Safety & Your Swing Set

May 29th, 2011 by Caroline

A backyard swing set may be a dream come true for your kids, but for you it is a major responsibility. You are going to need to oversee the use of the set by not just your own children, but all their friends and playmates . You need to set ground rules for playing on the swings and other equipment and you need to get in the habit of inspecting the swings and play area for possible hazards.

Rules for using the set should be fairly straightforward. Younger children should not be allowed on the swings without adult supervision. You may want to prohibit jumping off the swings or swinging while standing up. The swings should be off limits after nightfall or during storms, rain, or snow.

You or your spouse should inspect the equipment regularly to look for rust, dirt buildup, and cracks or other damage to the equipment. Wood swings may splinter and paint on metal sets may chip or peel. You should replace any worn or broken swing set parts immediately and learn to oil chains and other hardware. Lastly, you should inspect the ground under the swing set for rocks and other objects that could cause an injury if a child fell off the swings.

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How to Pick the Right Menu Cover

May 22nd, 2011 by Caroline

When faced with an item on a to do list such as choose menu cover , many budding restauranteurs throw up their hands and want to give up. They have likely made hundreds of similar small decisions at this point and really, all they care about is the food and the overall design. They didn’t get into this project to make all these little choices and, for the most part, they didn’t even realize they would have to pick such minutia.

They need to keep reminding themselves that it is the little decisions, like menu covers, that create the overall ambiance of the restaurant. A misstep with these little things can actually detract from the food or the ambiance and make the dining experience less attractive or memorable for the wrong reasons. As long as they think of the menu cover as an essential part of the restaurant’s design , they will be in the right frame of mind to make the decision.

Choosing the cover then becomes a matter of answering a series of questions:

1. Which type of cover will suit the type of restaurant being built?
2. Is the primary function of the cover to provide literal protection from physical damage or to enhance the attractiveness of the menu, or both?
3. What color and material will fit with the restaurant’s overall brand?
4. Is a custom designed cover needed due to an oddly shaped or sized menu?
5. How many covers are needed?

That’s really all there is to picking the right menu cover for a new restaurant.

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Using a Pulse Oximeter

May 15th, 2011 by Caroline

Medical science has developed a wide range of instruments and tools to diagnose and treat health conditions, diseases, and illnesses. Generally speaking, individuals only have access to these tools if they have been diagnosed with a specific condition. Other than thermometers, humidifiers, and heating pads, most people don’t need medical equipment. That makes understanding what a Pulse Oximeter is and how it works relevant to a fairly limited population — generally those who have been diagnosed with breathing problems or sleep disorders like sleep apnea.

In the case of sleep apnea, individuals find that they are unable to breathe constantly throughout the night. They literally stop breathing over and over again, waking up each time. This leads to a variety of symptoms and problems that interfere with the patient’s ability to function during waking hours. Use of CPAP machines and related equipment, like the pulse oximeter, can put an end to those problems.

The original oximeter required blood tests in order to monitor oxygen saturation levels within a patient. Today’s pulse oximeter emits beams of light through the finger, one visible to the eye and one infrared light. These lights monitor the color of blood flowing through the finger and the machine then calculates the oxygen level of the blood. By monitoring oxygen levels, patients on CPAP can make sure that their breathing is improving while they sleep; higher levels means better breathing and better sleep.

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