|
|
|
 Related Articles
|
|
|
|
| |
Author: Fat Frank
Subject: Human Error
Posted: Fri Nov 09, 2007 8:33 am (GMT 2)
Topic Replies: 0
From News24. While human error is the largest cause, it does not say if human error is a greater cause than 10 years ago. Fact, incident are DOWN although flights are 3 TIMES more.
Accidents: Human error concern
08/11/2007 23:05 - (SA)
Erika Gibson, Beeld
Pretoria - The number of accidents involving aircraft and air deaths in South Africa have dropped in the past 10 years, while the number of aircraft has nearly tripled in that time.
Acccording to aviation expert Linden Birns, there were 145 flying accidents last year, when there were more than 50 000 flights.
Birns has analysed the aircraft accident statistics of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) for the period 1996 to 2006.
He was responding to questions about the apparent increase recently in the number of aircraft accidents.
There have been three incidents at Cape Town International Airport in the past week - a passenger plane slid off a runway, a runaway baggage trolley injured three people and a Nationwide Airline's jet lost an engine.
107 blamed on human error
Birns said: "The average number of crashes in the past 10 years is about 150 a year."
What was more worrying was that 107 of the 145 accidents last year could be attributed to human error on the part of flight crews.
There were also 23 cases of mechanical or engine problems, 11 were caused by weather conditions, 10 were maintenance-related and six were crashes.
_________________It is better to live one day as a Lion than a Hundred Years as a sheep |
| |
|
| |
| |
Dear Readers Welcome to the latest edition of Enviro-Chat.SOUTH AFRICA ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS Know the fireworks laws.Improper use of fireworks is illegal in Johannesburg and it is important to remind residents about the City's strict fireworks regulations and about the rights of residents to demand Council action against illegal fireworks usage. Unless special Council authorisation has been applied for and granted, there are only 11 days annually when residents are allowed to "light or ignite" fireworks. Guy Fawkes and Divali are such days. (R 500 fine on other days) ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1423> . 2007 SAB Environmentalist Awards – Winners AnnouncedGreen and brown issues took centre stage at the SAB Environmentalist of the Year and Environmental Journalists of the Year Awards which were held at the SAB World of Beer in Newtown. Andrew Muir, executive director of the Wilderness Foundation, was named Environmentalist of the Year and received the Nick Steele Memorial Award for his work ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1421> .Climate consciousness dim at energy summitAT A national energy summit held by the minerals and energy department recently to initiate a review of energy policy in the light of evolving national circumstances, climate change received some attention, but the focus was on security of energy supply. At the risk of being cynical, one might conclude from the balance of proceedings that the objective of the summit was to legitimise a massive expansion of the use of coal and nuclear power ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1441> .EIA Process – Xolobeni Heavy Minerals Sands ProjectThe Xolobeni Mineral Sands project is situated approximately 250 km south west of Durban and approximately 60 km south east of Mbizana and 30 km south of Port Edward in the Eastern Cape Province. The prospecting activities undertaken by Transworld Energy and Minerals Resources (SA) (Pty) Limited (“TEM”) have indicated the feasibility of mining heavy minerals in the area ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1434> .Keeping Coast “Whale Friendly” is a priority.The SA Whale Disentanglement Network says more and more giants of the ocean are becoming victims of rock lobster trappings and that solving this problem is a priority. On Tuesday, marine rescue officers battled to free a 9,75m Southern Right whale entangled in nets ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1414> . Kruger Park Advises Claimants On Eco-TourismA community that won 2 600 hectares of land as part of a land restitution claim, plans to expand the game lodge they inherited to include a 500-room hotel with conference facilities. The Libuyile Community Trust from Kaapmuiden near Malalane in Mpumalanga is also seeking advice from the neighbouring Kruger National Park on how to train their staff ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1449> .Wonderfontein Spruit - Toxic Dams Closed to Public After the effluxion of 7 years and excessive labour, it appears that we have succeeded that some of the radiation areas within the Wonderfonteinspruit catchment have been identified and warning signs have been erected ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1399> . Hartebeespoort residents agree water provision is a mess.The overwhelming majority of people who sent in forms about the privatisation of the water supply in Hartbeespoort are unhappy with the current state of affairs and want the provision of water to be privatised. Sixty five participants completed forms in terms of section 78 of the Municipal Systems Act No 32 of 2000 ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1450> .President orders safety audit over all SA mines.President Thabo Mbeki has requested South Africa's Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica to conduct an audit of all the country's mines to determine whether they were meeting the law's prescribed health and safety standards ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1401> .Eskom views renewable energies as “competition”A competitor is somebody contending with you for the same prize, or, in the world of business, for the same customer, resource, sale, etc. It is the company with the best strategies and advantages that will be the winner of the sale and ultimately the survivor in the business arena. Eskom as an organisation will have to deal with competition in its own area of business as the free market system evolves in South Africa ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1438> .SAPPI making a big stinkMultinational pulp and paper giant Sappi is under fire for poisoning life in the mighty Thukela River. Several local residents and fishermen are fuming about the foul chemical smells, poor fishing, dirty water, foam and paper fibre residues that sometimes make their fishing tackle look like "washing lines". Rudy van der Elst, a fish expert and director of the Durban-based Oceanographic Research Institute, said there had been serious complaints about the condition of the river for several months and the department of water affairs needed to clarify what action it was taking ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1437> . INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NEWSWorld Food Day 2007 – Food is a Human Right"If our planet produces enough food to feed its entire population, why do 854 million people still go to sleep on an empty stomach?" demanded Dr. Jacques Diouf today. Speaking at the World Food Day ceremony on this year's theme The Right to Food, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization director-general said, "A right is not a right if it cannot be claimed." ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1426> .Full Sail Ahead For Wind EnergyFind a site. Buy’em. Plant’em. Plug’em in. Aside from the growing worldwide demand for clean power, it’s relatively easy to build wind energy capacity. Why would anyone consider building a nuclear power plant of say 1000 megawatts - which can take years to build - when power developers can buy off-the-shelf products (those megawatt-class wind turbines) and plant them in the soil for the same amount of power as the nuke in a very short period of time .... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1412> . Red Lipstick Spreads the LeadSome of the red lipsticks manufactured in the United States and used daily by millions of women contain high levels of lead, according to new product tests commissioned by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a nonprofit coalition ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1427> . Niger’s Uranium RebellionBefore the protest march, leaflets were scattered around town claiming Libyan troops had entered Niger to annex the country’s oil and land while French business people were busy looting the country of its meagre wealth. And when hundreds of Nigeriens took to the streets of their capital recently, they did more than accuse neighbouring Libya of backing rebels and call for Areva, a French nuclear firm mining uranium in the north of the country, to leave ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1422> . Torrential rains, floods kill 20 in Central AmericaEmergency officials across Central America worked to clean up towns inundated by recent deadly floods and landslides, and braced for more bad weather on Sunday. At least 20 people were killed and thousands evacuated across Central America after days of torrential rain sparked landslides and flooding ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1417> . Wind is the fastest-growing type of energy.On farmland outside of Brownsdale, a community-owned wind farm with 20 turbines is expected to be operational by 2009. As of now, there's just a meteorological tower on the site collecting wind data prior to the construction of the turbines, which will generate energy for two separate projects, according to Dan Juhl, an internationally known wind-energy expert who's working on the project in Mower County ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1432> . Kiwis look to wind powerContact Energy said Tuesday that it could spend as much as 2 billion New Zealand dollars, or $1.5 billion, building the largest wind farm in New Zealand to help reduce its reliance on gas-fired power plants ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1431> . Australia advances with solar powerAUSTRALIA is to build the world’s most advanced solar power station using thousands of mirrors to concentrate the sun’s energy and produce enough electricity to meet the needs of 45,000 homes. Inspired by technologies used to power satellites, it will operate without producing any greenhouse gas emissions — which have been blamed for global warming — and will convert solar energy directly to electric current ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1430> . Search for Greenest Car Now Easier OnlineHybrid vehicles continue to lead the government's fuel economy ratings released Friday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The Toyota Prius tops the 2008 Fuel Economy Guide at 48 miles per gallon mpg city and 45 mpg on the highway. More hybrid models are available than ever - SUVs as well as cars - giving consumers greater choices when shopping for fuel efficient vehicles ... read more <http://www.environment.co.za/topic...._ID=1429> . |
| |
|
| |
| |
Solar-Powered Lights Will Ease CongestionBusiness Day (Johannesburg)5 October 2007SA's first solar-powered traffic light intersection has been unveiled in Cape Town, and the development could spell the end of traffic chaos caused by power-cut stricken robots.The pilot site -- an eight-robot intersection on Plantation Road, Montagu's Gift -- was retrofitted with energy efficient LED lights, a monitoring unit, a solar panel and batteries as part of a three-month assessment period.The intersection was successfully taken off Eskom's power supply at a ceremonial solar switch on Monday.The aim is to assess whether sun power can keep the robots working normally at all times, and see if the controlling technology can successfully handle transitions between Eskom outages and solar power.Besides the potential benefits for motorists, the robots are also more environmentally friendly, because they rely on renewable solar energy, and do not use power generated by burning fossil fuels like coal. In the future, the robots could even add excess energy to the national grid.The 4m' solar panel -- mounted on a lamppost height pole to prevent theft -- can generate 500W. Currently an average traffic intersection uses about the same amount of power during a month as a three-bedroom house. It is estimated that Cape Town's robots draw the same amount of power as 1200 three-bedroom homes.This means potential energy savings in the future would be sizeable if all robots changed from halogen lights to energy efficient LED clusters powered by the sun.Barry Bredenkamp, operations manager of the National Energy Efficiency Agency, which has backed the project, said the pilot site was a very welcome step along the path to an energy efficient SA."This is a very exciting initiative, both in terms of relieving traffic congestion and its energy saving benefits," he commented."The main aim is to keep the robot working normally during power cuts, and determine to what extent traffic intersections can be run without Eskom power," said Bredenkamp.Stefan Hanel, director and engineer from MagCode SA, the Cape Town-based company implementing the project, said depending on weather conditions and use, the batteries could last three days without charging." The batteries should be able to power the robots for about three cloudy days," he said.ACCOLADE FOR CLEAN, GREEN ARCHITECTUREAMID a growing social consciousness for environmentally friendly construction and choices, a private home in Gauteng has been voted SA's best green building in the third annual Visi-South African Institute of Architects (Saia) national survey.The Van Dijk's home beat 11 national buildings, ranging from corporate head offices and distribution centres, an art gallery and a community centre.Presenting an innovative use of plain cement and glass, the Van Dijk house garnered nearly 60% more votes than the second-placed Trace Gas Monitoring Laboratory in Cape Town, where architectural design has produced a free flow of natural stone to blend in with the surrounding hillside and fynbos.Third place, by a single point, went to the BP head office in Cape Town - another pioneering design that considered the benefits of solar panelling and alternative power sources -- followed by the Reservoir Art Gallery in Bloemfontein.The survey, sent to 2500 respondents nationally, invited South Africans to vote for their favourite green building via the Visi website over a six-week period.The 12 buildings were nominated by the regional Saia presidents based on environmentally friendly and energy efficient design.According to Visi editor Sumien Brink, "green" buildings address temperature control to ensure that lower amounts of energy are required to keep the building cool or warm, and -- wherever possible -- local skills and materials are employed and used during the building process.Solar or wind power, the use of recycled materials and restrictions on ecologically damaging materials encompasses the elements of sound green building practices."In short, green buildings are safer and healthier and are aligned with the principles of sustainable development," says Brink. "Huis van Dijk wholly embodies the desire to minimise the ecological impact by giving back to the environment."In what may become a reflection of future architectural design and guidelines, the survey revealed that people wishing to build houses from renewable resources chose primarily natural stone.Their second choice was timber from demolished houses and recycled materials.Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/200710050904.html |
| |
|
| |
| |
“Aren’t you going to take a coat?” a friend asks me as we rush out the door to attend a charity event in Cape Town’s lush Kirstenbosch Botanical gardens. Although the sky is clear and the sun is shining, in Cape Town this is no simple question. Situated between two oceans, and languishing in the [...] |
| |
|
| |
| |
Hundreds braved the stormy, cold weather in Cape Town on Saturday to take the 4-5 hour car trip to catch a glimpse of snow. Some even managed to gather enough snow together to make snowmen …. Snow men in Africa!
Related Links:
Ceres Accommodation
Ceres Attractions
Breede River Valley |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cape Town is a great place to learn to kitesurf and also one of
the best kitesurfing locations in the world. We've got perfect wind
conditions for kitesurfing, great weather and |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cape Town is a great place to learn to kitesurf and also one of
the best kitesurfing locations in the world. We've got perfect wind
conditions for kitesurfing, great weather and |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cape Town is a great place to learn to kitesurf and also one of
the best kitesurfing locations in the world. We've got perfect wind
conditions for kitesurfing, great weather and |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cape Town is a great place to learn to kitesurf and also one of
the best kitesurfing locations in the world. We've got perfect wind
conditions for kitesurfing, great weather and |
| |
|
| |
| |
Cape Town is a great place to learn to kitesurf and also one of
the best kitesurfing locations in the world. We've got perfect wind
conditions for kitesurfing, great weather and |
| |
|
| |
|
|
Related Companies |
| |
|
|
|