Geo Info

The oil industry is a gold mine but it has its fair share of occupational hazards too. This is true about most oil companies whether they work onshore or offshore. Oil and gas firms have experts that ensure the highest safety and security standards are enforced in their operations. However, offshore drilling accidents still happen and the results can be devastating. Below are some accidents that may happen in the course of oil and gas activities.

Gas Explosions
In many oil companies, gas flaring has reduced to the barest minimum. Instead of burning natural gas at drilling sites, oil companies process this vital fuel and put them in gas cylinders for domestic use. Natural gas can also be piped and used to power industries. The problem is that gas is highly inflammable. One tiny spark can cause a huge gas explosion and when this happens, the consequences can be devastating.

Oil Spills and Environmental Pollution
Offshore drilling is not an exact science. When petroleum engineers and other experts drill for oil, the aim is to get the crude oil out of the ground and refine it without any misfortunes. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. For oil companies operating near rivers and other water bodies, there is always a risk of oil spill and the attendant water pollution. In cases where there is an oil spill, the local community can sue the oil company if the spill affects their farming and fishing activities.

Litigation Arising from Offshore Drilling
In many cases, accidents on drilling platforms lead to litigation. This is a direct consequence of damage caused by the accident and the reluctance of the oil firm to pay adequate compensation to those affected by the accident. For instance, if workers are injured in a gas explosion, those affected deserve adequate treatment and compensation by the firm. In addition; they are entitled to compensation under the terms of the insurance policies taken out by the employer on their behalf. If the oil company tries to wriggle out of meeting its obligations, the next step is litigation.

In cases where an oil spill has an adverse effect on the fishing industry, local fishermen and fishing companies operating in that area can sue the oil company. In any of these scenarios, you need a competent and experienced attorney to file the case and ensure that you get compensation. Oil companies do not anticipate offshore drilling accidents. However, when these accidents do happen, the company in question must meet its obligations to those affected by the accident.

All homeowners desire to have a beautiful, plush green lawn and a great security system from security companies in Winnipeg – which, by the way, we’ll be talking about in another post! However, maintaining the lawns in this condition requires hard work. Here are some essential lawn care tips that will aid your quest for that perfect lawn.

Preparation

Before you plant a new lawn, it is vital to prepare and plan. Regardless of the planting method you intend to use, you must prepare the planting area meticulously to eradicate weeds and ensure that the soil does not crust or form lumpy ruts. One critical step, which most gardeners usually skip, is performing pH tests on the soil. You can use simplified test kits from catalogs or nurseries. You can also take advantage of the facilities offered by the agricultural institutions in your locality.

Soil aeration

Heavy and continuous foot traffic can compact the soil in the lawn, causing water runoff which leaves your lawn looking tired and lacking in vibrant colors. To rectify this, poke holes in the ground to aerate the lawn soil. You can either use a lawn aerator, rented from a rental center in your local area or aerate manually using a tool such as a pitchfork. Aeration also ensures proper soil moisturization.

Fertilization

Applying fertilizer when spring starts will give your lawn a running start and applying again in late spring will enhance the nourishing effect during summer-which is the prime lawn-growing time .Take care to pull out weeds such as broadleaf weeds whose growth will also be boosted by the application of the fertilizer.

Mowing

When you are mowing, do not cut the grass too short, as this stresses it. Gardening experts recommend that you raise the mower to the highest notch and therefore cut the uppermost third of the grass. Taller grass enhances root development and shades the ground so it does not dry too fast. It also blocks the sun and this helps to curb the germination of weed seeds. In addition, unlike what many people believe, cutting the grass short does not mean you will not mow it often. Shortly-cut grass will often renew itself very quickly, so you will not save any time.

During early spring, you should ensure you do proper maintenance on your lawnmower and other tools. You need to sharpen the mower blades and change the spark plug, filters and oil.

Overseeding

As time passes, your lawn starts to fade and the rate of grass reproduction goes down. Your lawn may also start to develop unhealthy-looking patches which are susceptible to weeds. To avoid this, you need to spread some grass seeds over the whole lawn once the snow has gone. This will result in new grass popping in the unhealthy area, ensuring that your lawn remains thick and beautiful.

Thorough watering

A thorough weekly soaking makes the roots of your lawn to extend deeper into the ground. This makes your lawn more drought-resistant. Conversely, watering frequently and shallowly results in thatching, which is an ugly network of brown runner roots which can be seen above the soil. Deep watering also helps to combat chinch bugs which thrive on poor stressed-out lawns. Generally, healthy lawns require one inch of water each week. Early morning is the appropriate time to water the lawn, since less water is lost to evaporation. It is advisable to water for half an inch, then give it one or two hours before watering the other half-inch.

Building or renovating a home is a large task with many factors to oversee. Because of this, it is easy to stumble into a situation or overlook a certain element of the project that will lead to major problems down the road. Luckily, we have prepared some tips on how to avoid the most common (and serious) mistakes that are made when setting out to create a dream home.

Firstly, make sure that plans are set in stone and clearly visualized before work commences to avoid changes later down the line. Although this sounds like a common sense step, it will also pay dividends to hire an experienced project manager or a home builder Winnipeg to double check each aspect of the work that needs to be done. As they say, ‘measure twice, cut once’. By making sure that everybody is on the same page before work begins, you will avoid potentially wasting a substantial sum of money down the road to correct any errors.

A second mistake that people often make is to add features that are massively out of keeping with the existing structure or neighborhood. Try to avoid mixing disparate architectural styles; an adobe roof, for example, would look very out of place on the garage of a suburban house in New England. As well as potentially aggravating the neighbors, this will only make it harder to sell the house due to the polarizing effect that this will have on buyers.

Don’t DIY major features such as plumbing and wiring. Hire professionals unless you yourself have the relevant skillset. A professional tradesman may seem like an unnecessary expense at present, but that pales in comparison to the costs of damage you could cause. They will also have a wealth of experience to draw on and will be able to avoid many issues that, although maybe not immediately apparent in your plans, could cause major headaches down the line.

Skimping on materials is another major mistake that many people are all too happy to make. Although the potential savings are attractive, using low-quality building materials will cause problems down the line. From being potentially unsafe to just looking shoddy, the cons massively outweigh the pros when it comes to using bargain-basement supplies on your home. A far better idea is to ask your contractors for advice and recommendations on which materials to purchase. Most likely, they will offer to sell you the materials themselves. Although this may at first glance seem like profiteering, bear in mind that when buying from contractors, they will most likely be able to get stuff from wholesalers at a reduced rate. This means that even with their markup added, they will offering a competitive rate.

Perhaps the most tragic error that people commonly make is using the wrong finishes. Even with the best building materials, the value and appearance of a quality house can be betrayed by using cheap paints, paneling and countertops etc. Although these things may seem relatively minor compared to the massive undertaking the actual building work, it is vital to remember that these will be the most immediate indicators of quality that a buyer will see when viewing the house.