text:
Dedicated to those that have been frightened, injured, crippled, or killed, while operating an ENG truck, because they devoted themselves to their cause without the knowledge contained within. May the rest of us never forget to look up first.
The following is a four part series, originally published in the July, August, September and October 1994 issues of TELEVISION BROADCAST magazine. It started out as a three part series, but was extended to the fourth part due to the ingenuity and generosity of W. LaVaughn Thompson and LeRoy Paul of the AFLAC Broadcast Division, Columbus Georgia, Paul Gallo, Publisher of TELEVISION BROADCAST, J.T. Way, TVB's Editorial Consultant and Michael Silbergleid, Former Editor, present President of SilverKnight Group, a marketing company, who felt as I do, that a trade magazine CAN make a difference in the industry it serves, and encouraged me to write the series.
Subscribe to Television Broadcast magazine! [click here}
From the Author:
In 1986, an ENG technician was seriously injured as he raised the mast
on his station's truck into overhead power lines.
Through February 21, 1994, perhaps we could have remained in a state of allowance for segments of our industry to police their own safety, for on February 22, 1994, it became apparent that we have not taken enough action to stop our co-workers from being killed for the sake of transmitting television pictures.
On that day, a technician was killed as the mast on his van, too, was raised and contacted fatal force.
Others have been injured and killed in this fashion, as well. News accounts of those incidents and subsequent discussion have been the method of our learning to be "a bit more careful" out on the street.
In this three (eventually four) part series, TELEVISION BROADCAST will offer you information regarding this problem by discussing incidents, speaking with photographers, ENG technicians, manufacturers, electrical industry representatives, and liability experts.
It is our hope that this forum will be a catalyst for our industry to create the universal guidelines that will help to prevent our co- workers from dying needlessly.
Andy Funk of WAGA-TV has put together a very good on-line safety manual. Be sure to check it out after reading these articles. (http://www.wagatv.com/eng)* Such contributions to the industry cannot be overstated. My Thanks to Andy Funk and WAGA for making this available.
Truck Safety" By MARK BELL - PART I
Two incidents, an educated perspective, and a newcomer to our industry discovers cause for concern.
It was Tuesday, October 15th, 1985, just after 5:00am. Don Hayford was
positioning his van for a 6:00am live shot in
front of a mental hospital.
He noticed trees and power lines potentially in the way of his microwave shot and moved up closer to the end of the block.
The road had a slight crown to it. It was still pretty dark out, but Don felt the trees weren't in the way, and the wires were
far enough off to be of no harm.
Fleet of foot, with an attitude of "gettin' it done", Don was running in and out of the van, rarely, if ever, with his feet
touching the ground and the van at the same time. Having flipped the "Mast Up" lever on one of his trips, the mast was slowly
There were no other people there, as the photog and reporter were due to show up soon in another vehicle.
On one trip into the van, Don noticed interference on all of his monitors. He felt a bit eerie, jumped out, and looked out at
the mast. Any distance between the mast and the wires was hard to perceive. The crown in the road had placed the mast closer
than he had originally thought it would. Looking up using a flashlight, it was hard to see if there was actual contact.
Don, feet on the ground, grabbed the mast valve and actuated it to lower the mast.
"Running away is not the first thing I thought about", said Don as we spoke about the incident. "You get in trouble for
screwing up your truck."
He felt a shock from his contact with the valve. He knew he was getting a shock but had very little real perception of what
was happening as his knees bucked and turned him around into a sitting position, butt on the step, feet on the ground, hand
still on the lever. Don's legs and feet became a path to ground for the 7500 volt wire his mast contacted.
"At that point I remembered just the smoke and the flames and sparks," Don said, remembering that part of the incident,
"like it was yesterday."
Don's feet were burning, his hand flailing wildly to the other side of the doorway, causing arcing between his hand and
the frame of that side of the doorway. The mast was still lowering and eventually broke electrical contact.
"My legs were just tingling horribly," Don continued, "I had to get away from the truck. I couldn't stand so I started
rolling away. I knew I had to call for help. I started screaming, could barely get the words out, and then humorously realized
that screams in front of a mental hospital would not exactly be the best way to get attention. I reached for my walkie-talkie.
It was then I noticed that the skin on the back of my hand was blistered and bubbly.
"The walkie-talkie worked and I told the desk I needed help, and asked for an ambulance. My voice was very calm. I really
didn't think much had happened."
As is typical, local stations listen to each other's radio calls. Another station heard Don's transmission and they were the
first on the scene. Paramedics arrived soon after.
"Only after I was in the hands of the paramedics did [the other station's crews] get their camera and lights out and make a
news story out of it."
It was then that the public's view of this story came into being.
People approach Don up to this day and say that they, too, "remember that morning like it was yesterday."
At the hospital a nurse's comment was the beginning of Don's perception of his "new reality": "This is a "no B.S." hospital,
and you're hurt bad. We're doing all we can to make you comfortable. You'll be upstairs in a bed soon." For friends, the
"critical and unstable" condition report was their start to their perception of his "new reality", too.
After ten operations, Don was left with one leg amputated above the knee and the other leg removed below his knee
because of burn damage.
Eight years later.
Al Battle was aware of the crown in the road in front of the courthouse
where he needed to set up a microwave
transmission for CNN. He selected a better spot in the magistrates parking lot to set up the truck, but was subsequently kicked
out by a building management representative.
The use of jacks to level the van had been discussed, as was putting one side's wheels up on the curb. Battle, with over 12
years of experience, and labeled as the "most experienced" microwave technician by his employer, indicated he was aware
that it was a dangerous situation to his cameraman partner.
This same partner figured that in the position Al ended up in with the truck, he had to have been able to see the wires as
he raised the mast.
From the Washington Post: "The electrical charge sparked a three foot wide ball of fire under the van. The force also
blasted a fourteen inch wide crater in the dirt where Battle's feet had touched the ground. The shock set Battle's sweat shirt
on fire."
From the Washington Times: "Mr. Battle was barely recognizable after the incident. His shoes had practically
disintegrated, his feet were clearly burned and his arms and legs were bent. The van's pole was slightly bent and blackened,
and it's side doors were chipped and charred at the corners."
Paige A. Prill, spokesperson for CNN, was quoted as saying: "Al Battle's colleagues at CNN are deeply saddened by this
tragic loss to all of us. We will miss him."
There were indications of problems in both incidents.
In Al Battle's, for example, the fact that jacks were considered to be a method of propping up the van to keep it away
from the wires demonstrates a misunderstanding of the tools of the vehicle. Certainly a jack failure or accidental contact by
another vehicle causing such a failure, would cause the mast to tip and hit the wires.
Placing the vehicle on the curbing may have put the vehicle in a similar situation, where a few inches of accidental
movement could knock the vehicle off the curb and place the mast onto the wires.
Contact is contact.
Distance between conductors and objects is an electrical industry acknowledged
hazard. Don Hayford and Al Battle were
victims of this hazard through lack of, or lack of execution of, training.
Today it is doubtful that Don would touch a van that exhibited the same video "interference" or had close proximity to
wires. Practical training at a very expensive price.
One organization that deals with such training issues is the AVO Multi-Amp Institute of Dallas, an organization dedicated
to OSHA electrical compliance auditing, training, and consulting.
I spoke with Mark Franks, instructor of various seminars about our industry. Mark instantly related a story to me about a
drive through Waco, where he saw a truck extending its mast near wires.
"I remember thinking to myself when I saw it, I bet that's a problem."
Further conversation with Mark revealed a few perceptions of his that may be very common with others.
"News people are pro's. We view them as knowing the facts about safety because they report on those facts. We view them
as being faultless about these things. "We don't see them as ones who would be elevating their masts into lines."
The AVO Multi-Amp Institute runs an educational program that encourages a step-by-step reminder mechanism approach,
with lot's of checks and balances along the way.
Some people trained by this institute are non-electrical personnel, as OSHA now requires training for mechanical
maintenance personnel, equipment operators, machinists, warehouse employees, office personnel, mechanics and welders.
"It's definitely the responsibility of the [employer] to train these people." Mark went on to describe various aspects of
codes and guidelines that would apply to mast safety. "There is enough guidance in the regulations today to cover clearances
and separation. "The National Electrical Safety Code states that the clearance for a 22,000 volt line over a driveway or
parking lot is 20 feet. One present guideline for elevated structure separation is that up to the first 50KV on a line, you need
to be 10 feet away. For every 10KV over that, add another 4 inches to that distance. Looking at an extreme, 500,000 volt lines
are within reach of 42 foot masts."
Remember the perception problem with Don Hayford's assessment of his distance? A ten foot gap forty-plus feet off the
ground is tough to measure, but if the gap were only half of that, it would have been safer than the gap that was presumably
That's what codes do. Even rough around the edges, they promote and provide relative safety.
"High voltage isn't the only danger," Mark Franks continued, "There are more people killed in low voltage rather than high
voltage accidents. (low is under 600V) I guess the difference is really defined by an open or closed casket funeral."
Continued research found further "red flags" in our industry.
James Burke, Corporate Director - Environmental Health and Safety, for
the Providence Journal Company, has been
involved in safety operations for 16 1/2 years, mostly in a manufacturing environment. Broadcasting is new to him, and started
off with a sobering perception.
"Here I am, brand new to this industry. I started looking to see what's out there [for safety] and I'm not finding much.
"In my professional life I've had to deal with four fatalities. Three of those were building fall-offs where the split
second decision not to fasten a safety line proved to be fatal. Those split second decisions not to do the [safe] thing can
be deadly.
"I'm concerned about the lack of industry specific guidelines, given the amounts of hazards the industry has."
Serious injuries and death, inconsequential to the acquisition of television pictures, indicate that all of us should be
concerned about the lack of specific guidelines and training in our industry.
There is a need to work on a system that will make Al Battle the last person to get killed by electricity while working on a
news shot. This system of protection will also benefit any innocent parties who may have "casual contact" with our industry's
Coming up in this series, more information on where we stand, and some suggestions for the "system". In the next issue, of
TELEVISION BROADCAST, ENG Crews and Manufacturers. Their point of view.
[back to the beginning of Part 1] [back to the top of the page]
"ENG Truck Safety" By MARK BELL - PART II
as published in TELEVISION BROADCAST magazine
Author's Foreword
The February 22nd death of Lloyd Albert Battle, electrocuted as his microwave
mast contacted power lines, has stirred our
industry up, again.
A consciousness develops after accidents, whether they cause severe injuries or fatalities. Crews have historically become
more careful, and some managers have encouraged a more cautious approach to duties. Unfortunately, like a wave, this
consciousness fades away as people forget the shock and horror of the incident.
From another angle, similar to that "wave", manufacturers have emphasized safety for years, and have tried to pass the
subject on to the buyers of their vehicles. The problem is that once the original shine wears off the new truck, the rules of
hazard avoidance have historically worn off as well.
TV stations have had difficult times financially, and may not be prioritizing safety training for their employees. I spoke to
employees that didn't mind being quoted in this article, but others however, provided me facts and opinions that they felt
could jeopardize their standing at their place of work, and requested their comments remain anonymous. Safety issues are
touchy issues in many working environments. Managers sometimes confuse fear with attitude, and when an employee sees
danger, he or she is not always acknowledged with understanding.
From one veteran technician: "I refused to put up the mast for a feed in conditions where I felt threatened by lightning.
We were in an area during severe thunderstorms in which the mast was the tallest thing around. The News Director told me
that I'd be fired if I didn't put up the mast. It took a site visit by engineering supervisors to back me up so I wouldn't have to
risk my life, and the life of the reporter outside holding onto the metal microphone." Manufacturers are very concerned and
experienced with issues of safety. While equipment upgrades have fueled the development of new designs in vehicles, safety,
too, has been a key.
During interviews for this series, the comments regarding awareness of safety became repetitive. Everyone wants to build a
safe vehicle. Everyone wants to be a safe operator. Everyone wants their employees to return home after a remote event. Does
everyone sustain the environment to fulfill those wants?
Operators and manufacturer's speak out
"Safety training...are you kidding me? In television?" "It's nothing anybody's
even ever suggested. Training is so, well,
anti-television. Our news director doesn't care about anything related to our needs," offered an ENG technician.
Ted Kendrick from ENG Mobile Systems of Concord California spoke on what he's been seeing in our trade from the
manufacturer's point of view. His company has been in the business of building ENG News vehicles for 18 years, and was one
of the first in the business.
"There's a transition taking place with personnel, maybe we're going to see more accidents. There have been cost cutbacks,
maintenance has gone to hell....They [managers and their employees] become so complacent they are dangerous to themselves.
"All of the manufacturers tackled the issue differently, but with the same purpose, I'm not sure if the industry has offered
any sort of training, but I know there have been a few serious injuries. When you hear of one, you kind of wonder what
difference it would have made if there had been 4 hours of safety training.
"Every warning and safety device can be defeated. In one case truck operators jumped the "mast down" plunger switches
because the ignition would cut out after they hit a bump. Bumps made the mast go up a fraction of an inch which took the
weight off the switch. They never said it was a problem, they just got rid of the symptom without telling their manager. How
can management respond to a situation they know nothing of?"
There is a fear in some stations of reporting problems to management. Nobody wants to be the person that's always
reporting problems. Remember Don Hayford's thoughts just before he changed his life by touching the mast control after his
mast was in contact with the power wires? "Running away is not the first thing I thought about, you get in trouble for
screwing up your truck."
Education is expensive only when the cost of repair is not.
Ron Caron, Field Operations Crew Chief of WHDH in Boston, trains crew people
in truck operations. "I have one rule that is absolute. The first thing
you do when you get out of the truck is look up. If I'm training a person
and they don't do this, it's a
dead giveaway they need more training, period."
Sounds kind of strong, restricted? Here is a story from Ron's background that affirms his technique. He didn't have to go
far to get it.
Bill Holbrook, also of WHDH, has spent 12 years in ENG vans. He describes himself as a lucky guy after a mast/power line
incident in the mid 80's, before training was required. He told us the story of what went wrong one night in his truck.
"It was January, a Friday night, and snowing very hard outside. I was assigned with a photographer to go out to
Framingham (22 miles west of Boston) and feed a shot of the heavy weather activity and some tape back to the station. During
the feed we had some IFB screw-ups, some tape problems and other hassles. It wasn't a good night even without the weather
Bill went on to describe the tension. The weather was rough for everybody. Field crews and the news staff inside are at
opposite ends of the same problem. It's tough to get the feed in, so it's tough to coordinate the show on the air. People lose
their composure under these circumstances. This time was no different.
"I had activated the mast-lower lever and the photographer was packing up his equipment. I was sitting in the drivers seat
talking to the people back at the station regarding the problem- filled feed. The "mast up" dashboard warning lights went out.
The photographer finished packing, and he got into the passenger seat. I never bothered to look up. We drove off, then BAM!
All I remember seeing is a huge blue explosion above the roof, then a big crash. It turned out that my mast had frozen in the
weather and while the warning lights went out, all they signified was that my air pressure had lowered, but the mast had not.
"We were lucky. All we hit was a street light power line, relatively low voltage. The mast had snapped and disconnected
from the line. Perhaps because of our speed it happened too quick to cause a fatal shock.
"The worst part of this, once I realized we were all right, was the phone call back to the station."
Bill explained that his manager was smart about such incidents, and the penalty for lying was much more severe than simply
telling the truth about the circumstances. It still was not easy.
"This is not a 100% safe job," related Bill, who now understands a bit more about those little things can kill you. "Every day, every time, you have to recognize things can happen."
Richard Wolf, of Wolf Coach, Auburn, Mass. added to Bill's opinion. "Training is a mentality that has to be taught and
continually reinforced. There has to be aids and reminders for safety. One report said that Al Battle was on the roof
observing clearance before his accident. Whether this is true or not, if you're that close, you're already in the wrong place."
Engineering and practicing safety
Jack Vines of Television Engineering Corporation related a point of view
that takes in a lot of characteristics of the news
"Safety starts with the manufacturer in terms of good equipment design. Then you [manufacturer] maintain this safety
through engineering of safety devices and procedural characteristics to promote safety to the operator. Next you must go
through the News Directors to allow them to understand the potential penalties of rushes and risks. Finally, you need to go to
the operator to stress safety and common sense. It's not a one man band, everyone has to work together. I've seen some
outstanding stories, but never one worth getting a person seriously hurt."
Richard Wolf also commented on safe practices in the industry: "There are two areas of concern from our point of view.
First is the procedure from a safety standpoint and how we build safety into a vehicle. The next is the management of the
operator, and what they are taught as being OK or not OK. It's usual that we see trucks equipped with the spring loaded air
valve come in for service, and right next to the valve handle is the "prop stick".
Ted Kendrick's company will not place the mast up/down handle in the front technical compartment of the truck. In order
to raise the mast, one has to open a rear door and activate the system. From there a technician can view the relationship of the
mast and any objects in consideration of the crown of the road.
John Premack of WCVB in Boston has been performing news related work for over twenty years. He has been published in
The Communicator and other publications. From a piece John wrote in 1986 about Cara Crosby, a technician involved in a
mast-into-power-line accident:
"Sometimes the rush to get a story on the air causes us to overlook routine operating procedures. While safety usually
involves just common sense, it's a subject we tend to take for granted. News crews don't operate in a free fire zone. The job
of covering the news includes an obligation to avoid endangering anyone who wanders within a crew's impact area." Cara
Crosby was quoted in the article by shedding some useful light on the issue we still have today, 8 years later: "We try to
depend on our training, intelligence and knowledge, but accidents are unpredictable."
Unpredictable because we get distracted? Unpredictable because we stray away from standards? Unpredictable because
we are human?
A safety feature on Wolf Coach's mechanical mast is the hold down buttons that control the up/down functions. One cannot
help from looking up while raising or lowering just to see if it's there yet.
WCVB recently purchased a vehicle equipped with the mast and associated "safer" control device. I spoke with ENG
technician Bob Armitage of WCVB, who favors safety. Recently, the article about Al Battle was posted on news crews lockers
and may have given the crews a good reason to reevaluate any questionable procedures.
"It's a big waste of time when you're rushing at a location to set up and you're holding this button for 3-4 minutes, but it
gives you time to look up. For that reason, it's a good idea. I like it."
Bill Holbrook now operates a similarly equipped van, agreed with Bob's statement, and perhaps summed it up best with this
comment: "I've grown to live with it."
In the final part of this series: Liability, where we can go from here, and one station group's successful working model.
[back to the beginning of Part 2] [back to the top of the page]
Truck Safety" By MARK BELL - PART III
as published in TELEVISION
BROADCAST magazine
Mast Safety
Questions are asked in many accident situations in order to point society
towards non-repetition of accident "events". From
the answers developed, codes are created. Codes create specification for compliance with laws in areas of potential danger
to property, ourselves, and others. History has shown us that penalties and severe punishment are ways to gain compliance with
codes. That takes a lot of time, and many more accidents typically occur in that time.
In 1987, the Chicago Tribune printed an article regarding occupational safety. The article described how criminal statutes
were being "weaved" into safety violation prosecution, as prosecutors were seeking criminal penalties when they could show
that company officials disregarded the safety of workers.
The article went on further to describe how executives were fined and jailed for "causing" fatalities. These deaths were
from perils like those that we face in our industry, such as carbon monoxide poisoning and electrocution. The costs of liability
and lack of safety in different industries are still serious issues today, as they always have been to victims and their
colleagues, family members and friends.
There are no cut and dried definitions of liability and negligence. In our legal system, the enforcing authorities and the
court system create the definitions of liability or negligence, and by what degree, in every case.
In Al Battle's case, Potomac Television was fined $7000 for Al's working "in close proximity to 19,000 volt overhead
power line(s), for which the employer did not train employee(s) on the requirements of the "Overhead High Voltage Line
Safety Act". In other citations related to Al's accident, the company was fined $450 and $450 for not providing warning
signs on the inside and outside of the vehicle, $300 for not providing a first aid kit, and cited, without a fine, for not having
a fully charged fire extinguisher on board.
Simply stated to the layperson, it appears that the most expensive citation from the Virginia Department of Labor and
Industry indicated that education about power risks is most essential. The citations may also be interpreted to mean that
reminders of this education in the form of signs is important.
Further down the list, but close to the importance of signs, is the need for a first aid kit. Last of all the on-board fire
extinguisher should be charged and operable.
The interpretation of these citations could change. The fines can be appealed by Potomac Television, or anyone else under
similar citing. The results, however, do not change. Al Battle will not come back, just like other similarly injured people cannot
change the effects of their injuries.
Potomac has reported that they've made a safety tape and improved safety instruction. Research for this article indicated
that similar moves were made in 1986 after Cara Crosby's injuries. While helping on an immediate and local scale, the absence
of an ongoing national program, and mandatory repetition of training as part of this program, will only perpetuate many short
term solutions, after, and only in cause by, needless injuries and deaths.
How does the legal world look at this situation? Attorney Thomas J. Callahan, of Cohasset, MA. and Boston University
School of Law Professor Ken Simons have familiarity with many areas of law and provided some non-specific overviews of the
Professor Simons, when asked about the subject of safety, after reviewing the first two parts of this series, commented:
"Based on the lack of training and forseeable and serious risks, [the incidents] could be the basis for a negligence suit.
"Negligence," per Attorney Callahan, "is a breach of duty owed by someone to another to act with reasonable care as an
ordinarily prudent person would do under the same circumstances. The duty to use reasonable care extends to those
consequences which are, or should reasonably be, foreseeable by the party against whom negligence is claimed. Comparative
or contributory negligence is that negligence committed by the injured party, which wholly or partially contributed to the
injury suffered."
Attorney Callahan gave us an opinion of where he feels the rank of responsibility lies. From his lengthy dissertation,
regarding ENG incidents, as these issues are cause for such length, a brief overview:
The primary duty in safe operation is on the employer. It seems incumbent
upon the employer to insure that
ENG operators and crews are properly trained in use, operation, and safety precautions.
Operators. With the important pre-condition of proper training met, operators bear a great deal of responsibility on
their own safety. Operators have the "last clear chance", to avoid injury.
Manufacturer's. The major source of potential liability of manufacturer's is potential to warn. Manufacturer's have a
general duty to make a product as safe as possible and give all necessary warnings. Usually this duty extends to the
end-users of a product and cannot be simply discharged by conveying a warning to the employer and hope that it is
conveyed to the operators.
Power Companies. Aside from violations of issues such as height of lines, power companies bear little potential liability.
Even if notified of a news vehicles presence in an area, it is doubtful if any jury would find a duty of the power
company to shut off power for the temporary convenience of the TV station.
Effects to the workplace:
In any workplace, it's very costly for an employer to lose a worker due
to injury and face charges of negligence. Al Battle
was a 12 year veteran, the most experienced person Potomac had. In the news arena, where experience means contacts,
connections, area familiarity, and an ability to get into a place a less experienced person may not be able to, it's hard to
measure "replacement" and "value".
Al St. Peter is a Senior Project Manager in the construction industry for CAFCO Development, Inc. He looked at safety
procedures in that industry, one of multiple hazard environments, where "losses" take a lot of time from project completion,
and are visibly expensive. He spoke from a perspective that our industry can relate to.
"We knew safety in the industry was a responsibility, but it wasn't a focus at any particular time," commented Al. He
contributed to a "Loss Control Manual" that calls for weekly supervisor's meetings to deal specifically with safety issues.
Meetings usually concentrate on a single subject such as scaffolding, handtool safety, or underground utilities, to name a few.
The repetitive program is successful.
"It's clear that these guys proceed with their job assignments with a constant vigilance towards safety as a number one
priority," continues Al. "This attitude permeates the entire workforce including subs, vendors and onsite visitors.
"Construction workers do the same things over and over every day, and therefore can easily get complacent about safety.
Safety issues frequently slip down the priority list depending on external issues, the hour of the day, or the day of the week.
These issues, and motivation for profit, are sometimes tolerated as reasons for shortcuts. In the conscientious environment,
they are all unacceptable excuses."
There is a certain "after incident" awareness that we all have, as pointed out earlier in this series. in the discussion with
Al, he stressed constant repetition with a variety of methods and stimulations. For instance, there are only so many days a
person will read the same yellow and black warning signs in the same places. A change in color or location can attract enough
attention to be an effective reiteration of a warning message. But warning signs aren't enough.
"Ongoing education is the key. You must maintain that commitment, maintain that edge," he concluded.
A model for TV News safety.
One broadcast group, AFLAC, based in Columbus, GA maintains their "edge"
by stressing mandatory education and training.
AFLAC has seven stations and strict guidelines for ENG van operators that is respected from the top management level on
down, a big indicator of a company's overall regard for safety.
Their training consists of electrical safety education, basics of operation of the specific ENG van, vehicle operational
procedures and technical descriptions of the van's equipment.
Once the educational process is completed, the potential operator must pass a long written test and then a "zero- tolerance"
operations test. One safety related mistake and the test is over, and supplemental training scheduled. Nobody is permitted to
drive an ENG van without a training certification, even for a gas run. One has to pass all the tests and stay current on
AFLAC's guidelines. If there is an incident, or a lapse in working assignments taking a tech away from ENG duties for a long
period of time, their certification may be pulled until there is an update in training, or retesting.
LaVaughn Thompson, Vice President of Engineering for AFLAC, commented specifically on teamwork and training.
The best training and operating procedures in the world will fail unless all concerned follow prescribed procedures. The
individual out there raising that mast must always place safety before any news story. As we tell our students during the
training, "No story is worth losing your life." Producers back at the news room must also understand that it might take a few
extra minutes for the van operator to pick out a safe site, or to relocate the truck if the operator feels there might even be
the slightest safety concern. The producer must allow for this and not "rush" the operator into an unsafe operating mode.
"Speed Kills" not only applies to highway situations, it also applies to ENG setup procedures. (Next month in TELEVISION
BROADCAST, AFLAC's safety program will be profiled in length.)
There is no doubt that ENG crews face dangerous situations. It must be acknowledged that in every incident, the damage
done, or injuries suffered, could have been prevented. We, as an industry also need to acknowledge that we are not stupid
people, or blind to such obvious dangers. Most times it has been distractions and the devotion towards getting it done that
injured and killed our colleagues. As teamates for the cause, we all must pitch in to make sure our employees and co-workers
have the time and clear mind to take just one more look. It may be a matter of life or death.
Richard Wolf of Wolf Coach, Auburn, MA, while having never broadcast a frame of video, knows the players in our
industry at many levels. He may have put it best: "These people are nothing, if not creative. They can create a way to perform
the job and stay safe."
[back to the beginning of Part 3] [back to the top of the page]
Please note: The AFLAC
manual is no longer available from AFLAC, but IS available in a revised,
generic form. [click here]
For a great basic manual, which is updated, shorter, and a bit more complete,
check www.wagatv.com/eng for Andrew Funk's manual.* Questions? Contact
Mark Bell.
AFLAC's safety program
FROM PAYCHECK" is how the AFLAC ENG van operations manual starts. This
safety thing is serious business in the AFLAC Broadcast Division's world.
AFLAC is a large company that, among other business practices, owns seven TV stations. Headquartered in Columbus
Georgia, the Broadcast Division includes WTOC, WAFF, KFVS, KWWL, WITN, WAFB and WTVM-TV.
One interpretation of their serious attitude and discipline may be that if you cannot take care of a $50.00 book, it may be
a warning sign that you should not be trusted with a $250,000.00 van. Want to earn double the fine money and, more than
likely, live to a ripe old age as an ENG van tech? Pass the test. They'll give you a certification, $100.00 as a cash incentive,
and enough knowledge that, if used, will allow for longevity.
The training manuals, customized for every station, have a similar structure. The table of contents includes topics such as:
THE ENG CERTIFICATION PROGRAM introduction, PURPOSE OF ENG/EFP VEHICLES, HOW THE AUDIO AND VIDEO GET BACK TO THE STUDIO, SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VEHICLES, OPERATION OF [station's specific ENG vehicle(s)], PREPARATION CHECKLIST FOR A LIVE SHOT, DANGERS OF ENG/EFP VEHICLES, SETTING UP A TYPICAL LIVE SHOT - A SUMMARY, A FINAL WORD, ILLUSTRATIONS, and ATTACHMENTS.
Just to give you an idea on depth of safety concern, the "dangers" section in the manual reviewed had 5 parts:
Electrocution from mast contact with live wires, Electrocution from generator and/or ENG/EFP equipment, Lightning hazards,
Carbon Monoxide poisoning, and Hazards for bystanders.
After the contents page, one finds a map covering the three general operating radii of the receiving and repeating towers
followed by the Introduction.
The following is the Introduction to this safety program, as it appears in the manual used as reference for this report. We
should look very closely at this as "the way it should be", universally, for introducing ENG technicians to the realities of the
"field" working environment.
"State of the art ENG - Electronic News Gathering - with its magical ability to take the viewer live to the scene of a news
event, can be for the newsperson, exciting, exhilarating, fulfilling, and....deadly.
"Since its inception about 12 years ago, the live ENG van has proven to be one of televisions most valuable news gathering
tools - and its most dangerous. Throughout the years, vans, antennas, and mast poles, have been destroyed through accidents
that resulted from carelessness of the operator, failure of the safety equipment, rushing the clock, and plain old bad luck.
And most importantly, persons have been seriously burned, operators have lost arms and legs, and some have died.
"News, in general, is a serious business, and ENG news must be approached with all the seriousness and awareness that the
operator can muster. By far, the most catastrophic form of personal injury in this ENG work comes from the potential for
electrocution and electrical fire.
"The job is compounded by the fact that quite often, the news event takes the operator and his equipment to less than ideal
broadcast conditions. Power lines are often obscured by darkness, tree limbs or the glare of sunlight. Uneven ground can
cause the mast to lean in unpredictable angles, and faulty electrical cables used in wet weather offer lethal risks. Heavy
rains, winds and lightening, all contribute to the overall dangers the ENG newsperson faces.
"Add all of the above mentioned hazards, along with endless natural and man-made hazards yet to be uncovered, mix with
the daily race to cover the news "first", and you have the proverbial "accident waiting to happen".
"How can we combat all of this potential for harm and conduct safe and successful news shots? The answer is knowledge -
knowledge of what the known dangers are, and how to spot the unknown. Knowledge of the systems and how to operate them
properly even under the pressures of the clock. And along with this important knowledge, your next best defense is just good
old common sense - looking and thinking before you act.
"To aid you in gathering the necessary knowledge to safely perform this modern ENG magic, [the AFLAC station] has
instituted a training program. This program will carry you to a level of expertise where you will earn a corporate-issued ENG
Operators certificate. Without this certificate, no one - positively no one - will be permitted to operate, or even crank up, any
of our ENG vans.
"This ENG certification Program is designed to accomplish two major goals: a) Safety Awareness - An In-depth Study Of
The Safety Aspects Of ENG Vans And Related Equipment. b) ENG Operating Proficiency - Understanding The Basic Principles Of Operating ENG Systems For Better Utilization.
"The first of these goals, Safety Awareness, is the most important of the two. Safety always comes first - even before any
news story.
"It is the primary responsibility of the ENG operator to recognize the safety hazards that are inherent while using ENG
equipment and to constantly be suspicious and watchful for the myriad of potential hazards that lurk, literally, in the shadows.
"During this training program, we will study the hazards, learn about how
the professional "looks" for the hidden dangers,
and establish safe operating procedures (which will become second nature to all who operate the ENG equipment).
"The second goal - ENG Operating Proficiency - is designed to establish confidence in the operator by teaching him/her
how the system works...how to set-up the shot you want, quickly and efficiently, thereby eliminating the dangerous rushing and
frustration that the in-experienced operator often faces, especially during the "push" to cover a fast breaking news story
"The safety of [the AFLAC station's] personnel is our foremost concern. ENG equipment is here to stay in our industry, so
we must do all we can to learn how to use it safely and effectively. One method is a training program, such as we are
outlining, that will help to insure the safety of our personnel through knowledge and established safe practices.
"The "bottom line" of this endeavor, is for [the AFLAC station] to develop careful, capable, and confident ENG newspeople
as operators. With that as our ultimate goal, let us begin."
That introduction contains more information about ENG safety than many operators have ever been exposed to.
Yesterday's innovations have been turned into today's standard operating procedures. Subject matter that has literally
been invented by the pioneers of the profession, those who started with ENG trucks back in the 70's, is detailed in an easy to
read, comprehensive format within the manual. Line of sight transmission characteristics are detailed in a step by step
procedure, then followed by information about antennas, sidelobes, AGC levels, reflector theory, bounce shots and
characteristics, and finally, effective use of the link, once established.
Just when you think you are in the clear, finally getting to real big-time show biz, (R.B.T.S.B,...Thanks, Charlie Norelco)
comes another safety chapter. This one on electrical hazards, quickly followed by hints on "Breaking Down The Shot" once all
is done. This is very helpful for the engineering and legal departments as it details the slow and thoughtful packing up
procedure, with hints such as shutting down equipment before powering down the generator, and having cables in full view
while reeling them in to protect anyone from a trip hazard.
The next twenty-plus pages of this manual have pictures of specific pieces of equipment, accompanied by a small amount of
written description detailing an item or two about the photo.
Complete? Comprehensive? Well, take into consideration that this manual was dated May 14, 1988 and the only problems or accidents reported for this article were labeled as "stupid" items, such as lessons on the laws of physics by navigating
nine-foot clearances in the garage with eleven-foot vehicles.
Another part of the safety program is the "Instructors Guide" which details consistent points of focus that the instructor
will go over with a trainee. Everything from lightening strikes (lightening does strike in the same place twice, just ask your
tower) to carbon monoxide and worn electrical equipment hazards are topics for review. There is also mention that equipment
has been tested and found within ANSI guidelines for employee safety.
A videotape from the power company on electrical hazards and safety also accompanies the learning process.
LaVaughn Thompson of AFLAC, a former ENG tech himself, now Vice President of Engineering, commented on the
management challenges in these days of aggressive news competition.
"It's sometimes difficult to get the news department to take [field challenges] seriously. The only way is to get top
management to say "You shall......"
"With all of the peripherals and distractions, ENG is a very dangerous thing. If there is a problem, you've got to respect the
judgment of the [people] in the field."
It is those same people in the field that should be reminded time to time of issues of safety and equipment care and value.
It is human to become complacent, and for those who consistently stand on the front line, it can be easy to gloss over the
basics. Managers must know safety issues and be involved. The program that AFLAC's stations use set up a standard that all
can refer to, and therefore be reminded of. Those in the industry who do not have similar programs can only use the bad
experiences of others as reminders of the dangers.
At AFLAC stations, from top management to the field people, there is a respect for the equipment and the judgment of its
use. By setting up this sort of structure, it is anticipated that safety guidelines, and the discipline of their obeyance will
become "second nature".
As they have provided us a model for education and training, AFLAC also has provided the foundation of structure of such
a model by starting at the top and working down.
C.E.O. Leroy Paul feels that ENG safety in our industry is very important, and has offered to send any TV station a copy of
AFLAC's training manual, and grant the rights to use all or any part of it without charge. (AFLAC Broadcast Division, 1932
Wynnton Road, Columbus, GA 31999)
It's now the industry's move.
* The website containing
the safety manual was taken down by Fox Corporate around late 1998, and
not reposted. On May 2, 2000 WTTG, Fox's station in Washington, DC, was
involved in an accident after its mast was raised in to 230,000 volt circuit
line, causing the grounding of 115,000 volts.


text:
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When your baby is born, the first foods that they will eat will either be breast milk or formula, but as they get older, their nutritional needs will change and you will need to start giving them different foods to fill those needs. But how do you know what the best baby foods are for your child?. With our list of the 10 Best Baby Foods in 2020. we wanted to build a list of we thought were the ones you should buy.
If you decide that you want to get one, we want to be sure to give you a hand by offering some advice on what to look for on the market today.
Hopefully, with our recommendations, we can make the process a bit easier for you so you can keep getting ready for your little one to come home.
Ready? Let's get started.
- 1. Organic Superfood Puffs by Happy Baby
- 2. Organic Stage 4 Super Foods, Pears, Mangos and Spinach + Super Chia by Happy Tot
- 3. Peter Rabbit Organics Mango, Banana and Orange Snacks by Pumpkin Tree
- 4. Stage 2, Organic Baby Food, Pear, Spinach and Pea by Plum Organics
- 5. Organic Stage 1 Baby Food by EARTH'S
Organic Superfood Puffs by Happy Baby
Organic Stage 4 Super Foods, Pears, Mangos and Spinach + Super Chia by Happy Tot
Peter Rabbit Organics Mango, Banana and Orange Snacks by Pumpkin Tree
Stage 2, Organic Baby Food, Pear, Spinach and Pea by Plum Organics
Organic Stage 1 Baby Food by EARTH'S
Organic 2nd Foods Baby Food, Fruit & Veggie Variety by Gerber Purees
Go & Grow by Similac
Stage 2 Baby Food by Beech-Nut
Organic Infant Cereal by NurturMe
Organic Baby Food Pouches by Sprout
How To Choose A Baby Food – Buying Guide
Choosing the best baby food for you to feed to your child can be harder that it may seem. When it came time for us to create a list of the 10 Best Baby Food in 2020, we wanted to ensure that when we started our baby food reviews, that the criteria we used to pick our list was as comprehensive as possible so that you could know that we only recommended the very best. Our criteria included
Keep an eye out for Iron
Your little one needs iron to help the development of their body as well as their brain, so you want to make sure that you are choosing iron-rich sources to feed to them every day. These can typically come from meats or iron-fortified cereals.
- Meat: Be sure to look for single meats such as chicken, turkey or beef without any additional ingredients. Added water is ok though.
- Cereal: Look for plain, single-grain, iron-fortified baby cereal. You will want to skip flavored cereals as they are filled with sugar and other ingredients your baby's body doesn't need. Instead, mix a little bit or fruits or veggies with the cereal to add some flavor.
Find veggies that are actually veggies
If the veggie baby food you are picking has anything other than the vegetable and water, you should put it back or return it. Your baby's little body doesnt need any added sugar or preservatives. You may also want to skip the combinations of fruit and veggies. These only teach your child that veggies will only taste good once they have been sweetened.
Giving your child pure veggies while they are young will enforce that veggies can be enjoyable from the start.
Put the juice back on the shelf
When you go shopping, those small bottles of juice look enticing enough to give your little one to drink, but don't. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that until after their first birthday, babies should not have juice. Even then they don't really need it. According to the AAP, if your baby drinks juice it could lead to the following:
- Poor Nutrition
- Increased risk of tooth decay
- Increased risk of diarrhea, gas and bloating
- Increased risk of exposure to bacteria in unpasteurized juices
Learn your baby's food label
While you should be already checking the food labels for the things that you already eat, you should definitely do so for your child. Reading the label can help you keep your baby from eating the following things that might be in their food:
- Extra Sugar: Normally listed as either sugar, cane sugar, fruit juice or syrups on the baby food label. Any labeling of this manner is not something you want to give your child and is not good for their growing body
- Salt: A learned taste, giving your baby salt as part of their diet now will mean that they will want more later on, which is not a healthy addition to their diet. With their kidneys still developing, they can't handle too much salt at this point in their lives.
- Thickening agents such as flours and starches: These can be really tough on a young tummy, but they also replace the healthy food that you're trying to buy and feed your little one to help them grow stronger.
Don't let the marketing fool you
When you go to the store, the way the labels look and even the space the food takes up on the shelf is decided by marketers. Don't let all of that fancy artwork and wording fook you. Like many other foods at the store, you may see the words 'organic' or 'all natural' while others with try to boast some trendy health foods such as kale or even pomegranate. The claims that they are trying to make don't necessarily mean that they are the best choices for your child's diet. In fact, the pouches that seem to be all the rage these days are in truth, nothing more than regular baby food with some added ingredients.
Look for glass
A more convenient option for your baby's food, as well as being less expensive than pouches of food in a lot of cases. Being able to pop the top, warm it in the microwave and feed your little one, either the whole thing or save the rest for later. Be sure though to toss any food that your little one doesn't eat if you fed them right from the jar because any bacteria from their mouth can spoil the food.
Another major reason why using pouches to feed your child is less desirable than using a glass jar is because slurping food from plastic pouch does not teach your little one the importance of eating. Plus, you can't tell what the condition of the food they are eating is in, it could be moldy inside that pouch and then squeezed right into their mouth. A good tip is to squeeze the pouch into a bowl before feeding your child.
Benefits of Baby Food
When it comes to buying baby food, many parents will only see the benefit that these are made to feed your little one when they are hungry. However, good baby food can have more benefits than simply putting food in your baby's tummy. These benefits include
For the beginning part of their young lives, your little one can live off of either breast milk or formula to get the nutrition that they need. However, as they grow up and get bigger, their nutritional needs are going to change and there may be some things that they might not be ready for. This is where baby food can be a big benefit for your little one. With their simple meals, your child can get the nutrition that they need to start or even continue to grow big and strong from every meal.
Unlike when you go to the grocery store to buy yourself food, your baby's food is much more inexpensive in comparison. With its small portion sizes and compact packaging, many parents will stock up so that they can have food on hand for whenever their child is hungry and also have multiple options to help calm their child's cravings.
Many parents these days both work full time jobs during the day, and when they come home, there may not be enough time to cook a completely nutritious meal for their child, depending on what else is going on around the house. Baby food can make feeding your child as easy as possible. Simply open the container and you child has a nutritious food just waiting to be eaten.
Baby food tends to come in either small jars or plastic containers which can make them a very convenient way to carry around your child's food. Whether or not you are feeding your little one at home, you can easily take their food with you by tossing a jar or container into their diaper bag on the way to the grandparents or your purse if you and your little one are going out for the day.
Different Stages of Baby Food
When your little one starts to eat solid food and you find yourself in the baby food aisle, you may see some things that you may not understand. Specifically, we're referring to the different stages of the foods that you can purchase for your child. With that in mind, we wanted to give you a primer of sorts to help decode what each stage meant.
Stage 1
When your child first starts out eating solid food, that means that they will be at Stage 1. At this stage, your child may be between the ages of four to six months of age and you might want to start introducing single ingredient foods such as rice cereal or pureed fruits or vegetables to help them get comfortable to the taste and texture.
Stage 2
Once your baby is seven to eight months old, they can eat Stage 2 foods, which can include a single ingredient as well as combination foods that are strained instead of being pureed. Examples can include fruits and vegetables
Stage 3
Once they have made it to Stage 3, that would mean that your child is now between nine and twelve months of age. At this stage, they can start eating foods that may have more texture and small chunks to them to make them easier to eat.
The jars for Stage three can be much easier to spot on store shelves because they are usually bigger than the ones for Stage one or two. This is because by the time your child has reached Stage three, they are likely to have a bigger appetite.
Stage 4
By the time your baby has reached Stage four, they have already had their first birthday and have progressed to eating table food. At this point, you may also be feeding your child the food that the rest of the family is eating or even buy toddler foods for them.
My Babies Planet Overview
Finding the best baby food for your child isn't going to be as easy as simply buying the first kind you see when you go to the store. You may have many other things to consider first. With our list of the 10 Best Baby Food in 2020, we wanted to give you all the information we felt you may need when it came to what to look for and the benefits of giving your little one baby food for their nutritional needs.
Our hope is that you may pick one of our recommendations that we put onto our list, but we understand that ultimately, the one you choose will come down to personal preference.
More Baby Reviews:
- Baby Gates
- Baby Bottle Warmer
- Baby Play Yards
- Changing Tables Pads
- Baby Carriers
- Baby Sunglasses
- Baby Play Mats
- Baby Formulas
- Baby Spoons
- Baby Food Maker
- Baby Bottles Gas
- Baby Sippy Cups
- Baby Bottles
- Baby High Chairs
- Breast Pumps
Do you have a Baby Food on our list? Let us know how you like it in the comment section below.
[RICH_REVIEWS_SHOW category="baby-food"]
[RICH_REVIEWS_FORM category="baby-food"]


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Our mission is to protect industrial control networks from cyber-attacks; ensuring safe and continuous operation of the world most critical infrastructures.
Claroty was conceived and is actively supported by the world famous Team8 foundry. Team8 is tackling the most difficult cyber security challenges with global partnerships and investors such as Cisco, Microsoft, Qualcomm, AT&T, Accenture, Nokia, Bessemer Venture Partners and Innovation Endeavors.


text:
About The Kyoto Sour Cocktail
Sake isn't just for sipping. Try this spicy cocktail.
Ingredients in The Kyoto Sour Cocktail
2 slices
2 dashes
Green Tabasco Sauce
3 oz
Gekkeikan Haiku Sake
1⁄2 oz
Lemon juice
3⁄4 oz
Agave nectar
How to make The Kyoto Sour Cocktail
In a shaker, muddle the grapefruit and Tabasco.
Add the remaining ingredients and fill with ice.
Shake, and strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice.
Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a fresh mint sprig.


text:
If you would like to remain in your home as long as possible–sometimes called "aging in place"–Medicare will be of only limited help. Medicare pays for only a small amount of home care in situations where it would be difficult for you to leave home on your own and you require skilled nursing or therapy services. That said, Medicaid can be of enormous help if you qualify.
No matter where you live, if you qualify, Medicaid covers home and community-based services (HCBS). These services include coverage to fill gaps in Medicare and to allow you to remain in your home or a community-based setting, such as an assisted living facility. Medicaid provides services that Medicare will not cover. (Medicare always pays first if it covers the service.) How much care you get and the types of care you get depend upon the state you live in.
Medicaid services that Medicare does not cover include:
- Personal care, such as cooking or grocery-shopping
- Homemaker services, such as cleaning
- Home modifications
- Help with chores
- Case management
- Adult day care
Medicaid services that Medicare also covers, include:
- Skilled nursing care
- Therapy services
- Respite care, in connection with the hospice benefit
How can you qualify for Medicaid HCBS? You should plan ahead and understand the rules in your state. You may be able to move some of your assets into a trust to help you qualify or spend down your income and assets if they are above the Medicaid eligibility threshold, depending upon where you live. You also may be able to set aside some money for your spouse, if you are married, to bring down your assets. If you own your home, you need to understand how the value of your home will affect your Medicaid eligibility.
Of course, you will need to meet your state's eligibility requirements for Medicaid home and community-based services, which generally means that you need nursing home level care. Also, keep in mind that your state may have a limit on the number of people for whom it provides home and community-based services. If so, you may be put on a waiting list.
Contact your local Medicaid office or Area Agency on Aging to learn more.
Here's more from Just Care:


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Champagne Sports Resort in the Central Drakensberg has been striving to make this award winning resort the perfect place for work and play. This is a difficult balance to achieve but following recent developments we believe we have created a truly unique destination catering for all guest requirements in an absolutely spectacular setting.
Following recent resort developments, Champagne Sports Resort can now accommodate up to 750 delegates at the foot of the majestic Drakensberg mountain range.
The 40 new hotel rooms and 4 new luxurious executive suites enables us to offer a total of 152 hotel rooms and 91 time-share chalets of which the majority are 3 bedrooms.
We are also proud to announce completion of the new Buttress Conference and Exhibition Centre as well as 4 new boardrooms. Champagne Sports Resort now offers a total of 16 conference venues including the new state of the art Buttress Centre with a floor space of 1200m2 (usable area) which seats up to 1400 delegates and banquets 950 guests at round tables. Other venues include the Sentinel Room which seats up to 1000 delegates, the Monks Cowl centre seating up to 550 delegates, the Summit Room seating up to 400 delegates and the more intimate venues ranging between 150 delegates down to the private boardrooms seating up to a maximum of 20 people. Conference equipment includes the most up to date equipment with Crestron hand held controls through the bigger venues and all standard equipment through the smaller meeting areas. Delegates have internet access in the hotel and all venues and can utilise the business centre across from the new coffee shop.
Other recently completed additions to the resort include an extended dining room and largely expanded buffet, a new Wellness Centre and coffee shop with adjoining lounge. Our new buffet and dining areas comfortable feed up to 700 guests with little queuing and complimented by an outstanding food offering rapidly gaining a reputation in the hospitality industry.
The Wellness Centre includes an upmarket salon and well fitted gymnasium. The salon has five treatment rooms, comfortable change rooms and a relaxing rest area with cane loungers which look up at the Champagne and Cathkin peaks. The gym is fully equipped for all forms of exercise including general cardiovascular and weight training.
Nestled within this spectacular leisure, conference and time-share resort is the magnificent clubhouse which overlooks a hidden golfing masterpiece. The top 30 ranked 18 hole championship golf course has been rated as SA's most beautiful golf course in recent years with the clubhouse rated in the top five 19th holes in South Africa.
So whether you are wearing your golf cap or your thinking cap, there's no better place to find inspiration!
Rates are as advised by Champagne Sports Resort
There are no additional costs when booking accommodation with Up And Go
The Rates Information below is a guide only and will be confirmed when making your reservation.
Rates are subject to change without notice.
The rates below include Dinner, Bed and Breakfast
4 January - 29 March
ZAR 2,075.00 per night Single
ZAR 1,230.00 per person, per night, sharing
ZAR 2,220.00 per night, Single
ZAR 1,475.00 per person, per night, sharing
Easter Weekend (Min. 3 night stay required)
ZAR 2,205.00 per night Single
ZAR 1,705.00 per person, per night, sharing
4 April - 31 July
ZAR 1,955.00 per night Single
ZAR 1,245.00 per person, per night, sharing
ZAR 2,205.00 per night, Single
ZAR 1,430.00 per person, per night, sharing
1 August - 19 December (3 Night stay required over long weekends and school holidays)
ZAR 2,205.00 per night Single
ZAR 1,305.00 per person, per night, sharing
ZAR 2,360.00 per night, Single
ZAR 1,565.00 per person, per night, sharing
20 December - 3 January
ZAR 2,360.00 per night Single
ZAR 1,695.00 per person, per night, sharing
ZAR 2,360.00 per night, Single
ZAR 1,695.00 per person, per night, sharing
Children's Rates (4 Jan - 19 Dec)
3 – 5 years – ZAR 300.00 per night
6 – 12 years – ZAR 510.00 per night
13 – 17 years – ZAR 885.00 per night
Children's Rates (20 Dec - 3 Jan)
3 – 5 years – ZAR 320.00 per night
6 – 12 years – ZAR 545.00 per night
13 – 17 years – ZAR 945.00 per night
Satellite TV
Conference Facilities (16 rooms)
Wheelchair Friendly
Swimming Pools (x 5)
Credit Card Facilities
En-suite Bathrooms
Tea/Coffee Stations
18 Hole Golf Course
Tennis Courts
Volley Ball
Beauty Salon
Squash Court
Putt Putt
Mountain Bikes for Hire
Horse Riding
Falcon Ridge – interact with Birds of Prey
Hot Air Ballooning
Drakensberg Canopy Tour
Drakensberg Boys' Choir School
KwaZulu Weavers Rug factory and Candle factory
Various Arts and Crafts
Four Rivers Rafting & Adventures
Check In From 14h00
Check Out Before 10h00


text:
There's no doubt that Pattaya was one of the most popular weekend destinations for Bangkokians and travellers seeking respite from the capital alike, 15 to 20 years ago. The two-hour drive from Bangkok was (and still is) effortless, and this beach town had all the trappings for couples and families on a short break. Unfortunately, Pattaya has gained a bad rep for being a sex tourism hub in the past decade, and you've got to agree that its beaches aren't all that special. In short, there's not much motivation to travel down if it wasn't for work, Qing Ming (Chinese Tomb-Sweeping Day), or Wonderfruit.
That said, we recently gave Pattaya a second chance by spending a lazy weekend at Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa, the latest addition to Marriott International's portfolio in Thailand. Located in the Na Jomtien district – just a few minutes drive south from the main city attractions – there's a surprising sense of tranquility upon arrival, as though as I was not in Pattaya, but somewhere more elegant and serene like Hua Hin.
While enjoying the iced lemongrass juice that was served earlier as a welcome drink, I took a moment to admire the giant art installation in the centre of the high-ceilinged, open plan lobby. Resembling water drops in a crystal bubble, it complements the resort's sophisticated architecture and contemporary décor that are mainly inspired by the art and culture of local fishing villages. Natural elements like water, rocks, seashells, woods, bamboo weaves, as well as Thai silk are combined, to emphasise the down-to-earth yet luxurious nature of this retreat.
Also by the lobby is R Bar and its floating lounge, which looks fairly similar to the signature setup at Woo Bar by W Hotel in Samui. Despite the lack of originality, I have to admit that this is one of the best spots in the resort to appreciate sunset and the ocean view, especially with a bespoke cocktail made with local Thai spirits in hand.
Picking a perfect room type at Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa can be quite challenging because there seven categories between the 257 rooms, and each particular one has their own perks and drawbacks in terms of space and scenery. While I did enjoy the seascape from my Deluxe Balcony Seaview room, the more fun option – but also more limited in quantity – are the rooms with pool access that allow guests to dip into the water within steps of their patios.
For those traveling with kids, Renaissance's Family Suites are furnished with a cute set of bunk beds that even adults would die to sleep in for a change. If you're in the mood for an upgrade, the duplex Pool Villas have their own swimming pool, rattan swing chair, and plenty of space in the living room. It's a shame there is only one Beachfront Pool Villa, but you may as well book the Beachfront Jacuzzi Villa if you don't care to swim anyway.
Unpacked and refreshed, the first stop I made was to the spa. The private treatment room for my appointment had an amazing zen vibe, and there again, was a view of the ocean. I opted for an oil massage, and the therapist let me pick my own oil with an energising aroma. Next to the spa, fitness center is always open, as well as the their steam and sauna rooms. I skipped the gym and strolled my buoyant body to find something edible.
There are many prime restaurants in Pattaya, but if you are in for total relaxation, then dining-in isn't such a bad idea. 609 Kitchen is their all-day dining restaurant serving up Asian and international fares with buffet spreads at meal times and an a la carte menu throughout the day. Personally, I prefer their beachfront restaurant, Pebbles Bar and Grill, which serves premium seafood and steak cuts.
What's special about this dining room is that you'll find the team of chefs cooking your food in an open grill kitchen, and they always find a way to surprise their guests throughout the night. The yellow and purple salmon crème macarons were shockingly scrumptious. Their desserts, Strawberry Delight for Two and the Deconstructed Thai Eaton Mess were made and constructed directly on their naked glass table tops. And yes, you also eat it from the table just like that.
In short, if you're looking for a quick break from Bangkok, you can do a lot worse than Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa. With comfortable rooms, a lovely pool at your disposal, and more than decent food options at reasonable prices, you don't even have to leave the property!
Renaissance Pattaya Resort & Spa is located at 9/9 Moo 3, Na Jomtien, Pattaya City, Sattahip District, 20250, Thailand, p. +66 38 259 099.


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Новости клуба
05 апр 2010 Humour
Humour is one of the most important thing of our lives, isn't it? In a close circle of pleasant people we spent our evening and knew a lot of interesting facts about English humor and grammar.
29 мар 2010 The things that changed the world
There are a lot of outstanding inventors who gave the world great inventions that changed the world. What are these personalities and the things they invented? It's impossible even to think about absence of these important things. Now we can't live a day without them!
22 мар 2010 The problem of finding a match
Can you count the most important things in the world? Love and marriage are considered to be among them.
15 мар 2010 English Art Therapy
Can you draw? No? It doesn't matter. The point is that you can speak English and express your thoughts and ideas. Today colours, paints and brushes will help you to do it more emotionally!
10 мар 2010 The Most Famous Women
We spoke about the most famous women from all over the world. Each person prepared a short story about an outstanding woman and told us about her achievements and some facts from her biography. We tried to make our top-list of the world-famous women.
06 мар 2010 The periodical press I usually read
There're a lot of different kinds of periodical press. The most available and oldest are magazines and newspapers. What do you usually read? What genre do you prefer? What can you advise for everybody?
27 фев 2010 The time-table of English Club (March-May 2010)
Meet the time-table of English Club for the spring months. You can choose the topics you like and visit the meetings of English club. Read some interesting and useful information before the meeting and be ready to speak English.
22 фев 2010 The most famous men
We shared opinions about the most outstanding men in Russia and in the world, spoke about their likes and dislikes. We know every man is unique but all of them are men and have got much in common.
07 фев 2010 Problems of Translation
Studying foreign languages you often come across with the problems of translation from and into your native language. Would you like to try translation of classic literature? It's really difficult but interesting.
31 янв 2010 Fancywork and handicraft
Will you tell us about your hobbies which are connected with handicraft? A few members of English Club brought their own works and showed us their little masterpieces. The other members of English Club could appreciate them.


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Purpose built for digital signage, MediaVue has engineered the most optimal hardware and software components in our players to run content and peripheral technologies and ensure the highest level of performance. SureVues not only deliver rich content, they simplify integration and offer a consistent user experience across all devices, allowing for future innovation and scaling to happen seamlessly within communications programs.
Tried and tested, SureVues continue to operate in the most extreme environments.
SureVues runs Windows or our Linux-based MVOS software stack. Our custom operating system is flexible and adaptive. Updates and the addition of new functionalities can all be done in-place without needing to replace any hardware, components, or devices. As a result, SureVues have a longer life-cycle, are highly secure, and are able to perform under ever-changing use cases.
Our family of SureVue models offer a device for every use case.
Our "D Series" of players range from one output to six, and have more than enough capacity to handle dynamic, interactive content, streaming, and multiple applications at once. The most powerful SureVue players, the D6 and D4, are the only devices on the market that can run large-scale multi-screen video walls without the need for splitters or scalers. These models are the go-to choice when customers are looking to achieve stunning one-of-a-kind installations.
In 2017, we released the Carbon, a compact lightweight, single screen fanless player. This reliable, small form-factor player has a lot of power and is ideal for corporate environments, kiosks, and other applications where multiple single screens are needed.
For more SureVue information or to have a consultation about which models might work best for your project goals, contact a MediaVue representative today.
Our proprietary software, Active Network Manager (ANM), is critical to the successful deployment, operation and scaling of an enterprise-level digital signage project. It is important at any stage and can be run on any device, allowing users to actively and remotely manage player updates, operate programs, and scale networks around the world. ANM saves our customers time and money by expediting troubleshooting (when necessary) and keeping programs secure even under the most challenging conditions.
ANM is an essential part of the MediaVue System because it provides unparalleled remote visibility into your digital program and infrastructure, autonomously prevents problems, and drives efficient management control of your digital signage network.
Bottom line: ANM's value is in the ability it gives you to effectively scale, operate and manage a large, dispersed digital program. It is designed to do this in the face of limited labor resources, local end points that are largely beyond your control, evolving business objectives, and an ever more aggressive and rapidly evolving security threat environment.
Our Support services not only set us apart, they ensure mutual success between us and our partners.
Committed to being a true technology partner from initial program concept to innovation and growth, MediaVue offers unparalleled product support. The engineers who design our SureVue players, MVOS operating system, and Active Network Manager software, are the same technicians who offer support to our customers. In addition, our expert engineering and support team regularly curates and manages updates to ensure the highest level of maintenance and security for your programs.
MediaVue's methods surrounding curation of our image and management of our MVOS updates provide an advantage for our customers. By constantly and carefully curating the image to capture critical updates and sharing the most compatible, useful and secure enhancements, we ensure a controlled and secure operating system on SureVue media players. In addition to improving the quality of the software stack, we specifically test and validate all components as we manage the process of updating players with the new operating system and carefully schedule our releases.
MediaVue Support Services are customized to the needs of your projects and include:
MediaVue provides advanced engineering and custom services designed to meet the particular needs of global, enterprise-level customers to support growing and leveraging their programs.
This includes offerings such as:
To learn more about these specific services, please contact a MediaVue Representative today.
© MediaVue Systems Inc 2019


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re: Top JavaScript Frameworks For 2019 VIEW POST
re: I think the better source to quote is Laurie Voss, CTO of npm, giving a speech at JSConf US specifically saying that Ember is having a resurgence 😂...
nikhiltyagi04 Author
Yeah i watched the video after Preston mentioned it in his comments. Looks like NPM stats and StateOfJs are saying the opposite. That might probably change when 2019 results are out. But i do concede, NPM stats are undoubtedly a reliable source. By the end of 2019 it would be clear if Ember can sustain the newfound growth or not. The more i researched on this after discussion with Preston i keep getting contradictory analysis. But ember showing resurgence in early 2018 looks indelible. I should tweak the article to mention that fact.


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About Augusta Health
Nestled in Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, Augusta Health is among the finest community hospitals in America. Our patients receive an exceptional level of care, reassured that their loved ones and visitors have many amenities available within the hospital so they can all be comfortable while staying close during difficult times.
Augusta Health opened in 1994 to continue a tradition of personalized care with small-town hospitality that began more than 50 years ago with predecessor hospitals in Staunton and Waynesboro, Virginia. Today, our highly trained physicians and staff use state-of-the-art technology to provide superlative care with warmth and compassion.
If you are a dedicated healthcare professional, you will find exciting career opportunities at Augusta Health. If you are a resident of Augusta County or surrounding areas, you can benefit from a variety of programs we host to promote good health in the communities we serve.
Quick Stats for 2018
- 255 beds
- 280 active medical staff
- 2,100 employees
- 290 volunteers
- 53,000 emergency visits
- 10,925 admissions
- 1,100 babies delivered
- 750 new cancer patients
- 310,000 outpatient visits to Augusta Medical Group clinics
- 444,000 other Outpatient Registrations (this includes Home Health, Laboratory, Outpatient Surgery, Imaging, etc.)


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This is what You Require To Find out Roughly VPN
Virtual private network technology is based mostly on the concept of tunneling. Use of distance vector protocols to deal with the routing tables would cause a equivalent unexpected upturn in traffic load up, as well as the spike expands in immediate portion for the quantity of backed VPNs. ATT offers mastered security products that include installation, arrangement and monitoring of assumption and network products. The extensiveness of what details the storage space accumulates for you when ever you hook up should be outlined evidently in the level of privacy policy belonging to the VPN services you are employing. L2TP is usually not commonly seen in employ designed for individual remote access links, but this has got verified well-liked to get carrier-based IP-VPN WAN products and services since Coating two and PPP offerings could be supervised on distinct units in a packet-switched network, leading to better effectiveness.
They will handle using an even more advanced higher level of data compression than other VPNs, so this means they require much less random access memory and battery. The Internet enables everything to be connected and inside the wider cloth of global on-line are smaller devoted systems which in turn present increased protection. This kind of is mainly because the IP address is without question replaced with the address of your VPN. Be sure you do not have to use two distinct VPNs with two unique policies and agreements even though you wish to secure your cellphone along with your laptop computer. IPSec is one of the most complete, protect, and commercially available, standards-based protocols created for carrying data. This article is about Digital Exclusive Sites.
VPN technology was developed so that you can allow remote control users and branch office buildings to securely access corporate applications and also other resources. We like that this company offers a connection kill move characteristic and, with respect to those who require it, may possibly be an alternative to get a committed IP address. Though other different technologies have emerged during the past few years, it is observed by many IT experts that a virtual private network offers more advantages than disadvantages with regards to secure marketing and sales communications. The picture below gives a description of how VPNs may be used to connect home and mobile users to VPN servers in other countries and be provided with public IP addresses in those countries.
In Or windows 7, you can easily connect and disconnect by simply starting the Network Cable connections screen and right-clicking the VPN connection. This is how the www.otokiralamasitesi.net VPN uses a gateway device to get in touch to the complete network in a single site to a network within area. The greatest security common readily available is referred to as AES Advanced Security Standard 256-bit and is also employed by one of the most recommended VPN providers. Your ISP is your online Services Provider. Besides acting for the reason that an intermediary, VPNs take care of you in two various other key methods: they encrypt your internet site visitors and government funding you a fresh IP address so your realistic IP is hidden. By contrast, subscription VPN services will be more reliable and are generally committed to guarding their very own users' level of privacy.
The cost of utilizing a virtual personal network are affordable for any company that previously has a network and high speed gain access to to the Internet. RFC 3069, VLAN Aggregation for the purpose of Efficient IP Address Allocation. Virtual Private Sites, or VPNs aren't unique but they're getting a lots of attention these days for the purpose of the two secureness and privacy-related factors. L2TP is likewise more secure mainly because it provides end-to-end encryption through IPSec whilst PPTP provides only web page link encryption through MPPE. Gresca equipment found in the carrier's backbone network includes Gresca 12000 Series Internet routers to hook up the info centers, and Barullo 7200 and 7500 Series Routers to link the internet connection points of gain access to.


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Symetrica has been awarded eurostars™ funding to further develop Mobile Triage Systems leading a consortium that will continue an innovative trajectory and provide a triage solution that enables our users to make smarter decisions.
Discovery Technology® was benchmarked as part of the FP7 Program SCINTILLA with outstanding results culminating in a successful project review with the EU. During the program, systems were brought to market fulfilling the objective to populate a toolbox with new, advanced, commercially available nuclear detection tools. The program delivered Discovery Technology solutions across a complete range of use cases including; cargo, vehicle, pedestrian and luggage screening and 3He free neutron detection. This core technology will be further developed as part of the eurostars program to deliver market leading radiation triage.
More information can be found here.


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Home is the best place to go home and gather with family. After a tired day of activity, the house is also the most comfortable place to go back and sleep. Therefore, everyone tries their best to have a spacious home. One crucial room in a house is the living room. The living room requires furniture so that it can function optimally as a place to welcome guests who come to visit. One of the furniture that you can put in the living room is a rustic square coffee table. With a variety of designs and colors that you can choose according to your taste.
A rustic square coffee table can give a simple impression but still beautiful. Many people like this type of coffee table because of the simplicity of the design and materials. Before deciding to buy a rustic square coffee table, you should know the concept of the living room in your home. Make sure your living room concept is suitable for a rustic coffee table. The right interior design can make a room feel alive and beautiful. If you like the theme of a simple living room, you can put a living room table, a living room chair, and a simple sofa to fit the theme of your living room.
If you have a new house, you have to work hard to fill the furniture and decorate so that every room in your home can function optimally, comfortable and pleasant to see. A lovely living room does not have to be filled with a variety of expensive furniture. You can easily buy rustic square coffee tables at affordable prices. So, please imagine decorating your dream living room.
The Best Rustic Square Coffee Table for Your Living Room
Some tips on choosing the right coffee table for the living room:
Adjust to your needs
A coffee table is useful for putting coffee and snacks. Please consider what your needs are. Everyone has different needs, including in terms of choosing a coffee table that suits their taste.
Must read: Black Sofa Living Room Decorating Ideas
Measure the height
You have to pay attention to the height of the coffee table you want. Usually, the coffee table has a height as high as the top of the sofa. However, you can customize it to your liking.
Pay attention to the size
A coffee table that is too small is not good. A coffee table that is too large is not good. Therefore, make sure you pay attention to the right size. A standard coffee table usually measures 2/3 of the width of the sofa.
Coffee table shape
You can choose the shape of the coffee table according to your taste and according to the theme of your living room. There are many choices of coffee table shape, namely round, oval, asymmetrical, square or rectangular. Please choose the best shape in your opinion.
In choosing a coffee table, you must also pay attention to the materials used to make the coffee table. There are several materials commonly used to create coffee tables, namely marble, glass, brass, painted metal, and wood. Please choose according to your tastes and needs.
That's information and some tips related to the rustic square coffee table. Realize your dream living room right now. Give the best for your home. One complement of happiness in life is to have a comfortable and beautiful home. Hopefully, the house you have dreamed of can soon be realized. Maybe useful.


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Cibo e Beve celebrates the vibrant culture and food of Italy.Enjoy our authentic take on Italian classics!
Chef Linda Harrell brings more than 30 years of excitement creating magnificent Italian cuisine to Cibo e Beve. Harrell received her culinary foundation and formal European training working with acclaimed Chef Daniel Yves Abid, a protégé of Alain Ducasse, at Kingsmill Resorts in Williamsburg, Virginia. With more than two decades of expertise and ardent enthusiasm behind her, Harrell has cooked at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City and was featured on the national ABC-TV show, "Eat & Greet." She was also a contestant on the Food Network shows Kitchen Inferno and Beat Bobby Flay. She has been featured in numerous periodicals such as Gourmet Magazine, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Magazine, Flavors, and Atlanta Magazine. She is a member of Les Dames D'Escoffier International and actively participates in demonstrations and benefits throughout Atlanta.
Follow her on Twitter: @lharrell101Follow her on Instagram: @lharrell10


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The date of payment from buyers deliver within days
Long-term effective
2017-11-18 20:04
18#, Xitang Road, Xizhang Town, Zhangjiagang City, Jiangsu Province, China
semi automatic low cost PET bottle stretch blow molding machine 100ml-2L 2/4 cavity
YC-2L series designed by CE standard. With microcomputer controlling system, it controls various technical parameter needed more accurately and more steadily. Only one person without special training operates it more easily and more safely. YC-2L-2 is fit to blow carbonated beverage bottles, mineral water bottles, cosmetics bottles , especially oil bottles with handles.
Technology advantage:
Special design,high rigid compound die structure
Wide adaptability, suitable for every type mould thickness
Adjust convenience
No mould rolling out
More energy conservation,no need much air supply
High burnish principal axis, with very precise polishing, light action and low noise.
Short mould stroke,quick action
All ZG45 casting, with long timing process,very small transformation,can meet your precise request 100%
Hig dead-weigh, ensure the steady during the opeartion


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Multiple Sclerosis Centers of Excellence
Information For Veterans
About MS
Learn about what MS is, its different disease courses, and possible causes of MS.
Veterans Benefits and Services
The VA provides health care services to Veterans with MS from the time of diagnosis throughout their life, whether or not they have a service-connected or non-service connected status.
MS Caregivers/Partners
It is important for caregivers to take the time to analyze their caregiving responsibilities and understand potential resources that may be available for them.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Whole Health
Complementary and alternative medicine includes approaches to MS that are not generally considered a part of conventional medicine.
Diagnosing MS
Outlines the complex process for diagnosing MS.
MS Centers of Excellence Network Facilities
MSCoE has developed a national integrated network of dedicated MS health care professionals for care and referrals within the VA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Provides answers to some of our most frequently received questions from Veterans and people affected by MS.
Treatment Options for MS
Overview of the goals for MS therapies as well as the options available.
Research in Veterans Affairs Healthcare System
Information on participating in VA research and results from VA studies.
Resources for People Affected by MS
Provides links to VA and non-VA resources for people affected by MS. Learn more about MS and the many MS programs and products available.
Symptoms of MS
Every person's experience living with MS is different. Learn about the many symptoms of MS and methods to manage these symptoms.
Veterans with MS Share Their Stories
Our Veteran stories are filled with life's challenges, the value of family and friends, and hopefulness. Read about Veterans who may share your life experiences.


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Birthdays seem magical when you're little; why not bring the magic to life with everything you need to dress up like a princess? Your once upon a time is about to come true.
(Other ideas for this party include: Pink Princess, Fairy Princess or Tutu's & Tiaras)
Party for 10 guests
This theme includes:
30 minute phone consultation
Themed costumes/accessories with display rack
Themed music suggestions
Basic themed table decorations including table cloth, centerpiece and table runner
Games & Activities for a 2 hour party (age appropriate)
Custom food planner and ideas
Party time schedule and checklist suggestions
Themed welcome sign for yard


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TOUCHED WITH FIRE R 1 hr 46 min
When two poets with bipolar disorder meet in a treatment facility, their chemistry is instant and intense driving each other's mania to new heights. They pursue their passion which breaks outside the bounds of sanity, swinging them from fantastical highs to tormented lows until they ultimately must choose between sanity and love. Starring Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby. This limited release film is a McMillan Library Film Festival selection.