Ensure A Safe Workplace Essay Example for Free

Ensure A Safe Workplace Essay The legislation and compliance requirements that are relevant to ABC Chemicals’ for all cabling done on the premise must be conducted by a fully certified and qualified tradesman. A normal IT Technician if not qualified cannot alter or create new Ethernet cables or any cable to be used in the workplace. They cannot re-route or add additional cabling into walls and they cannot install additional wall plates. ABC Chemicals have a mound of hazards that need to be fix before an incident occurs. Being constructed in 2000 the building has been fitted with limited emergency equipment. No emergency plan is displayed in the workplace and no workers have received any training in safe handling of chemicals. These three hazards alone can be catastrophic in causing the majority of the incidents in this business. Not only do they not have an emergency plan multiple vehicle accidents occur in front of the premise, if one were to go through the building no worker would know what to do. ABC Chemicals is situated within 25 metres of a local nursing home for elderly residents and a child care centre that provides day-care for children under five years old. This is a problem as all old chemical drums are placed outside for a month at a time. They are not enclosed or covered meaning any fumes from the drums would be released into the air effecting any businesses in a 25 metre radius, possibly more. Not only are old drums put outside, any material that is used to clean up small spills during the day is thrown straight into the general waste dumpster. Out the back where all the drums and dumpster is situated all that separates an overgrown dry grass paddock is a cyclone fence. If any of the drums falls over and chemicals leak out this can seep through the holes in the fence either cause the dry grass to combust or contaminate the land. If the land was found contaminated the construction of the future community centre would not go ahead. Each hazard that has been found at ABC Chemicals will go through a risk assessment to determine the likely hood of each risk. When assessing the risk three essential steps are taken. The chance of an incident occurring is evaluated then the severity or consequence is calculated or estimated. Once these two factors are found they are used to assign priority for risk  control that uses a risk rating. The building is fitted with limited emergency equipment with no emergency plan displayed in the workplace and no workers have received any training in safe handling of chemicals. These alone could cause a fatality, with the likelihood of this occurring at some time. They are classified as an extreme risk and should have immediate action to reduce their severity. To reduce the risk ABC Chemicals should arrange for all staff to complete training in safe handling of chemicals. Additional emergency equipment should be added to the premise and be easily accessible when an incident occurs and emergency plans should be scattered around the building so wherever you are you should know what is expected of you. The busy intersection in front of the premise is a cause for major injuries. As accidents have occurred in front of the business before it is possible for it to happen. This would be classified as an extreme risk and should be attended to immediately. By applying barricades to the surrounding area can reduce the possibility of a car hitting into the premise and cause major damage. All drums accumulated over a monthly period are placed outside with no coverage. The small spills that occur daily are also cleaned up and thrown into the general waste dumpster. There is no barricades to stop any spills from seeping through the fence into the dry grassed block of land. The fact that the drums are in a 25 meter radius of a local nursing home and a child care centre the fumes of these drums could damage the health of the young children and the elderly. Daily inhalation of these fumes and continuous leakage into the land behind the premise need an immediate solution in new ways of storing their waste until pickup day. This will reduce the chance of people becoming sick and reducing the change of the land behind to become contaminated and cease the future construction of a community centre. These All rags used to clean up small spills are =this could be very dangerous for Risk prioritization goes beyond risk ranking in that it compares scenarios a combinations of specific products and equipment, hazards, and control measures using multiple criteria. Some of these additional criteria may include cost of interventions or control measures, feasibility of implementing control measures, practicality of control measures, effectiveness of control measures, level of public concern, level of  certainty in the estimates and political will. There are many tools that can be used to assess the risks and risk causes. These being Safety data sheets, national and state injury statistics, industrial chemicals notification and assessment scheme and the standards and codes. The SDS provides information about materials before they are purchased and used on-site. It also gives information on potential hazards and effects of each material. The SDS helps by reducing hazards at the assessment stage by assessing the risk and hazard and applying a suitable and less hazardous replacement. SDS are available from the vendor or the manufacturer but can also be viewed online. National and state injure statistics are based on injuries that occur Australia-wide. By gathering this information, trends can be established which can be used to assist the development of precise preventative strategies. With this information, organisations similar to your business can help predict the most likely injuries. The Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme for new and existing products and chemicals relates to compliance with industrial chemicals legislation. The Australian inventory of chemical substances and all existing chemical s must be assessed and certified according to hazardous risk. Standards and codes consist of practical advice on issues and included preventative strategies to assist with hazard control. They are used as a baseline for comparison and a check for businesses to see if they conform to current legislation and meet the duty of care requirements.

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86. Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86.

Motivational theories Essay

Maslows Theory is based on the belief that we are motivated by needs and the theory states we must satisfy basic needs in order to concentrate on the higher priorities. And only when the basic needs are met can we move on to the next steps 1. Pysiological – All individuals needs to eat, sleep and drink as a priority 2. Safety – WE all need to feel safe in our homes and the working environment and managers can play a lead role in ensuring we care safe at work 3. Belonging – We need to feel loved and belonging both at home with our families but also in our work place 4. Esteem – Once the 3 basic need are met we look for confidence and respect from others especially in our work place 5. Self Actualization – Top of the pile! We have energy and mentality to thinks, problem solve and use our skills to the the best of its ability Maslows theory tends to be very simple, rather easy to follow and makes sense as it cover basic needs that maybe somewhat forgotton about. If making a new start then Maslow theory is ideal as it is very basic and starts from the bottom of all our needs Herzbergs Theory Hersbergs theory is some what different to Maslows theories in being it concentrates on 2 factors and are all work related though Maslows theory starts with basic needs in life 1. Hygiene factors – are Disatisfiers and the less we have to worry about the more we be motivated. Factors such as Quality of supervision, company policies, job security will all have an impact on staff motivation and this would certainly be the case with the council as they have the ability to dissatisfy 2. Motivation Factors – such as Promotion opportunities, recognition Achievment and responsibility will satisfy all staff without a doubt as they can stimulate. These factor all realte to the work itself and how an employee performs it. Overall the Herzberg theory Herzbergs theory show that fixing problems within the work place related to Hygiene factor may narrow down job dis satisfaction but won’t necessarily improve a workers job satisfaction. To improve job satisfaction you must addr ess the motivational factors and press on them ie: giving recognition to staff and showing staff a sense of achievement for what they do. Vroom expectancy motivation theory Whereas Maslow and Herzberg look at the relationship between internal needs and the resulting effort expended to fulfil them, Vroom’s expectancy theory separates effort (which arises from motivation), performance, and outcomes. Vroom’s expectancy theory assumes that behaviour results from conscious choices among alternatives whose purpose it is to maximize pleasure and to minimize pain. Vroom realized that an employee’s performance is based on individual factors such as personality, skills, knowledge, experience and abilities. He stated that effort, performance and motivation are linked in a person’s motivation. He uses the variables Expectancy, Instrumentality and Valence to account for this. Expectancy Is the belief that increased effort will lead to increased performance i.e. if I work harder then this will be better. This is affected by such things as: Having the right resources available (e.g. raw materials, time) Instrumentality is the belief that if you perform well that a valued outcome will be received. The degree to which a first level outcome will lead to the second level outcome. i.e. if I do a good job, there is something in it for me. This is affected by such things as: Clear understanding of the relationship between performance and outcomes – e.g. the rules of the reward ‘game’ Trust in the people who will take the decisions on who gets what outcome Valence Is the importance that the individual places upon the expected outcome. For the valence to be positive, the person must prefer attaining the outcome to not attaining it. For example, if someone is mainly motivated by money, he or she might not value offers of additional time off. The three elements are important behind choosing one element over another because they are clearly defined: effort-performance expectancy (E>P expectancy) and performance-outcome expectancy (P>O expectancy). E>P expectancy: our assessment of the probability that our efforts will lead to the required performance level. P>O expectancy: our assessment of the probability that our successful performance will lead to certain outcomes. At first glance expectancy theory would seem most applicable to a traditional-attitude work situation where how motivated the employee is depends on whether they want the reward on offer for doing a good job and whether they believe more effort will lead to that reward. However, it could equally apply to any situation where someone does something because they expect a certain outcome. Thus, Vroom’s expectancy theory of motivation is not about self-interest in rewards but about the associations people make towards expected outcomes and the contribution they feel they can make towards those outcomes. McGregor Theory X & Theory Y McGregor developed two theories of ‘human behaviour’ at work: Theory and X and Theory Y. He did not imply that workers would be one type or the other. Rather, he saw the two theories as two extremes – with a whole spectrum of possible behaviours in between. Theory X workers could be described as follows: – Individuals who dislike work and avoid it where possible – Individuals who lack ambition, dislike responsibility and prefer to be led – Individuals who desire security The management implications for Theory X workers were that, to achieve organisational objectives, our Business would need to impose a management system of coercion, control and punishment. Theory Y workers were characterised by McGregor as: – Consider effort at work as just like rest or play – Ordinary people who do not dislike work. Depending on the working conditions, work could be considered a source of satisfaction or punishment – Individuals who seek responsibility (if they are motivated) The management implications for Theory X workers are that, to achieve organisational objectives, rewards of varying kinds are likely to be the most popular motivator. The challenge for management with Theory Y workers is to create a working environment (or culture) where workers can show and develop their creativity. (www.tutor2u.com) Maccobys Theory of Motivation Michael Maccoby suggests that in order to motivate staff, leaders should employ an appropriate mix of the 4 Rs: Responsibilities, Relationships, Rewards, Reasons. Responsibilities People are motivated when their responsibilities are meaningful and engage the abilities and values. For example our caring staff are motivated by helping others like teaching and mentoring. And our craftsmen are motivated by the challenge to produce high quality products. Relationships People are motivated by good relationships with bosses, work colleagues and customers. Someone who is caring is motivated if they have the chance to help colleagues and customers. Also a strong team of colleagues who have a strong bond will be motivated to keep the bond strong. Rewards Apreciation and recognition are the kinds of rewards that strengthen motivating relationships. Rewards such as Bonuses, recognition, promotion will all motivate an employee to try their best and push for results. This is also the case when people are painf fair wages and good benefits to make a good job. Reason Reasons can be the most powerful motivator of all. Why are we doing the job over and over again? What is the point of it? If workers have a good explained reason on why they are doing what they are doing then they will be motivated to carry on. For Example workers doing assembly line work during World War II were highly motivated as it was there contribution to the War effort and the aim of winning the war. Evaluate the Usefullness of one motivational Theory for Managers As above you can see all of the theories show different ways in which motivation can be achieved and all have their pro’s and con’s. During this time of change I feel that MaCobys theory of motivation would definitely be of use to all Managers in motivating our staff. Let me explain why: The for R’s are in my turn very easy to understand for Managers and staff, Responsibilities, relationships, rewards and reason are all very simple terms. Responsibilities First and forth most it is of vital importance that our staff know their responsibilities. Have the jobs changed? Have working conditions changed? How can we get bring the best out in our staff. The time is right to evaluate responsibilities, alternate jobs and give staff more of different roles responsibilities. Managers need to show that they are willing to develop all staff. Teach new skills and give them the responsibility to bring the best out in them. Relationships Team bonding is essential during this time of change. Managers need to concentrate on building good strong relationships with there staff so that they can build trust and a sense of security. It is also important that Line Managers keep the relationship of the team of individuals strong and a need to identify any rifts or issues. During this time, new staff will be bought in, existing staff may leave or be moved or transferred so the manager must keep in constant contact with the staff and ensure that the communication amongst staff is strong. Rewards Managers need the opportunity to reward staff for their efforts. The chance of promotion to a higher vacant position will certainly motivate the staff but of course this can not always be the case so recognition for the services provided by staff will certainly go along way. The annual Council forum is an excellent way of achieving this as is provides recognition and rewards for staff who have been committed to the Council, staff who have a good absence record and also staff who have achieved a major goal in the work force on a under graduate qualification.

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What Conrad & Poole (1998) refer to as a â€Å"relational strategy of organizing† is more commonly called the â€Å"human relations approach† or â€Å"human relations school† of management by organizational theorists. This human relations approach can be seen as being almost entirely antithetical to the principles of classical management theory. Where classical management focused on the rationalization of work routines, human relations approaches stressed the accommodation of work routines and individual motional and relational needs as a means of increasing productivity.To a great extent, the human relations approach can be seen as a response to classical management an attempt to move away from the inflexibility of classical management approaches. The human relations approach can also be seen as a response to a highly charged and polarized social climate in which labor and management were viewed as fundamentally opposed to one another, and communism was seen as a very real and immediate danger to the social order the otion of class struggle propounded by Marxist theorists was taken very seriously.By focusing on the extent to which workers and managers shared economic interests in the success of the organization, the human relations approach can be seen as an attempt to move beyond the class struggle idea. Of course, the human relations approach (which really emerged in the late 1930s) was made possible by the fairly coercive suppression of the most radical organized labor movements.The sidebar describes one such movement, and is provided in order to indicate the social climate extant in the period immediately preceding the emergence of the human relations approach. In essence, the human relations approach sees the organization as a cooperative enterprise wherein worker morale is a primary contributor to productivity, and so seeks to improve productivity by modifying the work environment to increase morale and develop a more skilled and cap able worker.

Texas Politics in the early 20th century essays

Texas Politics in the early 20th century essays In the book, "The Establishment in Texas Politics," by George Norris Green, Mr. Green describes how, since 1939, fiscal and social conservatives have governed Texas. Anglo-Texas nationalism supported the idea of Texas independence from groups including the federal government as it pertains to laws overseeing business practices. From the traditionalistic-individualistic scheme of Texas politics emerged a philosophy of material self-interest above anything that might be considered fair to other groups within the borders of the state. To make matters worse (or better, depending on your own political persuasion) Texas at that time was a one-party system, and the powers that be relied on a consistently low level of voter participation and the powerful influence of special interest lobby groups. Interest groups sprang forth from the business landscape tilled by capitalist pioneers such as H.L. Hunt, Sid Richardson and Clint Murchison. These independent millionaires were concerned with preserving capital and enhancing shareholder value by reducing the interference by governmental socialists who sought to redistribute wealth though the use of social programs. These men, and many more like them, cared little about government and wanted no intervention in their economic affairs. Their attitudes were consistent with the popular values of the Jeffersonian Democrats of the nineteenth century: The less government the better, local control of what little government there was, and freedom from economic regulation, or laissez-faire. Three men, W. Lee O'Daniel, Coke Stevenson and Beauford Jester came to epitomize Texas conservatives during this period of Texas history. Each man, whether they knew it or not, practiced a type of pseudo laissez-faire that would later be known as Social-Darwinism; the belief that individuals who prosper and rise to the top of the socioeconomic ladder are worthy and deserve their riches, while those who sink to the botto...

trust in yourself Essay Example

trust in yourself Essay Example trust in yourself Essay trust in yourself Essay Posted by Akira Wong nearly killed myself in high school for getting a straight A1 in high school. I nearly committed suicide Just because of the stress and conflicts I had to go through to secure 16 A1 in SPM. Yeah, I got myself a 16A1 recognition. I was awarded a scholarship from JPA, and is currently studying in Intec and is going to further my study in US. However, it is because of this education experience and the people who I meet around in Intec that I gradually opened my eyes and have a clearer view on what I truly lost throughout the struggle to acquire straight 16A1 in SPM. I. I lost friends and familyln the end you will find that friends and family are things that you cant replaced with money and fame. The high school memories you spent with your family and friends are valuable cause these are memories that you created when you were still a teen, and you will never ever had a second chance to be a teen again. Much of my high school time were spent in studying and tuition. In the end, when I graduated from my high school, or even my current college, I was wondering: where are my memories? 2. Lack of sleep. This is really true. When people eep looking at you shining glamorous as the 16A1 , you yourself know the best that it was paid with real hard works. Unless you are a genius, a good result has to be achieved through hard work; its the absolute. During the SPM I had a serious sleep deprivation and I forced myself to revise my works starting from 3 a. m. I have an average 3 hours of tuition per day, and subtracting my school time which is 7 hours per day, I had only 14 hours to do all my other things. Homework is directly proportional to the number of subjects that you took, so does the time you need to pend for revision. With the extra curricular activities coming into the schedule, my average sleeping time per day is 3-5 hours. 3. When A1 becomes Just the average. You will have no idea how easy it is to achieve A1 in SPM. One of my friends who almost did not study his SeJarah yet can still get an A2 in his SPM. The number of students having straight A1 is overflowing throughout the Malaysia, and you might be thinking just like me: having more A1 will make you stand out among your peers more. I can tell you the truth that, YES, but TEMPORARILY. When you go to college you will find ut that there are more students who are BETTER than you even if their SPM has a Fail in Moral or C in Bahasa or D in Physics. They are very specialized in subjects that they truly love. They are very passionate in their own interested subject. Only when you are in the college, you will realize that, despite all the large numbers of A1 that you have in your hand, you are Just AVERAGE. 4. Mediocre talents. High school is supposed to be a place where you can try out new things in your life, discover what you are loving or passionate in, and nurture these discovered traits. It is a protected rea where you are allowed to explore, make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. It is the foundation for you to start discovering who you are and what you are good at. When I am at college, A LOT of my friends have their own talents. They play musical instruments; they take stunning pictures, they are good at socializing, things that you cant learn if you are Just confining yourself surrounded with books and books in your own room. 5. You forgot what you have learnt cant denied that it is a good way for me to expose to things that I might not have chance to study, for beyond your stream. But when I am in college I forgot almost most of the things that I have learnt in high school. If you calculate it you find that it isnt really a good deal compared to what you had lost. The reason is that SPM is so examination-based that you, in spite of how passionate you are in your subject, will subconsciously study for the exam. With this attitude you tend to forget what you have learnt the moment the exam is over. I am still passionate in business study, but how many OSKIC you can join when you need to focus on 16 subjects and promise to your teachers that you can get them all A1 ? 6. All and all, nobody really cares. Wake up! Nobody cares how many A1 you will have in your certs. JPA or Bank Nengara or Petronas might have a glimpse on it, but in the end, nobody will be amazed by your certs. Ask your future boss and he wont really care a shit about it. It will be a past. In the end it is what who you are that shines to the others: your characters, your personality, your experience! A1 is not worth the price if you lost all these. But wait! I need straight A1 to get scholarship! lt could be true. Some families are in dire needs to have a scholarship to provide their children a tertiary education. But trust me, JPA is not the only way to have the scholarship. Opportunities are everywhere. If you have the character, the personality, the experience and the courage to try things out and explore the possibilities that you can have beyond JPA and SPM, you will realize that, you can still success without a scholarship. I know friends who can get admitted to top university in US without a JPA scholarship (cause he doesnt have straight A1 in his SPM). So now, what should I do? Nothing is too late. As for me, I realized this very truth when I am exposed to more people around me. I began to pick up interests and nurture them. I became more extrovert and socialize more when I am in college. I am not afraid to try things new, even if it means things that are embarrassing. I read more as compared to my high school time. I am not saying that study is not important; I am Just saying that knowing that what you really want in your life and who you are eventually is so much more important than Just the numbers of A1 in your certs. (now they are having A+ instead of A1, but its still the same principle). Look further, my friends. My result is truly average now, but hey! The points and prides in my resume have tripled.

The Origins and History of Wine Making

The Origins and History of Wine Making Wine is an alcoholic beverage made from grapes, and depending on your definition of made from grapes there are at least two independent inventions of the lovely stuff. The oldest known possible evidence for the use of grapes as part of a wine recipe with fermented rice and honey was in China, about 9,000 years ago. Two thousand years later, the seeds of what became the European wine-making tradition began in western Asia. Archaeological Evidence Archaeological evidence of wine-making is a little difficult to come by, of course; the presence of grape seeds, fruit skins, stems and/or stalks in an archaeological site does not necessarily imply the production of wine. Two main methods of identifying winemaking that are accepted by scholars are identifying domesticated stocks and discovering grape processing evidence. The main change incurred during the domestication process of grapes is that the domesticated forms have hermaphrodite flowers. What that means is that the domesticated forms of the grape are able to self-pollinate. Thus, the vintner can pick traits she likes and, as long as she keeps them all on the same hillside, she need not worry about cross-pollination changing next years grapes. The discovery of parts of the plant outside its native territory is also accepted evidence of domestication. The wild ancestor of the European wild grape (Vitis vinifera sylvestris) is native to western Eurasia between the Mediterranean and Caspian seas; thus, the presence of V. vinifera outside of its normal range is also considered evidence of domestication. Chinese Wines But the story really must start in China. Residues on pottery sherds from the Chinese early Neolithic site of Jiahu have been recognized as coming from a fermented beverage made of a mixture of rice, honey, and fruit, radiocarbon dated to ~7000–6600 BCE. The presence of fruit was identified by the tartaric acid/tartrate remnants in the bottom of a jar, familiar to anyone who drinks wine from corked bottles today. Researchers could not narrow the species of the tartrate down between grape, hawthorn, or longyan or cornelian cherry, or a combination of two or more of those. Grape seeds and hawthorn seeds have both been found at Jiahu. Textual evidence for the use of grapes (but not grape wine) date to the Zhou Dynasty (ca 1046–221 BCE). If grapes were used in wine recipes, they were from a wild grape species native to China- there are between 40 and 50 different wild grape species in China- not imported from western Asia. The European grape was introduced into China in the second century BCE, with other imports resulting from the Silk Road. Western Asia Wines The earliest firm evidence for wine-making to date in western Asia is from the Neolithic period site called Hajji Firuz, Iran, where a deposit of sediment preserved in the bottom of an amphora proved to be a mix of tannin and tartrate crystals. The site deposits included five more jars like the one with the tannin/tartrate sediment, each with a capacity of about 9 liters of liquid. Hajji Firuz has been dated to 5400–5000 BCE. Sites outside of the normal range for grapes with early evidence for grapes and grape processing in western Asia include Lake Zeriber, Iran, where grape pollen was found in a soil core just before ~4300 cal BCE. Charred fruit skin fragments were found at Kurban Hà ¶yà ¼k in southeastern Turkey by the late 6th–early 5th millennia BCE. Wine importation from western Asia has been identified in the earliest days of dynastic Egypt. A tomb belonging to the Scorpion King (dated about 3150 BCE) contained 700 jars believed to have been made and filled with wine in the Levant and shipped to Egypt. European Wine Making In Europe, wild grape (Vitis vinifera) pips have been found in fairly ancient contexts, such as Franchthi Cave, Greece (12,000 years ago), and Balma de lAbeurador, France (about 10,000 years ago). But evidence for domesticated grapes is later than that of the East Asia, but similar to that of the western Asia grapes. Excavations at a site in Greece called Dikili Tash have revealed grape pips and empty skins, direct-dated to between 4400–4000 BCE, the earliest example to date in the Aegean. A clay cup containing both grape juice and grape pressings is thought to represent evidence for fermentation at Dikili Tash, and grape vines and wood have also been found there. A wine production installation dated to ca. 4000 cal BCE has been identified at the site of Areni 1 in Armenia, consisting of a platform for crushing grapes, a method of moving the crushed liquid into storage jars and (potentially) evidence for the fermentation of red wine. By the Roman period, and likely spread by Roman expansion, viticulture reached must of the Mediterranean area and western Europe, and wine became a highly valued economic and cultural commodity. By the end of the first century BCE, it had become a major speculative and commercial product. Wine Yeasts Wines are fermented with yeast, and until the mid-20th century, the process relied on naturally-occurring yeasts. Those fermentations often had inconsistent results and, because they took a long time to work, were vulnerable to spoilage. One of the most significant advances in winemaking was the introduction of pure starter strains of Mediterranean Saccharomyces cerevisiae (commonly called brewers yeast) in the 1950s and 1960s. Since that time, commercial wine fermentations have included these S. cerevisiae strains, and there are now hundreds of reliable commercial wine yeast starter cultures around the world, enabling consistent wine production quality. DNA sequencing has enabled researchers to trace the spread of S. cerevisiae in commercial wines for the past fifty years, comparing and contrasting different geographical regions, and, say researchers, providing the possibility of improved wines. Sources: The Origins and Ancient History of Wine is a highly recommended website at the University of Pennsylvania, maintained by archaeologist Patrick McGovern. Antoninetti, Maurizio. The Long Journey of Italian Grappa: From Quintessential Element to Local Moonshine to National Sunshine. Journal of Cultural Geography 28.3 (2011): 375–97. Print.Bacilieri, Roberto, et al. Potential of Combining Morphometry and Ancient DNA Information to Investigate Grapevine Domestication. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 26.3 (2017): 345–56. Print.Barnard, Hans, et al. Chemical Evidence for Wine Production around 4000 Bce in the Late Chalcolithic near Eastern Highlands. Journal of Archaeological Science 38.5 (2011): 977-84. Print.Borneman, Anthony, et al. Wine Yeast: Where Are They from and Where Are We Taking Them? Wine Viticulture Journal 31.3 (2016): 47–49. Print.Campbell-Sills, H., et al. Advances in Wine Analysis by Ptr-Tof-Ms: Optimization of the Method and Discrimination of Wines from Different Geographical Origins and Fermented with Different Malolactic Starters. International Journal of Mass Spectrometry 397–398 (2016 ): 42-51. Print.Goldberg, Kevin D. Acidity and Power: The Politics of Natural Wine in Nineteenth-Century Germany. Food and Foodways 19.4 (2011): 294–313. Print. Guasch Janà ©, Maria Rosa. The Meaning of Wine in Egyptian Tombs: The Three Amphorae from Tutankhamuns Burial Chamber. Antiquity 85.329 (2011): 851–58. Print.McGovern, Patrick E., et al. Beginnings of Viniculture in France. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 110.25 (2013): 10147–52. Print.Morrison–Whittle, Peter, and Matthew R. Goddard. From Vineyard to Winery: A Source Map of Microbial Diversity Driving Wine Fermentation. Environmental Microbiology 20.1 (2018): 75–84. Print.Orrà ¹, Martino, et al. Morphological Characterisation of Vitis Vinifera L. Seeds by Image Analysis and Comparison with Archaeological Remains. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 22.3 (2013): 231–42. Print.Valamoti, SoultanaMaria. Harvesting the ‘Wild’? Exploring the Context of Fruit and Nut Exploitation at Neolithic Dikili Tash, with Special Reference to Wine. Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 24.1 (2015): 35†“46. Print. European Wine Making In Europe, wild grape (Vitis vinifera) pips have been found in fairly ancient contexts, such as  Franchthi Cave, Greece (12,000 years ago), and  Balma de lAbeurador, France (about 10,000 years ago). But evidence for domesticated grapes is later than that of the East Asia, but similar to that of the western Asia grapes.   Excavations at a site in Greece called  Dikili Tash  have revealed grape pips and empty skins, direct-dated to between 4400-4000 BC, the earliest example to date in the Aegean. A wine production installation dated to ca. 4000 cal BC has been identified at the site of  Areni 1  in Armenia, consisting of a platform for crushing grapes, a method of moving the crushed liquid into storage jars and (potentially) evidence for the fermentation of red wine. 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