How Would You Develop a Safety and Health Management System That Coursework

How Would You Develop a Safety and Health Management System That Achieves Managements Objectives - Coursework Example Additionally, improvement of the safety and health management systems within the organization will improve productivity of working by reducing fears that are usually impacted on them from severely injured workmates. Therefore, the main purpose of initiating and implementing SHMS to its totality is to reduce costs related to injuries at workplace. Notably, saving a crewed by effective implementation of SHMS will definitely exceed the SHMS workplace costs (American National Standard, 2005). The effective SHMS’s critical elements includes the commitment of the management and the employees’ involvement, prevention and control of hazards, supervisors, managers, and employees’ training, worksite analysis. The culture of the organization can have direct influence on safety and health management system successes within the organization. Therefore, this organization must play vital role in ensuring its success in relation to the SHMS (Czerniak and Ostrander, 2005). The management is the first organ of the organization that will be required to manage SHMS just like it would manage other organizational duties and concerns. In other words, the management must integrate safety and health management systems into all organs or departments of the organization (American National Standard, 2005). Moreover, all the departmental heads must be involved personally in establishing safety and health accountabilities within their departments. â€Å"The workplace must be safe and healthful to every employee. All employees must follow and adhere to safe and healthful work practices and outline in each work practice’s safety and healthy rules and regulations.† It is worth noting that working with each departmental head, SHM rules and regulations will be established for every work practice towards ensuring that all the workplaces are safe and healthy for all workers at all

HEB Grocery Store Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

HEB Grocery Store - Case Study Example It holds the largest market share in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Austin. HEB is owned by the H.E. Butts since the commencement of the 21st century when it was established and is the major private company in the state of Texas. The H-E-B slogan possesses the same acronym as its slogan, which reads out, as â€Å"Here Everything is better†. To accomplish this, HEBN has committed itself to low prices, exceptional service, and friendly shopping. HEB has altered its marketing mix in accordance to the environment. Since the company is popular with Americans of Mexican origin, they carry many Mexican vegetables that might seem foreign to most Americans. HEB thrives on the unique skills and talents of its diverse, dedicated partners who embody their commitment to excellence and provide a strong, competitive advantage in the extremely competitive Texas market. One show of HEB’s internal strength is the consistently high ranking in industry magazines like Forbes and Progressi ve Grocer. The company’s long-standing support for charity has also grown a loyal base of customers. However, one of its major weaknesses is the demographical limitation as they mainly serve Texan towns. Externally, the company could look to increase its market share in towns outside Texas. They could also explore the opportunities from setting up shop in Mexico. The threats faced by HEB can all be tied to its numerous competitors, with Walmart a particularly fierce competitor. Various macro-environmental factors will affect the operations of HEB. These are economic factors like the economic crisis and technological ones too like social networking, which provides for a cheaper advertising platform. Additional factors are political and cultural in nature. HEB GROCERY STORE 1. Introduction & Background HEB Grocery Company is America’s fifteenth largest chain of grocery stores in terms of revenue, as well as being a market leader in Texas. It holds the largest market shar e in San Antonio, Corpus Christi, and Austin. As the largest private company in the state of Texas, HEB is owned by the H.E. Butts since the beginning of the 20th century when it was founded. With 269 stores in operation, most of its business revolves around combination food and pharmacy stores (Plunkett, 2009). Approximately 90 of the stores are small sized pantry stores that boast low prices, are built for convenience purposes and are located between Southwest Louisiana and South east Texas’ rural area. Sixty of the stores feature Gas N Go gasoline self-service islands. HEB also runs stores in Mexico, on top of those in Louisiana and Texas. Among the many products that they process are fruit drinks, meat, tortillas, baked goods, ice cream, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and milk. HEB also manufactures its own bottles and runs a photofinishing laboratory. The company does not have an official mission statement, although the H-E-B slogan, values, and commitments reveal t he daily mission that they are involved. The H-E-B slogan possesses the same acronym, which reads out, as â€Å"Here Everything is better†. To accomplish this, HEBN has committed itself to low prices, exceptional service, and friendly shopping. HEB has always believed that hard work is vital, as well as given extra attention to caring for their employees. Additionally, they have always dreamt big, hired great employees, offered the best customer service, as well as sold the safest and freshest product (Hylton &

Double Indemnity As A Film Noir Classic Film Studies Essay

Double Indemnity As A Film Noir Classic Film Studies Essay It is indeed true that Double Indemnity represents one of the best examples of a film noir and has also been viewed to set some standards for the upcoming movies. In film noir, elements like violence, sexual harassments, adultery, crime and greed are representatives of similar evil types in the society with a moral conflict emerging at the base of the plot (Gene 145). Considering the characteristics of film noir, the Double Indemnity film seems to cover almost all of them. The film contains the ambiguous antihero, stories driven by crime, shady lighting and some other several qualities that qualify it in the genre. This is actually a perfect example of a film noir with dark stories that are criminally manipulated. In the movie, Walter Neff says that, Yes, I killed him. I killed him for money and a woman, and I didnt get the money, and I didnt get the woman. Pretty, isnt it? (Gene 170). This line actually gives us the overall view of the films move as being dark and pessimistic. Walter Neff as played by Fred MacMurray goes to renew his automobile insurance and engages in an adulterous affair with Phyllis Dietrichson as played by Barbara Stanwyick who was an already married woman. This actually demonstrates a typical film noir relationship. From this, the viewers can actually justify from the actions that these characters are doomed (Leitch 126). In a film noir, lighting forms one of the important principles of aesthetics and also provides clues to the function of the characters. For example, as Neff enters the office, only thin white light bars are seen. They appear projected across Neffs chest as if he is in jail. But as he puts the lights on, the room suddenly changes to being flooded with white as all the shadow are eliminated. This technique enables the viewers to have a hint on the nature of Neffs actions. that he is seeking redemption, bringing himself out of the shadows metaphorically, in the form of a confession, into the light (Leitch 113). In other words, all this help the viewers to get to understand the character as well as narrative function of Neff as Male Protagonist which is actually a vital component of classic film noir. Double indemnity also begins with music that is non-diagetic. This installs the viewers with a sense of urgency and action that is expected. The characters in the movies are flawed but one will still love and enjoy watching them since they are real. Not all the characters in the film overcome immerse odds like prevention of the world destruction or saving the village. We find some characters giving into sin making, then enjoy the brief excitement and eventually pay the consequences of their actions (Leitch 145). Film noir characters are very real but their ending is not good. For example, Neffs destiny arrives after him just after he is inside his apartment. NEFF: So at eight oclock the bell would ring and I would know who it was without even having to think, as if it was the most natural thing in the world (Leitch 153). Eventually Phyllis shows up and they passionately embrace each other. She speaks ill of her husband as a volatile and controlling man always getting into her nerves. Neff finally gives in to help her murder her husband to gain the insurance cash. Themes in the Plague Exile/separation. This theme is evident by Rieux and Rambert. The two characters are separated from the love of their life (women they love). The theme also appears in many other citizens whose names were note mentioned but were separated form their own loved ones. Considering the closure of Oran gates, the individuals who happened to be still out of town were locked out. The town entirely feels in exile for being separated from the rest of the outside world. According to Rieux explanation, he expresses That sensation of a void within which never left us, that irrational longing to hark back to the past or else to speed up the march of time, and those keen shafts of memory that stung like fire (Camus 187). Considering somebody like Rambert, he is not only separated from the person he wants to be with but also restricted from being in own apartment or home. Therefore, exile suggests deep metaphysical implication that relates to loss of belief that individuals dwell in environments whe re they can be free to achieve goals, find meaning and feel at home. Religion. People are always fond of turning to religion at times of calamities as the novel examines. Paneloux (the priest) gives religious perspective in his sermons in contrast to Rambert, Rieux and Tarrous humanist beliefs. Paneloux believes that indeed there is a rational explanation to the plaques outbreak unlike the other characters. He describes the outbreak as a flail of God in his first sermon after the outbreak. He says that God had intentions of separating wheat from chaff (good from bad). According to his description, it was not the will of God for the calamity. He looked on the evil-doing in the town with compassion; only when there was no other remedy did He turn His face away, in order to force people to face the truth about their life (Malcolm 26). Therefore, according to the Priest, the ultimate goal of suffering is achieving the good in a way that the light of God will still shine despite of the horrible events with Christian hope being grated to everyone. Love. The theme of love is widely demonstrated in this novel. As much as love for mankind can make one sacrifice own self interest to defend the interests of the society, the opposite seems to be true with love for individuals. The novel discusses towards the end that a human being does not hope for anything more than just love especially when avoiding disappointments. Considering the plaque, the priest expresses that this is only because of the too much love that God has for them. Love is also evident from Rieuxs reactions towards Rambert including his attempt to escape. He says that, Forgive me Rambert, only well, I simply dont know. But stay with us if you want to. For nothing in the world is it worth turning ones back on what one loves. Yet that is what Im doing, though I do not know (Malcolm 68). Given three things in life: love, work and death; Rieux chooses to work and claims that it is his duty to do so while Rambert counters this by choosing to love more than to do his job.

College Admissions Essay - Rewards of Understanding :: College Admissions Essays

College Admissions Essay - Rewards of Understanding As a high school freshman, I met and became friends with many new people. Among the most fascinating people was Lauren. I met Lauren in my lab class. She was outspoken and liberal. Her clothing revealed creativity; her big eyes, curiosity and strength. I was interested in learning more about Lauren, but felt shy about approaching her. My peers made fun of Lauren's manners and actions. They considered her too strange to know and shunned her. This prejudice made me realize I was not interested in knowing people who criticize based on observation rather than experience. Still, I said nothing in her defense. Recently, I traveled with my art class to Williamstown, Massachusetts. That was when I got to know and became friends with Lauren. She and I talked during the bus ride as she revealed to me unimaginable secrets. Lauren told me about her lifelong battle with Depression and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD). She also told me about her suicide attempts. She said, "When I was a kid, I was a dork and never good at anything social. Many times I would do or say the wrong thing. I felt rejected and lonely." I remembered those who mocked Lauren and felt angry at them. People's cruelty can be very painful even to those who appear strong and especially to those who live with emotional and social challenges. That is why it is crucial to understand someone before judgment and not act with brutality to those who are different. Lauren told me that art was her greatest passion. "Art is the only thing that has kept me sane because I can escape into it," she said.

National Cranberry Cooperative Case

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In the current scenario, the major bottlenecks in the system are the drying units for wet berries and the berry separation lines. While the drying units’ capacity can be increased by purchasing additional units, the throughput of the system will still be limited by the limitation of the separation lines. If the average rate of inflow of berries is 1500bbl/hr, then with the effective separation capacity of 1200bbl/hr, the plant will incur a backlog of 300bbl/hr. If the shift start times stay as it is, and the processing divisions start four hours after the receiving division, the truckers toward the end of the day will have to wait, since the cumulative backlog caused by processing will exhaust the bin storage capacity. The wait times for the truckers can be reduced by converting some of the dry bins to wet bins. However, this measure will not completely eliminate the trucker wait times. The best solution is to acquire one additional drying unit and advancing the processing shift from 11AM to 8AM. The backlog per hour of 300bbl/hr (due to the separation unit), will be manageable by the available storage capacity in the bins, even without converting the bins. The truckers will not have to wait to offload the berries. The accumulated backlog of berries can be processed in approximately 3. 75 hours after the end of scheduled 12 working hours. With the new expected ratio of wet to dry berries (7:3), not adding an additional drying unit will require the plant to work 9 extra hours to eliminate the backlog. The cost benefit of adding the additional drying unit and advancing the shift start time are higher than the cost benefit of other options considered. THE COMPANY The Receiving Plant I (RPI) of National Cranberry Cooperative (NCC) processes both wet and dry cranberries in a highly mechanized process involving 400 workers during peak season. The processed berries are sold in bulk and bags. PROBLEM STATEMENT NCC is currently wrestling with both runaway overtime costs as well as long waiting time for delivery trucks. PROCESS FLOW The process flow diagram is attached as Exhibit A ANALYSIS From Figure E in the case Delivery begins at 7 AM Processing begins at 11 AM Average Truck per day20/ hour Average load per truck75 bbl Average load per hour1500 bbl Expected split between dry and wet typesDry -30% Wet- 70% Cranberries Delivered Wet768600 Dry1065420 Color 134460 Color 2401080 Color 31398480 Total Pounds1834020 Total No. of trucks243 Time Interval729 Average Truck per day243/12 = 20 per hour Plant capacity and demand ReceivingDryWetTotal Average Receiving per hour (bbls)45010501500 Accumulated berries during 4 hour period (bbls)180042006000 Maximum bin storage capacity (bbls)400032007200 Excess/ Shortage (bbls)2200-10001200 Destone/ Dechaff/Dry Maximum Destoning capacity per hour(bbls)450004500 Excess/ Short over average receiving rate per hour(bbls) for destoning 405004050 Maximum Deschaffing capacity per hour(bbls)150030004500 Excess/ Short over average receiving rate per hour(bbls) for deschaffing 105019503000 Maximum Drying Capacity per hour(bbls)0600600 Excess/Shortage over average receiving rate per hour(bbls) for drying (=600-1050)0-450-450 Quality GradingCombined for Dry & Wet Average Separator line capacity per hour(bbls) (3Ãâ€"400)1200 Average receiving by separator line (600 wet + 450 dry)1050 Average receivings when there are no bottlenecks in the system1500 Excess/ Short over average receiving rate per hour(bbls)-300 1. While the receiving starts at 7. 00 am, the processing starts at 11. 00 am (from Figure E in the case). Accumulated wet berries till the plant starts (1100) is 4200 bbl, about 1000 more than the capacity of wet storage bin. This is the first bottleneck in the system which would cause morning queues of the delivery trucks. This shortage could be eliminated by converting some of the dry bins to wet bins. However, as will be seen, the downstream bottlenecks will still cause the converted bin capacity to be wanting. 2. There are two limitations on throughput for Receiving Plant 1. For wet cranberries, throughput is limited by the Dryer capacity to 600 bbl/hr. In terms of total throughput of RP1, the limitation is on separating capacity at 1200 bbl/hr. At the drying unit, the total processing rate of wet berries falls short of the arrival rate (1050 bbl/hr) by 450 bbl/hr. The solution is to either increase the overtime hours, purchase additional dryers or a combination of both. Option I: No dryers are purchased and overtimes are added: Total received per day (12 hrs)Accumulation till 7. 00 pm if processing start at 11. 00 amProcessing in a day (12 hrs)Additional hours reqd #Additional overtime cost* per peak Peak Season (09/20 – 10/9) wet12x1050=126004200+8*450=7800600Ãâ€"12= 72009 hours for processing USD 9*36*6*20= 38880 dry12x450=54001800 + 8*0=1800600Ãâ€"12= 72000 hours # (shortfall in wet berry processing capacity/processing speed) (12600-7200)/600= 9 hours * staff need to be hired in shipping(15 workers for one additional hour), dechaffing (one worker), milling(15) and shipping units (20) ** overtime charges @ USD 6. 00 per worker per hour Thus dry berries are processed in full while there is considerable backlog in wet berries which will necessitate 9 hours of overtime but still would not able to avoid truckers’ queues. If the some of the dry bins are converted to wet bins to maximize the wet capacity to about 5400 bbl, it will reduce the wait times for the truckers, but not completely eliminate it. As a result the receiving department will have to work over their scheduled 12 hour shift. Option II: One dryer is purchased and overtimes are added: Considering that the separator capacity is 1200 bbl/hour, we can at present add only one dryer line which will enhance the drying capacity to 800 bbl / hr. Let us consider a scenario where wet is processed at 800bbl/hr and dry at 400 per hour Total received per day (12 hrs)Accumulation till 7. 0 pm if processing starts at 11. 00 amAccumulation till 7. 00 pm if processing starts at 8. 00 amProcessing in a day (12 hrs)Additional hours reqd #Additional overtime cost* per peak season (09/20 – 10/9) wet12x1050=126004200+8*350=70001050+8*250=3050800Ãâ€"12= 96003. 75$ 810*20 days= $ 16200 dry12x450=54001800+8*50=2200450+8*50= 650400Ãâ€"12= 48000. 00 # (sh ortfall in processing capacity/processing speed) (12600-7200)/600= 9 hours * staff need to be hired in shipping(15 workers for one additional hour), deschaffing (one worker), milling(15) and shipping units (20) ** overtime charges @ USD 6. 0 per worker per hour Thus dry berries are processed in full while there is considerable backlog in wet berries which will necessitate 3. 75 hours of overtime. If we continue to start the processing shift at 11 am we wouldn’t be able to avoid truckers’ queues because of shortage in bin capacity. However, we start the shift at 8. 00 am, this can be avoided to a large extent Option III: No dryers are purchased and overtimes are added: Let us consider another scenario in which wet is processed at 1000bbl/hr (i. e. two additional dryers) and dry at 200 per hour Total received per day (12 hrs)Accumulation till 7. 0 pm if processing starts at 11. 00 amAccumulation till 7. 00 pm if processing starts at 8. 00 amProcessing in a day (12 hrs)Ad ditional hours reqd #Additional overtime cost* per peak season (09/20 – 10/9) wet12x1050=126004200+8*50=46001050+8*50=14501000Ãâ€"12= 120003. 0$ 648*20= $12960 dry12x450=54001800+8*250=3800450+8*250= 2450200Ãâ€"12= 24000. 0 # (shortfall in processing capacity/processing speed) (12600-7200)/600= 9 hours * staff need to be hired in shipping(15 workers for one additional hour), deschaffing (one worker), milling(15) and shipping units (20) ** overtime charges @ USD 6. 0 per worker per hour EVALUATION OF LIGHT METER SYSTEM In 1980, 75 cent premium was paid per bbl on about 450,000 bbls of berries of which about 225,000 turned out to be not of high quality. This cost the company $168,750. We presume that this is also the cost incurred by the company every year. Since the cost of installation is $20,000 plus hiring of a full time skilled operator. Cost of operator = $6. 50/hourx2000 hours per year=$13,000 per year Savings to the company excluding onetime cost of $20,000 = $155750 RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The company needs to purchase one additional dryer @ cost of 40,000 else it would have to spend $38880/ year in additional overtime. Considering the capital cost and the overtime spent ($16200), the additional expenditure can thus be recouped in less than two years. The last option of two dryers would lead to only marginal savings in additional overtime ($3240/year) over the option of buying one dryer. 2. The processing of berries of berries should start at 8. 00 am instead of current 11. 00 am to prevent shortage of bin capacity. . The limitation in separation capacity is serious and measures need to be taken to overcome it. For this, either the capacity of the system needs to be added or the quality of berries needs to be improved so that the separation system can work at its peak capacity of 450bbl/hour/line. However, without further indications on the cost of additional separation units it is not possible to conduct cost-benefit analysis. 4. In view of the substantial cost saving s, the company should buy the light meter system.

Group Motivation Inventory Essay

Majority of us humans get up from bed in the morning, set out for school or our job and practically do our daily routines in a way that is unique to us. We interact to our environment and the people around us without fully understanding why we are doing our routine – why we go to school or do great in our job or are amused from a particular activity. Nonetheless we all know that there is something that motivates us for doing this. Motivation refers to the things either internal or external to a person from which makes him enthusiastic and persistent on pursuing a particular course of action (Daft, 526). Studying motivation makes us understand what makes us people initiate a certain action, and what influences our selection of actions. After I took the motivation rating exam, I have a moderate level of group motivation. This means that I am not fully committed to my group but also not completely disregarding how my group will perform. After taking the exam, I realized that there are factors that affect a person’s motivation on a group. Some of these factors are: 1) composition of the group; 2) commitment and dedication of other members; 3) chemistry within the group; 4) appreciation of the group; and 5) each member’s contribution for the group’s success. Upon taking the exam, I became aware that the factor that mostly affects my motivation in a group is a member’s commitment and dedication to the group. This is maybe because I have the habit of giving my best on anything that I am doing. Having this attitude makes me compare what my contributions to the other members of my group. If I think that they are not as dedicated as me, my motivation becomes lower. Appreciation of the group is the next factor that affects my motivation. In my opinion, only a martyr would work on a group that does not value what he is doing. When it comes to the composition of my group, the only problem is that some of the members of the group are so shy to even tell their names. I have encountered this kind of members. They usually want to work on their own. The only thing a leader should do is give him/her what she will do and that is all. The composition of the group is essential to another factor, chemistry. The interaction within a group is also important when considering one’s motivation. Working with group whose chemistry is good usually leads to achieving the group’s goal. Contribution of other members to the group also affects my motivation. If all of the members participate well and contribute what they should give makes me want to also do my part well. On the other hand, if some members do not actually help with the achievement of our group’s goals, the other members, including myself, would have to exert more effort. Thus, we have to be more motivated. The motivation exam made me realize that I am moderately motivated when I am involved in a group. Unlike before, I think I can also measure the dedication of the other group members. With this, I am able to compare my level of motivation with the other members of the group. Only a little bit has really changed. I still do my part wholeheartedly. I try to attend all of the scheduled group meetings and do my best to help the group finish its goals. The only thing that changed is on how I interact with them. Usually before taking the exam, I only ask something to the group if I am having trouble understanding what I should do. I do not want a conversation other than the problems that the group is dealing with. Now, I talk to my other co-members about anything under the sun to further improve our chemistry. With each member’s trust and friendliness, I became a lot motivated. After taking this exam and analyzing my results, there are some things that I would change in order to further improve my participation and motivation in other future groups. First, I will improve my interaction to my future co-members. The chemistry becomes the â€Å"spark† of a good group relationship. If group members interact to each other with respect and friendliness, everyone will help on each. Thus, group goals will be done in a smooth way. In the future, I will also motivate my co-members. I will talk to them if I think they are not participating well in the group and encourage them that we are a team and we have to work together to be successful. There are some theories or approaches to further improve motivation within an organization. One particular theory is the Expectancy Theory associated to the works of Victor Vroom with a number of contributions from other scholars. The Expectancy theory implies that the degree of motivation of a certain individual is associated on his expectations on their capability to perform a particular task and the desired awards he will receive. Expectancy theory focuses on the thinking process present to an individual to gain rewards, not on recognizing what his needs are (Daft, 536). With this theory, I think that sharing my expectations to my co-members will further improve each of our motivations, thus improving the performance of the group. The factor that mostly affects my motivations, based on the results, is the commitment of the other group members. If other members do not do their part, my motivation decreases. I am not comfortable working with a group who is not as committed as me. In order to avoid this, confrontation is needed. Other member should be confronted regarding their attitude and their respective responsibilities to the group. In a sense, before the group does anything, rules should be made clear. Content Theories can also be used to improve motivation within an organization. One of these Content theories is the famous Hierarchy of Needs theory by Abraham Maslow. The theory suggests that there are five classes of needs that motivate a person existing in a hierarchical form. Maslow argues that needs with low-ranks should be the priority. These needs (from lowest to highest rank) are as follows: 1) Physiological needs – the most basic physical needs of humans; 2) Safety needs – the need for a protected and harmless physical and emotional setting; 3) Belongingness needs – the desire to be in a particular group with their trust; 4) Esteem needs – the need for appreciation and recognition within a group or organization; 5) Self-actualization needs – the need of self-fulfillment (Daft, 529-530). The suitable incentive for the group would be from the categories of belongingness and esteem needs. To improve motivation within the group, one should acknowledge each member for what he had done for the group. Appreciation should also be given to them even though their work is not that excellent. At least they have given their best. For every work that a member accomplishes, the other members should at least try to thank him/her. A simple line of â€Å"good job† will make a person exert more efforts and be more motivated. Reference: Daft, Richard. 2005. Management 5th Ed. New York: MacMillan Publishing Company.

Dysprosium Facts - Element 66 or Dy

Dysprosium Facts - Element 66 or Dy Dysprosium is a silver  rare earth metal  with  atomic number  66 and  element symbol  Dy. Like other rare earth elements, it has many applications in modern society. Here are interesting dysprosium facts, including its history, uses, sources, and properties. Dysprosium Facts Paul Lecoq de Boisbaudran identified dysprosium in 1886, but it wasnt isolated as a pure metal until the 1950s by Frank Spedding. Boisbaudran named the element dysprosium from the Greek word dysprositos, which means hard to get. This reflects the difficulty Boisbaudran had separating the element from its oxide (it took over 30 attempts, still yielding an impure product).At room temperature, dysprosium is a bright silver metal that slowly oxidizes in air and readily burns. It is soft enough to be cut with a knife. The metal tolerates machining so long as it isnt overheated (which can lead to sparking and ignition).While most of the properties of element 66 are comparable to those of other rare earth, it has unusually high magnetic strength (as does holmium). Dy is ferromagnetic at temperatures below 85K  (−188.2  Ã‚ °C). Above this temperature, it transitions to a helical antiferromagnetic state, yielding to ​a disordered paramagnetic state at  179  K (−94  Ã‚ °C).Dysprosium, like related elements, does not occur free in nature. It is found in several minerals, including xenotime and monazite sand. The element is obtained as a by-product of yttrium extraction using a magnet or flotation process followed by ion exchange displacement to obtain either dysprosium fluoride or dysprosium chloride. Finally, the pure metal is obtained by reacting the halide with calcium or lithium metal. The abundance of dysprosium is  5.2  mg/kg in the Earths crust and 0.9  ng/L in sea water.Natural element 66 consists of a mixture of seven stable isotopes. The most abundant is Dy-154 (28%). Twenty-nine radioisotopes have been synthesized, plus there are at least 11 metastable isomers.Dysprosium is used in nuclear control rods for its high thermal neutron cross-section, in data storage for its high magnetic susceptibility, in magnetostrictive materials, and in rare earth magnets. It is combined with other elements as a source of infrared radiation, in dosimeters, and to make high strength nanofibers. The trivalent dysprosium ion displays interesting luminescence, leading to its use in lasers, diodes, metal halide lamps, and phosphorescent materials.Dysprosium serves no known biological function. Soluble dysprosium compounds are mildly toxic if ingested or inhaled, while insoluble compounds are considered non-toxic. The pure metal presents a hazard because it reacts with water to form flammable hydrogen and reacts with air to ignite. Powdered Dy and thin Dy foil can explode in the presence of a spark. The fire cannot be extinguished using water. Certain dysprosium compounds, including its nitrate, will ignite upon contact with human skin and other organic materials. Dysprosium Properties Element Name: dysprosium Element Symbol: Dy Atomic Number: 66 Atomic Weight:  162.500(1) Discovery:  Lecoq de Boisbaudran (1886) Element Group: f-block, rare earth, lanthanide Element Period: period 6 Electron Shell Configuration:  [Xe] 4f10  6s2 (2, 8, 18, 28, 8, 2) Phase: solid Density:  8.540  g/cm3 (near room temperature) Melting Point:  1680  K   (1407  Ã‚ °C, 2565  Ã‚ °F) Boiling Point:  2840  K (2562  Ã‚ °C, 4653  Ã‚ °F) Oxidation States:  4,  3, 2, 1 Heat of Fusion: 11.06 kJ/mol Heat of Vaporization: 280 kJ/mol Molar Heat Capacity:  27.7  J/(mol ·K) Electronegativity:  Pauling  scale: 1.22 Ionization Energy:  1st:  573.0  kJ/mol,  2nd:  1130  kJ/mol,  3rd:  2200  kJ/mol Atomic Radius: 178 picometers Crystal Structure: hexagonal close-packed (hcp) Magnetic Ordering: paramagnetic (at 300K)