the breast implants and internal suture reinforcement of the involved area. The use of dyes and needles through the skin surface assists the exact placement of permanent sutures. Usually the breast implant capsule that is redundant is removed to allow for two raw surfaces to heal together, presumably lowering the rate of recurrence of the symmastia. Often, it is necessary to “open” the breast implant pocket laterally (outer breast fold) to allow for positioning of the implant centrally behind the breast mound. This maneuver may also decrease the amount of implant pressure against the medial suture line. Use of a smaller breast implant, if possible, may serve the same purpose.

For correction of symmastia, the procedure can take from 2-3 hours depending on how much work is involved. Board Certified Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Pousti takes his time in the operating room to make sure that he does what he can to achieve the best result for the patient.

• An incision is made (usually under the areola) to expose the underlying tissue, muscle, and implant.

• The tissue that surrounds the implant is removed in the area of the planned repair.

• Tissue is sutured together to hold implant in place (with permanent sutures).

• The incision is then sutured close.

Intra-operatively, sitting the patient upright is imperative to assess the repair and degree of symmetry. Patience is important as multiple trials of suturing may be necessary to achieve satisfactory repair and symmetry.

Post-operatively, the use of tape is used to apply pressure on the previously elevated skin overlying the sternum. Compressive dressings and a pressure bra are also helpful.

What To Expect After Surgery

Bed rest, along with plenty of fluids, is necessary after surgery. Your chest will be sore. Pousti will prescribe appropriate pain management medications. Take your medication regularly and keep your office visits. Usually after a week, you will begin to feel back to normal.

A brassiere and bandeau will be fitted for you during your first week of recovery. These will need to be worn for a month. You will not be able to shower until your sutures are removed. Initially, breast implants will appear to be slightly higher than normal and your breasts will be swollen. Over time, the breast implants will descend to a more natural position.

The bra that is worn after symmastia repair is referred to as the “thong bra”. It is used to stabilize the area after symmastia reconstruction. This will allow the sutured area between the breasts to heal properly without excessive pressure being applied to the area.

Testimonial #1:

I had suffered from symmastia after I had my first breast augmentation done by a plastic surgeon in Florida. I was happy to learn that Dr. Pousti had experience with symmastia correction and was 100% certain that he was the one I wanted to fix my problem. Dr. Pousti has been great from the moment my husband and I met him. He has been very kind and he informed us in great detail about the procedure. Now, 5 weeks after my operation, I would not be any happier with the results. Not only is the symmastia corrected, but Dr. Pousti was also able to consider my wishes regarding the size and look of my breasts. Dr. Pousti is a great surgeon and I am convinced that everyone who suffers from symmastia cannot find a more qualified and experienced surgeon in the U.S. to correct this problem. I am very thankful to Dr. Pousti and his outstanding staff!!

Testimonial #2:

I had my first breast augmentation surgery a little over 2 years ago from another doctor. I knew something was wrong as soon as the bandages were removed. I will never forget that day, I cried the second I saw my new breasts- that didn’t look like breasts at all. My doctor (at the time) told me that it was because my scar tissue had become too tight and it was pushing my breasts towards each other. He suggested a second surgery in which he would fix the problem. Needless to say the second surgery did absolutely nothing to fix the problem; it was nothing but an unnecessary surgery. I knew that something was out of wack, and began to do my own research. I found out about symmastia and knew that it was what I had. I gave my doctor the benefit of the doubt and went back to him one more time. He basically told me that this is just how my body is, and I was going to have to deal. He told me he would perform the same surgery again (if it didn’t help the first time why would it help the second time!!!)

That’s when I began my search for a doctor to fix me! I got extremely lucky and came across Dr. Pousti’s web page while doing further research about symmastia. He is the only doctor in the area I found that specializes in the procedure (and I only saw a few others in the whole country). I made an appointment right away.

I came in for my consult and was blown away by the difference in treatment I received from the very start. The waiting room has a spa feel to it. The girls that work in the office are all amazing and take wonderful care of us patients. Dr. Pousti sat and talked with me longer than my other doctor saw me the whole time I was his patient. He made me feel comfortable, and although it was hard to trust another doctor, Dr. Pousti gained my trust right away. I was told from the beginning that if he felt he couldn’t fix me that he would tell me. Luckily he said I had a great chance of being fixed. Although it wasn’t 100% there is no one else I would have trusted to do a better job.

The difference this surgery has made on my body is amazing. After my first breast augmentation I gained some weight because I was so depressed. I looked even worse because of the way my breasts were placed- almost like a tree trunk. Now, although I still have a little bit of extra weight on me I look curvy- and feel amazing. Thank you so much Dr. Pousti for making me feel like the woman I wanted to feel like over two years ago when I first decided to have this done. The results are amazing, and I would recommend you to all of my friends, family, anyone. And thanks to the girls in the office for making this whole process much more enjoyable than surgery normally would be. I plan on coming back to Dr. Pousti if I ever need anything else done.

Plastic Surgery San Diego





By: Tom J. Pousti

Birth of lord Krishna happened with significant and divine incidents. The incidents related Krishna’s birth actually starts from the marriage of his mother. From that day onwards people were expecting a miracle boy’s birth that will save them.

Marriage of Devaki:

 Devaki was the sister of a cruel king called Kamsa or kansa in hindi. He arranged her marriage with vasudevar. But as the marriage possession was going, they heard an anonymous prophecy voice from the sky telling that “Hey kamsa your sister’s 8th son will kill you”. An angry kamsa immediately imprisoned Vasudevar and devaki. In the imprisonment devaki has given birth of 6 boys whom kamsaon has killed immediately. He has done this since he does not want any brothers to protect the 8th child who is supposed to be his killer.The 7th one was balarama who was saved by moving the boy to another women’s womb by divinly. 

Janmashtami:

As Devaki become pregnant for 8th time kamsa become more vigilant. He arranged special guards for the prison. However on the midnight of the 8th day after the full moon of sravana month of hindu calendar, Lord Krishna was born. But on this time all the guards who is suppose to be awake was slept because of divine effect. And Outside there was heavy rain and thunderstorm, so that the people were afraid to come out of their house.

After the birth of lord Krishna, Vasudevar was advised by divine voice to take the kid to the house of nandagopar and exchange the kid with the baby girl who was also born at the same to the nandagopar’s wife yesoda. The doors of the prison were opened in front of him in miracle.

When the vasudevar came out of the prison with the kid the huge snake known as ananthan appeared with his hood flattened so that the kid and vasudevar will be protected from the heavy rain going on outside. Ananthan followed them up to the gokulam and back with his hood flattened like an umberla and protecting them from rain. In the house of nandgopar everybody was asleep due to the divine power. Vasudevar exchanged the baby as per the instruction he got through divine voice and came back to the prison with the girl child. Once he was reached back the doors of prison was closed back and the guards got up awake from their sleep.

 When Kamsa was informed about the birth of the 8th child he came to kill the child. He was astonished since it was a girl child and not the boy child as per the anonymous voice he heard on his sister’s wedding. However He tried to kill the child immediately by holding the leg of the infant girl and hitting it on the big stone he specially made to kill his sister’s kids. But the infant slipped from his hand and told him “Hey kamsa the kid who supposed to kill you is already in a safe place. But the sin you acquired by trying to kill an innocent infant girl will always follow you and surely you will be punished for this sinful act. By this the girl disappeared into the sky. The girl turned out to be the goddess who was born in earth to help lord mahavishnu to take the form of Lord Krishna.

Summary:

 The above incidents happened on the night of Krishna’s birth clearly tell us Lord Krishna was not an ordinary man. People celebrate his birthday on 8th day after the full moon in sravana month. The star of that day is supposed to be rohini, so people call this day as astami-rohini (ashtami  means 8th day after the moon) or janmashtami (birthday on 8th day after full moon).

Celebrations in India:

 In India people celebrate the janmashtami in a great way. All temples will do special prayer for Krishna, Krishna songs will he sung in all temples, special speech will be conducted about Krishna and his life. The orrganizations will be conducting the janmashtami shobayatra where the little boys will be dressed like Krishna and little girls will be dressed like gopikas (the female friends of Krishna on his child hood) will participate.

Janmashtami cards:

1.       365greetings.com : You can find lot of Janmashtami or Krishna jayanthi greetings cards with 365greetings.com. These cards are available with janmashtami cards section.





By: Prasad Cheruvannur

Office chairs come in different styles and shapes. When it comes to buying ergonomic office chairs, you will be overwhelmed with lots of choices. You will be really confused with the plethora of options available with the modern office chairs. Your choice of the office chair should be sensible because this decision will play a major role in your health and the work efficiency. Though there are lots of confusing choices for buying office chairs, you can make it really simple to buy office chairs by considering some simple factors. Just keep reading on the article to know the 3 important factors to be considered for choosing the best office chair.

1. Choose the office chairs based on the type of work

You will be well aware of the fact that not all kinds of office chairs will be suitable for every office. For example, office chairs for people working with multiple workstations/ Computers will have to be moved a lot. For such kinds of offices, light weight office chairs with a swiveling option will be the best choice. One the other hand, if you don’t require lot of moving around, you can go for the leather ergonomic office chairs. Such office chairs will be very much comfortable even if you sit in the same place for many hours.

2. Know the physical needs

Physical comfort is very much essential than great looks. Back pain is a major problem faced by people working in workstations for long hours. Some of the office chairs tend to sacrifice the comfort inorder to achieve unique looks. You should always avoid buying such kinds of office chairs. Unlike selecting chairs for your dining room or living room, the choice of office chairs has to be made based on comfort rather than unique design. You should always buy office chairs with an option to adjust the height according to your wish. When it comes to the modern office chairs, you can combine great looks and excellent comfort. For example, the Dayton Office Chair by “Relax The Back” has great looks. In addition to the great looks, the Dayton Office Chair offers adjustable tilt tension, angle adjustment, height adjustment, and an adjustable backrest.

3. Check the availability of space

The space factor is the very important aspect to be considered while selecting the office chairs. As already said, office chairs come in all shapes and sizes. Hence you should calculate the available space in your office before heading out to purchase the office chairs. Buying the office chairs based on the availability of space will avoid the need of office re-modeling.

With the advancements in technology, many extra features are available in modern office chairs. An example for the medically designed office chairs is the one from “Relax The Back”. The office chair named ContourSit Wedge Cushion is medically designed to correct your pelvic angle, correct your sitting posture, and preserve the natural curve of your back. To the added advantage, the velour cover of this office chair is removable and washable.

From massage office chairs to medically designed office chairs, the choice of office chairs has no limits.





By: Ben Weinbaum

Office Grammar Checker – can it help us on better achieving our writing goals? English writing is one of the most important forms of communication today, it is necessary to maintain it correct and professional. Discover the latest innovative ideas that can help you not only proofread your writing assignments, but transform your writing stylish and elegant.

Short overview

Office Grammar Checker enables us to check various text blocks and other digital writing content for any grammatical errors, so that they transform correct, readable and professional. Analyzing text for correct grammar is a great challenge for software developers; it requires a massive database as well as smart analyzing algorithms. Advanced grammar editing program enable the following: text editing and proofreading, correct grammar and punctuation analysis, and automatic spell checking.

What are the main benefits?

Now that we understand how it works, we need to know the main benefits:



Improving our writing style.

Improving sentence construction with correct grammar and punctuation.

Saving precious time spent on manual proofreading.



There are probably many other benefits that aren’t described in this article, as this unique system keeps changing, bringing us fresh improvements that help us on improving our Writing performance.

Summary

Office Grammar Checker is a new technology that can help most average users improve their English writing skills. This technology is a great way to improve our business communication, especially when we deliver Emails and other business related documents. Although it is already available, we can expect this tool to further develop itself, for a single reason: writing is among the most significant tools that help us communicating with others.





By: Gil Lavitov

The very 1st state prison in the United States was founded before there were states at all, let alone united ones. Connecticut’s New-Gate Prison, originally a copper mine, was began it’s role as a detention center in the fall of 1773 as the colony’s public “gaol” and workhouse.

It was called New-Gate after the fearsome prison of the same name in England. During the early years of the American Revolutionary War it held captured loyalists and torries. It was also a Prisoner of War facility in the American Civil War.

The people of Connecticut were no less concerned with budget over-run in the late 18th century than we are today, so the supposed “self-sufficiency” of New-Gate was very appealing. Copper could still be mined from the dank tunnels that made up the prison, allowing prisoners to pay for their own upkeep.

In addition, the structure of the prison, i.e. two shafts, a couple of iron trap-doors and a veritable dungeon of mine tunnels, meant that a minimal staff would be needed. This included the warden or “Keeper” three guards or “overseers” and a few skilled miners, paid from the prisoners salaries, to instruct the prisoner on the finer points of copper mining.

Surely such a prison was a model of efficiency and security; it’s a shame then that the very 1st prisoner escaped in less than a month.

On December 22nd of 1773, John Hinson was the 1st man incarcerated in Connecticut’s new New-Gate Prison. Little is known about Hinson, other than that he was 20 year-old and stood 5′6″ tall. Even his crime has been forgotten, though it must have been serious; the New-Gate was reserved for burglars, horse-thieves, counterfeiters, highwaymen and other such hard-cases.

What is known is that on January 9th John Hinson escaped, possibly using his compact size and the vigor of youth to climb up a 70-foot well shaft, but more probably aided by an accomplice on the outside with a length of rope and a bit of cash to bribe an overseer.

One rather romantic (and unsubstantiated) tale involves his beautiful ladylove coming to his rescue. The only certainty is that if he was ever imprisoned in Connecticut again, then those records have been lost.

Three months later three more convicts escaped, leading local authorities to grudgingly admit that some sort of wall may be necessary. With the addition of a stone enclosure and a few more guards the prison became far more secure, though it never quite lived up to its initial boast of being escape-proof.

For the next 54-year of its operation some 800 hard-timers lived and worked in Connecticut’s largest state-operated dungeon. It wasn’t until 1827 that the New-Gate was abandoned as a permanent detention facility, though it did see limited military use in the Civil War.

A new, nominally less medieval prison was built in Wethersfield and the prisoners were transferred there. Presumably the prisoners regarded this as an improvement in their situation. No matter how dismal the new prison was, at least it wasn’t subterranean.





By: Dave Text

There is a huge array of paper available to buy and it can be difficult to decide what the correct type of paper to choose is.

There are so many sizes, weights and types of paper for your printer so this helpful guide should assist you finding a suitable paper, whether it be for the office or home, for everyday printing or professional presentations.

Laser, Inkjet or Copier Paper?

For best results when printing it is important that you choose the correct type of paper for your printer/copier/fax. Listed below is a short description which should assist you:

Multifunctional Paper – For everyday use, this paper can be used for everything from high volume copying, presentations and reports and correspondence.

Laser Paper – Ideal for optimum performance  for use with laser printers Copier Paper – Ideal for use with copiers and ideal for high volume copying and printing Inkjet Paper – Ideal  for optimum performance for use with any inkjet printer Mono Laser/Copier/Inkjet – Suitable for use with any machine which only prints in Mono. Colour copier/laser Paper – For best results when printing in colour. The recommended choice of paper when printing coloured graphics, presentations, brochures and newsletters.

Sizes of Paper

Paper comes in a variety of sizes and is listed in international paper (ISO) size system.

Paper sizes range from A0 (being the largest) through to A8. Probably the most common and most familiar to all is A4 size paper as this is what is often used for letters, memos and other documents. A3 is the next size up from A4 and is an ideal size for presentation and large graphics.

Weights & Thicknesses of Paper

The weight or thickness of the paper is measured is grams per square metre (gsm).  The greater the gsm of a sheet of paper, the thicker the paper is. The most common weight of paper for everyday use is 80gsm, and more professional jobs 100gsm-120gsm.

Here are just some of the weights of paper that can be found – 75gsm, 80gsm, 90gsm, 100gsm, 120gsm, 160gsm, 180gsm, 200gsm

Other Types of Paper Supplies

Prestige Paper – Sometimes you need paper which is just that little bit special. Prestige paper is ideal for Letter headed paper, letters, CVs and any other type of important document.

Coloured Paper – Colour paper can be a great way to easily organise your office documents by simply assigning a colour to a department or document type.

Recycled Paper – If you have concerns about the environmental impact paper has on the environment you need not worry as most paper products now conform to some sort of environmental standard. Paper can be found in anything up to 100% recycled and much of the paper on sale these days is FSC sourced.

Photo Paper – Similar to normal paper, photo paper should be treated in the same way when looking for the best results. i.e. use Photo Laser Paper in Laser printers. Photo paper comes in the following finishes: Matt, Gloss, High Gloss, Semi Gloss, Satin Matt & Photo Matt.





By: Mark Meader

Introduction

The driving force behind seating specification in Europe continues to be the Display Screen Equipment (DSE), Health and Safety Regulations for desks and chairs used with computer workstations. The Health and Safety Executive states that equipment such as desks, chairs, monitor arms and laptop holders should comply with BS EN ISO 9241 Part 5.

The DSE regs have been with us a long time but the issue has changed in recent years thanks to new technologies such as flat screen monitors which have changed the shape and size of workstations and new working practices which mean people are not as desk bound and static as they once were.

There is also a different approach to ergonomics which has meant the driving force is far less the fear of litigation by employees and more about wellbeing, productivity and attracting and retaining staff.

One thing that hasn’t changed is that good ergonomics starts with a good chair.

Making it comfortable the basics

Chairs should satisfy the needs of a very high percentage of users for personal preference, comfort and fit. Standards tend to be based around anthropometric data for around 95 per cent of the population.

The best chairs are those that encourage and support small posture changes throughout the day in response to the needs of different tasks. This will reduce discomfort, muscle fatigue and long term health problems

There is a basic set of adjustments that are essential to minimise discomfort in the upper body, back and legs and encourage good breathing

Additional adjustments can enhance the chair’s ability to meet those needs

People need effective training to avoid discomfort and health problems. People should not only know how to adjust their chairs be encouraged to change posture frequently, they should also be aware of the need for movement and breaks

Because seating adjustments can be so sophisticated now with a great deal of variation, try to choose a chair with intuitive controls to encourage people to adjust it

Adjustments

The days when chairs would just spin around and go up and down are long gone. Now the following adjustments are all either standard or common:

Seat height

Seat tension

Seat tilt

Seat depth

Back height

Back rake

Back lock

Lumbar support

Armrest height

Armrest width

Armrest pivot

With all this variety it is perhaps unsurprising that many people don’t know how to adjust their chairs properly. Research by the Center for Workplace Health Information in the US has found that under half of people always adjust their chairs for their own comfort. Ask the manufacturer about the help they can offer to help your people adjust their chairs properly. Most chairs will have an instruction label attached but good firms will also offer help with training, interactive advice on their websites and other support.

The elements of comfort

A properly adjusted chair should mean a user can achieve the following basic elements of comfort:

Both feet can be placed flat on the floor

The seat should not put pressure on the back of the legs when the user leans back

The user can sit in contact with the back at all times

The backrest can support the chosen posture with even pressure on all points of the back

The seat tension should be properly adjusted depending on the persons height and weight

If available, a lumbar support should be adjusted to the correct height for the user

Armrests should be adjusted to suit the user

The seat tilt should be set, if possible, at the most comfortable angle for the task in hand, preferably without the user sliding forward in the seat.

The back rest should also be adjusted to the correct height and angle depending on the preference of the user

Optional headrests can provide additional support for the head and neck

Nothing to do with the chair, but make sure the user moves around. A simple discipline like standing to make calls can make a big difference

Mechanisms

The standard for chairs in Europe is the synchronized movement. With a synchronised mechanism when the seat moves by one degree, the back moves by two degrees. An alternative is to have a knee-tilt mechanism with an individually adjustable back so the shape of the seat is tailored for the individual and lumbar support remains constant. In most of Europe, we tend to be driven by the German market which favours the synchronous mechanism and maintains the status quo. In individual markets such as Scandinavia where demands and market conditions are different the demand is more often for a knee tilt mechanism.

Accessories

As well as the basic chair, many manufacturers will allow you to customise their chairs with a range of accessories including:

Head rests

Different types of castors and glides

Different arm rests

Coat hangers

Ergonomic accessories

Finishes and fabrics

Although mesh chairs have become increasingly popular over the past ten years or so, most chairs are still specified with fabric covered foam upholstery. There is an agreeably wide selection of fabrics to choose from a number of suppliers. If you can always try to specify a fabric from one of the major, reputable manufacturers who not only have better quality materials but will also offer a wide, well designed range.

The long and the short and the tall

Although standards are based around the shapes and sizes of around 95 per cent of the population, this can cause problems when dealing with those outside of the agreed size distribution, still a fairly large number of people. Another issue with the anthropometric data that legislation is based on is that it is based on historical data. Some of it dates back to the days of the early 1980s and the groundbreaking work of a man called Stephen Pheasant. This may not take account of the changing shape of the population.

Anthropometrics can also vary wildly from country to country. The Netherlands now has the tallest average in the world with young men averaging over 6ft tall. In contrast, average male height in Vietnam and North Korea remains comparatively small at 5 ft 4 in and 5 ft 5 in respectively.

In the short term, populations can change shape even more quickly. Most notable is the way in which the British population is getting bigger. According to recent statistics, around 42 per cent of men and 32 per cent of women are now classed as overweight, compared to just 6 and 8 per cent respectively in 1980.

Making it green

Many chairs now make bold claims about their green credentials with some claiming to be 95 or more per cent recyclable. As usual with environmental claims you should dig a little deeper in to what this actually means. In particular be aware that because chairs are usually made up of many different materials, separating them all out for recycling can be difficult and expensive. Always ask a manufacturer how they support recycling. There should ideally be a management scheme in place for you to take advantage of. Be careful when choosing materials.

There may be other standards and schemes that will guide your decision. One example is TCO labelling, which you’ve probably seen on your own monitor screen but may have ignored. TCO Certification is a series of product certifications for office equipment commonly associated with computer monitors but later TCO revisions also define standards for computers, keyboards, printers, mobile phones, and office furniture since 2004. TCO covers not only ergonomic principles but also environmental issues and the use of materials.

There are also organisations who may be able to advise and help including The Green Works at

www.green-works.co.uk

Making it inclusive

Inclusivity is not just about disability, although Under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 (DDA) all furniture in areas of public access should be suitable for use by disabled persons.

There may also be other groups of people to whom you need to offer special consideration. These include people both above and below the 95 per cent distribution range used to determine standard ergonomic needs and pregnant women whose ergonomic needs clearly change quickly and dramatically and for whom discomfort can become a major issue.

Standards

As well as the range of British and International standards detailed below, it may be worthwhile looking at other examples of excellence when buying seating. One is the TCO standards mentioned above but another is FIRA’s Ergonomics Excellence Award which claims to identify products that meet and exceed the requirements of the general standards. A list of award holders can be accessed through the askFIRA web site.

www.fira.co.uk

Strength and stability

According to BS 5459-2: 2000 operators’ chairs must comply with test requirements for use by people weighing 150kg for up to 24 hours a day. Otherwise chairs tested to BS EN 1335-2:2000 must comply with the test requirements for use by people weighing 110kg for up to 8 hours a day.

FIRA has also recently introduced a new standard (FIRA 0055: 2005) which aims to provide seating for people weighing up to 200kg (approximately 31.5 stone)

All items other than operators’ chairs should comply with BS EN 13761: 2000 and should not overturn when tested in accordance with BS EN 1022: 2005

Finishes

Non-metal surface finishes should comply with FIRA Standard 6250:2005 Specification Materials (Interior) Table 2 Finish Performance the Horizontal surfaces Severe.

The finishes on metal items should comply with FIRA standard 4000: 2006 Specification furniture materials: interior – Surface finishes applied to metals.

Woven textile fabrics should meet the requirements of BS 2543:2004 for general contract upholstery.

Coated fabrics should meet the requirements of BS ISO 7617-1: 2001 Part 1 for PVC coated knitted fabrics and BS 5790: Part 2, 1995 = ISO 7617-2:1994 for PVC coated woven fabrics for contract applications.

Leather should meet the requirements of BS EN 13336:2004 for general contract applications.

Flammability

Any urethane foam as a filling used should be ‘combustion modified’. Foams shall satisfy the test contained in Schedule 1 Part 1 of the “Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988. Combinations of upholstery and filling should comply with the standard for a medium hazard as defined by BS 7176:1995.

Filling materials

Filling material of urethane foam type should meet BS 3379:2005, Class V for seats, Class S for backs.

Ergonomics and Health & Safety

Chairs should meet BS EN ISO 9241-5: 1999, Part 5 Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display terminals (VDT’S); Workstation layout and postural requirements.

Office chairs should also satisfy BS EN 1335-1: 2000, Part 1 Office furniture – Office chair: Dimensions and determination of dimensions. Visitors chairs should also comply with the dimension standards specified in BS EN 13761: 2002, Office furniture – Visitors chairs.

Contract, meeting and reception seating Strength and stability

When tested in accordance with BS 4875-1:2001, chairs should comply with either Test level 4 or 5. Test level 4 is where rough treatment and careless handling occur. Test level 5 applies to seating intended for severe use. When tested to BS 7945:1999 chairs should not overturn.

Auditorium and beam seating permanently fixed to the floor should comply with BS EN 12727: 2000

Finishes

As above

Ergonomics

Chairs should comply with the requirements of BS EN 13761: 2002, Office furniture – Visitors chairs.

www.mix-match.biz





By: Ross Hinton

ok The Republic, Plato tells the story of prisoners of war that were held captive in a cave for such a long period of time, they could not remember their lives before their captivity. These men were forced to face the back of the cave wall for decades, while a fire burned behind them for illumination. The only objects that the prisoners could ever see were the cave wall, their own shadows and the shadows of the beasts guarding them. This was both terrifying and paralyzing for the men.

One day, one of the men found the courage to look back at the fire and the beast guarding them. What he found were ordinary men guarding over them. The guards had cut-outs of monsters and projected the shadows to the back of the cave where the prisoners were held. This was the easiest and most effective way for the guards to control the prisoners.

The knowing prisoner found an opportunity to escape the cave and did so as soon as he could. When the free man stepped out the cave, he could not believe his eyes. The sun, that he now remembered, was much brighter than the cave fire. He smelled the flowers, remembering their scent from his youth. The free man watched as people went about their daily lives, remembering his life before captivity.

The free man was overwhelmed with the joy of remembering his former life, his real life. The free man wanted to free his fellow prisoners as soon as he could and planned his quest. The next day at an opportune time the free man made his way back to the cave. When he found the guards away from their posts, the free man sprang into action. Running to his fellow prisoners and telling them of everything he discovered to be real, both inside and outside the cave. He told his friends of the cut-out monsters that terrified them. About the sun outside the cave that was much brighter than the fire that illuminated the cave. The free man told his friends about all the wonderful things he had discovered again in his new found freedom.

After hearing everything the free man had to say, the prisoners showed disbelief, mockery, and hatred toward the free man. They thought, how could this man know better than they did? How dare the man pretend to know more than they did.

The free man left the prisoners in the cave and walked back out into his freedom.

In today’s world, we are allowed to walk anywhere we want to inside the cave, its encouraged. The cut-out monsters are projected on every wall, floor and ceiling as well. Our scary shadows come from the same place that lights our cave. TV, Radio, Internet, Newspaper etc.. Once we free ourselves from the Maya (Illusion) we can walk back outside the cave and remember who we truly are, again. The first step for the free man was to recognize the Maya. The second step was to understand who he was not. The third step was to understand who he was, to "Know Thyself."

As far as us going back into the cave to save our fellow prisoners…the Illusion is slowly fading away. Many will cling onto, "the good old days." Cling onto the projections of shadows that were on their cave walls. Others will finally leave the cave and find a sun brighter than the cave fire and a SELF greater than they could have imagined.  



By: Beau Hermes

Ok so you have got your nice car a successful business and have now gone to buy your dream office in the country, this has been a success and now is the time to look at renovating your office. We all have watched the programs at home where they buy a house, barn or office for £30,000 spend a couple of months in renovations then sell them off for a nice lump sum, giving them 40% profit. But is it really that easy, what they do not show on the television is the stress and strains of getting all the correct builders, electricians and plumbers in place.

A few tips on renovating an office is firstly decide on what sort of look and feel you would like for yourself and the staff. Would you like it to look more professional or more cosy, you will have to weigh up the benefits and the negatives of both, for example if you were to make the work place too cosy would your staff benefit from this or would it feel like more of a second home for them.

Once you have decided the theme of the office then comes the expertise of selecting the correct colours and office furniture, if you have chosen to go with the professional look you will need to get elegant looking leather chairs and other top of the range elegant office equipment. Remember to be very particular when it comes to choosing your office furniture as this is where the whole theme will literally come into effect.

To make an A class office you will need to invest quite abit, if you don’t have many ideas for yourself of how you want the office to look then the best advice is to visit other peoples offices or look at the way in which celebrities and other stars would decorate there own workplace, you can find pictures and information in all the glossy magazines that are available.

Whatever route you decide to take in decorating your office do not forget to implement some technology and innovation into your workplace such as top of the range computers and software to keep your business running smoothly. Do not heavily rely on what you have seen on the television, you must put hard work into building up your small empire making sure you get top furniture, top technology and top staff then you will reap all of the benefits of having an A class workplace.





By: Musa

What can you say or not say about corrections officers? This is a tough job that requires tough people. Guarding incarcerated criminals is not a job for the faint at heart.

Simply put, a correction officer helps the criminal justice system oversee people that have been arrested, awaiting trial, or been convicted and sentenced to jail or prison by the courts. In this article, I’ll discuss the many roles and duties they perform as they accomplish these tasks.

Being a corrections officer means you can expect to perform the following duties or roles:

1.The corrections officer’s duties include observing inmate behavior. This observation is help to prevent fights amongst inmates. Prison inmates can sometimes engage in do or die fights. The correctional officer must watch and break up these fights when they occur.

The correctional officer must also observe inmates to prevent the inmates from escaping. Some prison inmates will escape at the slightest chance they get. It is the duty of the officer to prevent this from happening.

2.The correction officer’s duties include admitting and releasing inmates. When an inmate is sent to jail, the prison will need accurate record of the inmate. The correction officer will make sure of this by entering the inmate’s record into the prison’s database. The process will also include taking the fingerprints and photograph of the inmate.

3.It is the correctional officer’s duty to supervise inmates’ family visits. Prisoners are allowed visitors during visitor days and hours. The correction officer must make sure nothing that’s not allowed transpire between inmates and their visitors.

4.The correction officer duties or roles include helping rehabilitate the prison inmate. In this case, the corrections officer helps plan the inmate’s library visits, training, and work assignments. These things are necessary so the inmate can more easily adapt to society when he or she is released.

5.The correction officer transports and escorts inmates from one location to the other. A good example of this is when you see prisoners working on highways. They are usually brought to these highways by correctional officers.

The correctional officers trained to do this can carry weapons. The weapons are there to make sure things don’t get out of hand. The last thing you want is for prisoners who are in the general populace to escape. The chance of getting shot will help keep them check.

As you can see, the roles and duties of the corrections officer are plenty. Anybody that can handle this profession will definitely not be bored.





By: Kenneth Echie