Packing for a trip can be a daunting task, even for the most seasoned travelers. Over the years, I’ve honed my packing skills, learning valuable lessons from over-packed bags and forgotten essentials. 

Packing Like a Pro: 9 Tips and Tricks from a Globetrotting Traveler

In this article, I’ll share my tried-and-true methods for packing efficiently and effectively, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable journey. 

 

  1. Start with a Packing List:

The first step in packing like a pro is creating a comprehensive packing list. Before you even touch your suitcase, jot down everything you’ll need for your trip. This list will serve as your roadmap, helping you stay organized and prevent last-minute rushes.

 

  1. Pack Light:

The golden rule of packing is to pack light. Choose versatile clothing that can be mixed and matched to create multiple outfits. Stick to a color palette that coordinates well, and consider packing clothing items that can be layered for varying weather conditions.

 

  1. Roll, Don’t Fold:

Rolling your clothes instead of folding them is a game-changer. Not only does it save space, but it also minimizes wrinkles. For delicate fabrics, use tissue paper to prevent creasing.

 

  1. Use Packing Cubes:

Invest in packing cubes – they are a traveler’s best friend. These handy organizers keep your clothing neat and separated, making it easy to find what you need without rummaging through your entire suitcase.

 

  1. Compression Bags:

Compression bags are a space-saving marvel. You can use them for everything from clothing to bulky items like jackets. Simply pack your items, seal the bag, and roll out the air to maximize space.

 

  1. Travel Documents and Insurance:

Create a travel documents pouch that includes your passport, visa, tickets, travel insurance and passes, and any necessary reservations or confirmations. Keep this pouch easily accessible.

 

  1. Medication and First-Aid Kit:

If you take medication, ensure you have an ample supply for your trip. Also, pack a small first-aid kit with essentials like band-aids, pain relievers, and any prescription medications.

 

  1. Pack an Extra Set of Essentials:

Pack an extra set of underwear, socks, and a basic outfit in your carry-on. In case your luggage gets lost or delayed, you’ll have a change of clothes and essentials to tide you over.

 

  1. Travel with a Daypack:

A foldable daypack is incredibly handy for day trips and carrying essentials during your travels. It takes up minimal space and can be easily stashed in your luggage when not in use.

 

Last But Not Least

Packing efficiently is an art, and like any skill, it gets easier with practice. By following these tips and tricks, you can streamline your packing process and ensure that you have everything you need for a comfortable and enjoyable trip. Remember, less is often more when it comes to packing – embrace simplicity, and you’ll be free to fully immerse yourself in your travel adventures. Safe travels!

 

monochrome resort spa bathroom

How to Choose A Good Faucet

Bathroom faucets tend to last a long time. In some homes, they last for decades, especially if they are of great quality. Considering the longevity of bathroom faucets, you need to be cautious when buying bathroom faucets in Singapore. 

Faucet size

The range of bathroom faucets in the stores is eye-catching. However, shopping for faucets without knowing the ideal faucet size. Before deciding on the best faucet, you need to consider the size of your bathtub or sink.

If you have a shower stall, you may have greater flexibility when choosing faucets. However, When buying one for the bathtub or sink, without knowing the dimensions, you risk getting a faucet that is either too tall or too short. 

Type of Faucet

Do you want a mixer faucet that uses one lever to control temperature and pressure? Maybe you prefer a faucet with two handles, one for hot water and another for cold water. You may also want to try a touch or a touchless faucet. Knowing how you want the faucet to function will help you eliminate those that don’t meet your requirements. 

Material

Faucets are made from different materials. Consider your decor and if the faucet you want to buy will fit in. Most of the materials used contribute to the faucet’s durability and aesthetic appeal. Some of the materials used for bathroom faucets include;

  • Stainless Steel. If you do not know the kind of decor you want for your bathroom, then Stainless Steel faucets are the best bet. They are neutral and will look great with most bathroom accessories. Faucets made from Stainless Steel are durable, easy to clean, and affordable. 
  • Brass. These faucets are awesome if you are looking for a vintage look. These faucets tend to be more expensive than those made of Stainless Steel. Fortunately, they are more durable and stylish. Brass faucets have three main finishes, Bronze, Nickel, and Chrome. The downside is brass faucets require regular maintenance to keep them looking awesome. 
  • Silumin. Faucets made of Silumin, an aluminium-based alloy, are often the cheapest in the market. Unfortunately, it is also inferior to other faucets. One of the downsides of Silumin faucets is a change in water pressure can cause the faucet to crack. Silumin also rusts quickly, so you will find yourself replacing the faucet in a short while.

Valve

Something to consider when buying bathroom faucets is the possibility of leakage. The valve will determine if your faucet is likely to leak in the future. Choose a valve made from high-quality material. 

Ceramic valves are the most durable. However, they are also costly. However, if you count on your bathroom being drip-free for decades, then you will be getting value for money. 

Consider Buying The Same Faucets For Your Shower And Sink

Your bathroom will have a complete look if you get faucets with a similar finish. Consider this when making a purchase with a reputable bathroom supplier in Malaysia, especially if you are working with a tight budget. 

Although there are various types of bathroom faucets, you need to pick one that suits your style and budget. You also need to consider the faucet’s durability.

t-shirt printing store

Easily Order Custom T-Shirts!

Customising t-shirts has become easier, not just for individuals but for corporations as well. Today, you don’t have to wear plain t-shirts if you don’t want to. You can easily order custom-made t-shirts from screen printing companies in Singapore. However, before placing an order, there are several things you need to know. 

The Quality of the T-Shirt Matters

Do you have t-shirts that still look good after a few washes? What about those that fall apart quickly? Some t-shirt screen prints look as good as new even after years of use, while some start losing their appeal within a short time. 

The fact is the quality of the t-shirt will affect the quality of the print. If you are running a t-shirt screen printing business, you are likely to have long-term customers if you opt for premium t-shirts. 

Businesses that customise t-shirts to promote their brand are more likely to see clients wear these t-shirts for longer if the fabric is soft, fits well, and looks great. T-shirt screen printing is more impressive on high-quality t-shirts. 

Consider the Function of the T-Shirt When Choosing A Design.

Are you ordering t-shirt screen printing for an outdoor event? Are the t-shirts for a marathon or a promotional item for your business? The t-shirt shouldn’t just have a functional design, but a fashionable one as well. Did you know that large screen blocks retain heat and weigh a t-shirt down? 

If you are designing t-shirts to be worn by marathon runners, you are better off having smaller prints that will leave the runners comfortable. 

Pick High-Resolution Artwork

A high-quality t-shirt fabric should only be paired with a screen print from a top-notch design. Downloading low-resolution images from websites or social media platforms is almost as bad as using t-shirts with low-quality fabric. 

If possible, have a professional create graphic artwork. Businesses offering screen printing services in Singapore often have designers at hand should you need help with the design. However, you could also submit your preferred designs in acceptable formats, such as Adobe Illustrator and pdf. 

Type of Ink

Another secret to great t-shirt screen prints is the type of ink used. Now that you have chosen the best t-shirt and design, the next step is to ensure the type of ink used is just as great. Colour accuracy is critical when screen printing t-shirts for brands that require specific company colours used on the t-shirts. 

Plastisol ink is usually preferred because it is always spot on in colour accuracy. When contacting a screen-printing company in Singapore, it is important to point out that colour accuracy is critical. Besides the type of ink, the density of fibres on the t-shirt will influence how the ink is discharged. T-shirts with a higher mesh count tend to result in better colour accuracy. 

Budget Appropriately

The unit cost of screen printing varies depending on the number of t-shirts you require and how fast you need them. Most t-shirt printing companies in Singapore offer great discounts for bulk orders. Some charge more for urgent orders. 

For example, if you fail to order for screen t-shirts early, you may be forced to pay more for a quick delivery since the company may be forced to work overtime to produce the t-shirts quickly. Conclusion

Understanding t-shirt screen printing will help you make the right decisions regarding the choice of fabric, design, and when to place an order. You will also need to research companies offering t-shirt screen printing services to choose one that will provide high-quality prints. 

 

Electronic bidet attachment for toilet

Toilet Bidets And Cleaning

When we talk about cleaning, we talk about the entire body cleaning. It involves all body parts ranging from the face to the intimate parts. Americans have long been using toilet rolls and papers to wipe off after using the toilet. 

What Is A Toilet Bidet?

Bidet is the word that started in France in 1600 as the word bee day. It was cleanliness mean adopted by the upper and middle-class people. Today, the toilet bidet is a fixture that is fixed in the toilet without causing any change in the overall fitting of the toilet. 

Toilet Bidets Are Good For Sensitive Skin:

If you have dry skin, then you tend to apply a lot of tactics to remove the dryness of the skin. However, if the skin of the anal part is also dry, then it can lead to itching, tearing feeling, soreness and even bleeding. Sometimes when the situation worse, it leads to bleeding. This situation in medical terminology is known as Pruritus Ani. If further, you are habitual of using toilet rolls to clean yourself, then you are being cruel to your anal skin. It is also true that the insensitive and improper wipe can make your skin turn red and irritating. 

A toilet bidet can help you in cleaning your skin without causing it to sore and turning red. You can also save the skin from the abrasive impact of toilet rolls. 

Do Away With The UTI And Other Bacterial Infections With Toilet Bidets:

Apart from ensuring cleanliness, the toilet bidet can also reduce the chance of getting any urinary tract infection, or genital issues which come with toilet rolls. The issue of constipation can also be addressed when using a toilet bidet. When the toilet bidet with good pressure is used, it relaxes the sphincter muscles and makes the movement of the bowel easy. Kids get fissures and anal infections owing to constipation which can become a bigger problem later on.

UTI, i.e., Urinary Tract Infection is a very common form of bacterial infection that is caused by many people. Thus, with a toilet bidet, one can wash thoroughly from all sides and keep the area clean.

For an adult, washing with a toilet bidet is essential after getting intimate with your partner. You will feel fresh, clean and better after using a toilet bidet.

Availability Of Toilet Bidets In Malaysian Markets:

The price of the toilet bidet available in the Malaysian market is such they are affordable for all. You can get the toilet bidet with an adjustable nozzle position, water pressure and temperature. The type with an air dryer is easy to use and removes the necessity of toilet paper altogether. You can check the type and size which is as per your toilet fitting and size and then select accordingly. Toilet bidets are very essential for most toilets in Malaysia.

Final Notes

There are many benefits to using toilet bidets regularly. If you think there is any health issue linked with using or not using a toilet bidet, you need to discuss it with your medical practitioner. But keep in mind that for keeping everyday personal hygiene intact and saving your skin from corrosive feeling, bacterial infection, constipation and any digestive track issues, using a toilet bidet is not a bad option. As discussed above, it is an affordable investment that is long-lasting and clean.

Construction Worker Wearing A Safety Vest

Why Should You Have A Custom Safety Vest?

When designing a custom safety vest, one primary component that cannot be compromised is the safety feature. Although it is lightweight, the contractor safety vest is a safety gear that is just as important as the helmet when one works at a construction site. 

When designing a custom safety vest, the following features need to be considered. 

Design Features

Did you know that the dimensions of the custom safety vest are specific? Although they come in various sizes, contractor safety vests are supposed to be easy to put on and remove. So, if a cyclist suddenly realizes that he forgot to wear his custom safety vest, he can quickly wear it because the dimensions allow him to put it on easily. 

The custom safety vest is also worn on one’s clothes, so it needs to fit easily, irrespective of what one is wearing. The vest also needs to be loose fitting to allow for ease of movement.

Lightweight Fabric

The contractor safety vest is lightweight for various reasons because its primary role is to keep the wearer safe, not warm. The wearer can easily forget he has a custom safety vest because it is lightweight. This is why road construction workers can work comfortably on a hot day with their contractor safety vests on all day. 

The fabric of the custom safety vest is also designed not to be waterlogged. So, a cyclist or police officer shouldn’t be concerned that the safety vest will become too heavy on a rainy day. The fabric also dries quickly. 

Bright Colours

Safety vests are intentionally made of bright colours. Traditionally, they were made for emergency personnel, and the colour of the custom vest identified them. Red was for fire, Green for emergency medical services, and blue for police. 

However, today personnel in various industries wear vests for safety and easy identification. The vests glow in the dark, so it is impossible to miss someone wearing a contractor safety vest at night. 

Visible Branding

Companies whose employees wear custom safety vests should include their business logo and contacts. Besides this being a marketing strategy, it also helps with identification. For example, should there be an accident at a construction site, people can easily tell the contractor in charge of the construction. 

Contractor safety vests are an inexpensive way to market your business. Since the staff will be wearing the vests as they work, why not take advantage of them and advertise your business? 

If you opt to do this, you need to ensure the information is visible. 

However, this should now be at the expense of the safety features of the safety vest. For example, the logo and contact details should not cover the entire vest as this may interfere with the high visibility feature. 

These are some of the typical characteristics of a good custom contractor safety vest. Companies often make independent decisions such as the use of fasteners and the presence of pockets. However, these features are required to ensure the safety vest serves its purpose. 


girl wearing windbreaker against a wall

It’s Not Only For Bad Weather

As the name suggests, a windbreaker is a jacket that keeps the winds and chills from your body. It also protects against light rain. Sudden light showers are almost an everyday occurrence in Singapore. A custom windbreaker is an essential addition to the wardrobe of all Singaporeans for various reasons. 

Windbreakers Are Lightweight

The classic windbreaker only has one or two light layers. It is a jacket that is not meant to keep you warm, so you probably wouldn’t wear it on a cold day. Fortunately, Singapore experiences relatively high temperatures that hardly ever fall below 23 degrees Celsius.         

Even though light showers are expected because of the high humidity, a heavy jacket can be cumbersome to carry and unnecessary in Singapore. A custom windbreaker is the best jacket to carry because it is light and will protect you from the rain. 

Bright-Coloured Windbreakers Have A Reflective Surface.

Many athletes use windbreakers as a protective barrier against the wind and light rains. However, bright-coloured windbreakers have a reflective surface that will alert other road users of their presence on the road. When walking out in the dark or rain, wearing a bright-coloured custom windbreaker will make you more visible. 

It Dries Easily

Since the custom windbreaker is made of very light fabric, it dries quickly. So, even when the rains find you outdoors, you need not worry about carrying a soaked jacket. Windbreakers are typically made from polycotton, nylon, or other cotton blends. 

The waterproofing finish ensures the water remains on the top layer, so you can easily walk or work without getting wet. This helps the jacket to dry quickly, especially if the showers end quickly. 

Windbreakers Are Available In Different Styles.

Unlike other jackets, you have options when it comes to choosing the style of custom windbreakers. For example, some windbreakers have half zips, and others have full zips. Some windbreakers have a hood, which you can easily remove or tuck in at the neck if you wish. 

The colours of the windbreakers are a style on their own, with some coming in one colour, and others have multiple colours. These will influence your overall look, so you can use your custom jacket to compliment your style.  

It Is Versatile

The custom windbreaker is the go-to jacket because of its versatility. You can wear your windbreaker when you go out for a run, hiking, skiing, biking, backpacking, or even when running errands. You can wear a windbreaker over your regular jacket for its waterproof feature. 

It Is Affordable

The windbreaker is one of the cheapest jackets in the market. This is probably because it is made from readily available fabric, and it does not require much to make one. The single-layer custom windbreaker may be cheaper than the insulated two-layered one. The cost may also vary depending on the type of fabric used. 

Ultimately, your wardrobe is richer with a custom windbreaker. You can choose to make it part of your weekend wear or protect your work clothes during the week. You can customize the windbreaker to make it unique using a logo, image, or text. 

The indemnity agreements were not always addressed by such terms when the inception of this insurance took place. In the 1800s, the agreement was not as well-established and detailed as it is today. To ensure cooperation and delivering promised results, governments, businesses and even individuals made contracts as legal documents in case any party intentionally or unintentionally did not fulfill the contract. According to an article in the New York Times, Haiti had to pay France an – independence debt in 1825, when it got freedom from French rule. These were to compensate the losses that French plantation businesses and individual owners suffered in slaves and land. This is one of the most historic cases known where indemnity was evident.

 

Another instance that is recorded as a case of indemnity happened in England, in 1884. Dr. David Bradley was wrongly accused and sentenced to 2 years in prison. In 1885, the Medical Defense Union was formed when other medical practitioners revolved against the decision. It was found that the apparent victim was a woman suffering from erotic delusions during and post-epileptic seizures. The falsely accused doctor was granted pardon and served only eight months in prison. Awareness to defend the doctor’s livelihood and reputation rose among other medical practitioners.

 

Indemnity is commonly seen in post-war situations where the country that wins the war demands from the losing country. The indemnity may take years or decades to pay off.

 

A classic example is when Germany paid as indemnity after its role in the World War I. The extent and amount of indemnity were so high that it was finally paid off only by 2010.   The word ‘indemnity’ comes from the Latin word – indemnis which means ‘unhurt, undamaged, without loss.’ Monetary payments were done in indemnity or replacement and repairs were offered.

 

Post-World War I, over the next few decades, professional indemnity insurance in Singapore has undergone drastic changes and revisions to better the insurance provisions for traders and governments. Due to globalization and privatization, the growth and development of large-scale industries affect the government directly.

 

Professional indemnity insurance has been able to provide their clients exactly what they expect and what they need for the smooth functioning of their business. When insurance can protect individuals despite unintentional errors in judgment or mishaps, these individuals can take a leap of faith by venturing into a new market as they learn more about the tricks of the trade.

A performance bond provides a security to an obligee in a project. During a project, a contractor obtains the bond, which acts as a guarantee that the work will be furnished by adhering to all agreed terms and conditions specified by the client.

 

A performance bond typically involves three parties, viz., the principal party or the contractor, the obligee who is protected under the bond, and the surety provider who issues the bond. When the obligee, also called the employer demands the performance bond prior to a project from the contractor, it essentially implies that the obligee wants a security that there will be no violation to the terms and conditions and set guidelines.

 

Apart from structural guidelines, which include design and description of the project, the bond also ensures that the contractor will work within the budget and finish the work within the stipulated time. If the contractor finishes the work without violating any of the terms and conditions, then the performance bond becomes ineffective and has no further significance.

 

However, if the contractor fails to meet the guidelines and that results in a loss for the owner, the surety company will compensate, either by paying for the financial losses or by hiring another contractor and will ensure that the job is completed.

 

Performance bonds ensure that the financial standing of the contractor has been evaluated so that the contractor does not declare insolvency in between the project. The surety company will analyze financial statements, cash flow, working capital, and net worth to prequalify the contractor. It also scrutinizes prior works undertaken by the contractor and their completion status, equipment and human resource required to execute the project, and verify the contractor’s relations with suppliers, project owners, and everyone else associated with projects.

 

A performance bond is not an insurance, it is a three-party agreement that a project will be completed as per the contract documents, and in the event of a violation of terms and conditions, surety company steps in to ensure that it does not impact the project.

 

It is advisable that the contract details and the terms and conditions are specified clearly prior to the commencement of the project, and the responsibility, understandably, lies with the owner to furnish the details of the project so that the surety company can evaluate every aspect correctly. Performance bonds, in short, are a protection for an obligee against any default by the contractor and it also helps the contractor obtain a project.

Irrespective of whether you plan to shop for a new marine insurance policy or contemplating to change your insurer, you need to ask certain important questions to the insurance agent. The responses can inform you whether your future or new insurance policy is worth it or worthless.

If you are looking for a comprehensive marine insurance, do consider Marine Insurance from Allegiance. They also have a wide range of other commercial insurance that you might need. Visit their site today.

1. When can you claim and to what extent you will get help?

Here are 2 different ways an insurer can handle a claim. These are known as hands-on an hands-off. Typically, a hands-off insurer opines that you as a policyholder should be doing all the work. Thus, you may have to look for a barge, a trucking service, salvor, and crane company before seeking for reimbursement. On the other hand, a hands-on insurer is ideally a specialty marine insurance provider. It has round the clock access to such services. Such an insurer can sensibly negotiate pricing and recruit and pay the relevant contractors on behalf of you. They can also coordinate to handle the repairs on your behalf.

2. Can you be certain to stay out of harm?

You should try to find out a marine insurance policy, which provides round the clock teams to handle emergency claims. Such teams should be immediately able to offer the necessary resources to prevent further damage. Plus, if you stay in a hurricane zone, there are policies that pay a captain so that it can be moved to a hurricane hole. Alternatively, they share the haul-out costs so that your vessel can be shifted to a higher ground.

3. Will the policy take care of consequential damage coverage?

As far as the field of marine insurance and boat insurance are concerned, catastrophic losses include incidents of fire, explosion, sinking, demasting, collision or stranding. These are known as consequences. A good marine insurance policy will provide coverage for the above-mentioned catastrophes. On the other hand, when you do not have coverage for consequential damage in your insurance policy, the insurer can say that almost all incidents of sinking or fire are disqualified for coverage as they occurred due to wear and tear.

4. Will you get any type of discounts or rewards during the policy?

Any smart policy ideally credits you when you have not filed for claims. It rewards you with certain benefits like diminishing deductibles. Such a reward reduces your deductible amount for all those years you did not file any claim. You could be also declared eligible for certain savings or discount for attending certain training or education programs.

Most people are unaware of the amount of maintenance, that a yacht requires on a periodic basis. There is no substitute for periodic yacht maintenance. Fortunately for the yacht owners, there is no dearth of yacht management firms which take care of these things at reasonable costs. Obviously, a well-maintained yacht is more likely to get a decent resale price, in comparison to an averagely maintained yacht.

Yacht maintenance is so crucial that, most marine insurance companies will deny insurance to yachts unless they are seaworthy. Just like the yachts vary in many aspects, the range of premiums for the insurance of yachts varies with several factors.

If you are looking for marine insurance in Singapore, you should consider Allegiance Marine Insurance. They cover both Marine Cargo and Marine Hull insurances. You should definitely look them up above if you are serious about protecting your marine goods or properties.

In this article we shall discuss, what goes into maintaining a yacht.

Prevention is better than cure

The only sure-fire to maintain yachts economically, is by scheduling cleanups regularly. Considering the corrosive nature of seawater and relative high humidity, the potential for systems in the yacht malfunctioning is extremely high. Preventive maintenance costs are always cheaper than repair works. It is absolutely crucial, that the yachts are maintained as its manufacturer has directed it. A good number of yachts have special needs like quality wax polishes and interior cleanses.

Yacht maintenance involves keeping tabs on all the hidden systems of yachts and not just the exteriors. Everything from the detailing to the internal wiring needs to be periodically checked, so that untoward yachting accidents can be kept at bay.

Another thing about yacht maintenance that is frequently ignored is the hull cleaning. The antifouling cover status needs to be thoroughly checked on the yachts, every now and then. While the underwater hull washing is pricey, it is one of those things which cannot be postponed for long in yacht maintenance.

Yacht paperwork

While maintaining the management records of yachts is entirely optional, if done regularly, it will ensure that the yacht fetches a decent resale price when it is sold or mortgaged. Yacht management records also come in handy during upgradation of yacht amenities. Most yacht management firms take care of this aspect for yachts under their care, so yacht owners need not have it done explicitly.

Yacht owners can request these records from the yacht management firms whenever they want. Fortunately yacht management firms are surprisingly affordable. A
lot of yacht upgrades can even be purchased from them, as they are more likely to offer better deals to the yachts already under their care. Due to this, owning a yacht has never been simpler.

The marine industry is one of the major ways of shipping huge cargo. A single ship can carry hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of cargo in one trip. This is a huge financial risk that the shipper takes every time they send a shipment. Investing in Marine Cargo insurance can reduce the exposure of this risk.

Listed here are a few man-made risks to cargo that are particularly good reasons to get marine cargo insurance.

Cargo theft

Piracy is one of the biggest risks that shipping companies have to face, especially if they are passing through high-risk areas such as The Red Sea. But this is not the only way that goods get stolen, theft through identity theft and fictitious pickups is increasing day by day.

Cargo lost at sea

There are more cargo containers that are being lost at sea every year. This is mainly due to overloading the ships above the limit. A survey conducted in 2014 stated that there are around 733 containers lost on an average each year in 2011, 2012 and 2013. This is considerably higher than the number of containers from 2008-2010.

Catastrophes

The World Shipping Council has defined catastrophic loss as a loss of more than 50 or more containers in a single incident. This can be due to various reasons such as fires or explosions.

Cargo damage

Damage to cargo is even more common than cargo loss and cargo theft. This damage can occur due to a number of reasons including; inadequate ventilation, ineffective sealing arrangements, lack of clear carriage instructions, contamination of the floors or containers, the wrong temperature settings that leads to condensation and spoilage of perishable goods, poor distribution of cargo weight, heavy containers stored on lighter ones, fragile cargo stored in high motion area and the list can go on.

Contractual requirement

Some shipper contracts make it obligatory for the shipper to purchase marine insurance.

Carrier liability coverage

In the event that the carrier is liable for damage or loss of the goods, the shipper will recover a very limited amount. This is covered in marine cargo insurance.

By getting insurance themselves, the shippers will have more control over the terms of the insurance. Allegiance helps in forming an insurance policy that caters to the needs of the shipper and is tailor-made for them.

Choosing a photo for customised photo gifts can be difficult. This is especially true if you have many great photos which would look equally good on personalised photo gifts. Fortunately, you may not need to narrow it down to one photo if the gift item can accommodate more than one photo. A photo collage contains many memories that can be fit on one gift item.

When creating a photo collage, while it has the advantage of using various photos, you need to ensure you follow a pattern. This will make the gift more special. Classifying the photos will make it easier for you to decide how you’d like the photo collage to appear.

Vacation photos

If the person receiving the gift enjoys travelling, collect some of his vacation photos. You can choose photos from his favourite destinations or combine photos from multiple vacations. You can also get photos of destinations on his bucket list. This shows you know him well and that you support his dreams.

Family photos

Family photos make the home cozy and lived in. This is probably why family photos are often at the heart of customised photo gifts. The special moments captured in the photos are often special. Giving someone a gift containing a collage of moments that they will look back on fondly will always be appreciated.

Pregnancy photos

You’ve probably noticed a trend of couples and families taking pregnancy photos and even including them in the photo displays in their home. This is a moment of transition and excitement for those expecting.

Depending on the kind of relationship you have with the expecting parents, you may choose to remind them of these fleeting moments, which pass too quickly. Personalised photo gifts with a pregnancy photo collage may need to be more specific or related to an event.

For example, it could be a gift to congratulate the couple on the arrival of their bundle of joy. Showcasing the journey is a great reminder that they will treasure for life.

Life achievements

Achievements in life are not written on stone. One person’s life’s achievements may not be as massive as someone else’s. This makes it much easier for you to create a collage because you only need to look back at events you’d consider life-changing. It could be a graduation, a sports event, first job, a promotion, or a wedding.

Special occasions

Photos under this category capture memorable events, such as a parent’s 60th birthday or a wedding. Such events include family members and friends who mean a lot to the person you are preparing a personalised photo gift. Creating a photo montage of such events helps to create memories that live on forever.

Pet Gallery

If your friend loves his pets and would do anything for them, you should take photos of his interaction with his pets. Over time, you will have a collection of photos to create a photo collage. If you are getting him wooden photo blocks with multiple faces, you can choose to use different photos.

While you may have greater flexibility when choosing photos for a photo collage, having photos that have one theme will make the customised gift quite attractive. Additionally, you have greater flexibility in choosing photos for future gifts if you use one theme at a time.

Introduction

In today’s competitive world every person works really hard pursuing a comfortable and successful lifestyle. But unfortunately, the toiling employees sometimes encounter various types of accidents at the workplace that might cause severe injuries. This usually happens because of the negligence of the employers to provide a secure environment in the work area and lack of proper training for the working employees to handle the machines or pieces of equipment.

In case you reside in Singapore and are going through such a painful situation due to the injuries that you received at the job, then it is inevitable for you to analyze the laws to understand if you are eligible for receiving work injury compensation: https://allegiance.com.sg/commercial-insurance/work-injury-compensation/

 What is the Work Injury Compensation Act?

The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) helps the employees to seek compensation for work-related diseases or injuries, without taking any legal action. In Singapore, this WICA Act is a law that aims to guide the injured employees to make a claim from the Ministry of Manpower. This law helps in providing an ample amount of cash as compensation for meeting medical and other expenses of the injured employee, but it is possible only when the required conditions are met.

Who are eligible for making Work Injury Compensation?

As long as you are an employee working under a contract of apprenticeship or contract of service, you are 100 percentile eligible for claiming compensation under the Singapore law. It is obligatory that every employer purchase the Work Injury Compensation insurance exclusively for the benefits of employees working for him in a local or foreign land. Following are the two category employees for whom the compensation insurance needs to be purchased.

  1. Employees performing manual work, irrespective of salary level.
  2. Secondly, employees performing non-manual work and earning less than $1600 per month. However, the government has announced that this threshold will be enlarged to $2100 in the year 2020 and then increased to $2600 in the year 2021.

In case your employer has not purchased work injury compensation insurance, do not panic. Because according to the law the employer still needs to pay the compensation claim.

Following working groups are not eligible for the cover:

  • Freelancers and independent contractors
  • Uniformed Employees of the Singapore Government such as police force and civil defense force etc.
  • Domestic employees

How does the claim process work on various types of workplace injuries?

As we all know every employee who suffered any type of workplace injury is absolutely entitled to claim compensation. But first, you need to prove that negligence of the employer is the prime cause of the injury. If your personal injuries occur during the period of your employment and while performing your assignment as an employee, then seeking work injury compensation should be a piece of cake. Other important situations employees can seek compensation are:

  • Accident occurred in a foreign land where the employee has traveled for performing his or her duties.
  • Accident occurred while traveling to work by the transportation provided by an employer.
  • Affected by occupational sickness.
  • Infected with disease due to the exposure of poisonous chemical or biological agents at the workplace.
  • Dependents of a deceased employee can claim for compensation if the employee dies because of the workplace injuries

What can an employee claim?

An eligible employee can easily claim work injury compensation for:

  1. Loss of wages for the days issued with medical leave and being hospitalized.
  2. Medical expenses that cover your medication, hospital bills, and other related charges.
  3. Lump-sum compensation exclusively for employees who died or affected with permanent incapacity.

 

The Singapore Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) allows an employee to get the following kinds of compensations for any work-related injury or a medical condition. Read more about this at Allegiance’s Work Injury Compensation webpage.

  • Medical leave wages
  • Medical expenses
  • High compensation

Medical leave payments 

This is payable for the working days one is on medical leave due to an injury or disease caused during work. This covers the period for which the employee has to stay in a hospital or covered by the Singapore registered doctors. Medical leave wages are not payable for all days of no work including the days of break and the public holidays. It is not taxable because this is not an income but a compensation.

One is entitled to get medical leave pays under WICA as per the limits and rates below.

  • Amount of casualty medical leave compensation: The complete average monthly income up to 14 days or less. And from the 15th day to 1 year from the date of the accident, the entitlement is 2/3rd of the average monthly income.
  • Amount of hospitalization compensation: The average monthly income up to 60 days or less. And the entitlement comes to 2/3rd of the average monthly income from the 61st day to 1 year from the date of the accident.

Additionally, the employees who are allotted light duties instead of availing medical leave or hospitalization are also entitled to get compensation for any shortfall of earning from September 2020.

They are to receive compensation for the actual shortfall of income from their average monthly income when it is for 14 days or less. And they will be compensated the actual shortfall form 2/3rd of their average monthly income for the period from 15th day to 1 year.

Medical expenses

One is entitled to get paid for the medical expenses that help an early restoration of work. The following are some examples of the types of medical expenses allowed.

  • Ambulance charges for emergency medical transport
  • Artificial limbs
  • Cost of medicine
  • Medical consultation fees
  • Medical report fees
  • Surgical appliances
  • Treatment fees
  • Ward charges

One is also entitled to get compensated for Physiotherapy, Occupational therapy, Chiropractic treatment, and Traditional Chinese Medicine only when those are prescribed and charged by medical practitioners registered in Singapore.

The current maximum limit for this is $36000 or 1 year from the date of the accident, whichever is earlier. However, it will be raised to $45000 from January 2020.

Lump-amount compensation

When an employee turns permanently incapacitated due to a work-related accident or illness, he or she is entitled to such compensation. The amount is calculated as average monthly income x age multiplying factor x % permanent incapacity assessed by registered medical practitioners. In case of death, this is calculated as average monthly earnings x age multiplying factor and paid to the dependant of the deceased.

From January 2020, the limit of compensation for permanent incapacity is raised from $88000 to $97000 minimum and $262000 to $289000 maximum.

The compensation for death is also raised from $69000 to $76000 minimum and $204000 to $225000.

 

 

 

Singapore government has passed a law recently that covers the work injury compensation. This law helps the employee who is injured while working for the employer. Although its the duty of the employer to compensate the employee for the injury but, you must know the complete process to file the claim. Here is a complete guide on claiming work injury compensation:

For cases with temporary incapacity

If you are the one with an injury that lead to temporary incapacity, the process would be very straight. You have to simply report about the accident to your employer as soon as possible and ask for compensation, lost earning and treatment for the work-related accident.

Report the Accident

  1. The first thing that you have to do after getting injured is to get the medical help and report about the same to the employer. If you don’t do that, the employer may doubt your injury and they may refuse the compensation saying that the injury or illness was sustained before the work itself.
  2. If you have been hospitalized for a minimum of 24 hours and need to have MC of 4 days (consecutive days is not mandatory) then its the duty of your employer to inform the same to MOM
  3. You’ll have to handover the original MC to the employer for the claim of your medical expenses. Make sure that you keep a copy of the MC with you.
  4. You must also inform the MOM if the employer denies or refuse to pay your medical bills and lost earnings or does not inform MOM about the situation.

For the people with permanent incapacity

People who have an injury with permanent incapacity, the process is a bit complex.

  1. Inform about the situation to your employer immediately. The employer should pay the medial leave wages and also your medical bills.
  2. Its the duty of the employer to inform the same to MOM and then MOM will send you the claim application form.
  3. As you receive the form, you can make the choice whether you want to make a claim under WICA or not.
  4. If you are ready with the claim from WICA, then you will have to go for the medical examination that should explain the extent of your incapacity. Make sure that you attend all the medical assessments, otherwise you may face issues for the claim. You are free to seek treatment from any hospital of your choice but your company may ask you to seek treatment in their approved hospitals.
  5. As the process completes, you will get a notice notifying about the insurer amount and other things.

You are free to file a claim for WICA on your own and if you wish you can hire a lawyer too who will assist you the matter further.

Filing a Civil Claim

Although WICA is created to help employees in case of emergency situations, you can even file a civil claim from the employer. But make sure that you cannot file both civil claims and work-place related injury claims at the same time.

Entrepreneurs are apprehensive of implementing the online appointment system for various reasons. Such fears include that the applications are not easy to use and customers will fail to turn up after booking by themselves. However, you need not worry as a majority of these concerns are simply myths. This article debunks some of the most common myths associated with online appointment system.

For a good online appointment system, you should consider ATT Systems Online Appointment System. Their system can capture bookings at any time and remind clients not to have No Show bookings. If you are looking to purchase an Online Appointment System do check out their site here: http://www.attsystemsgroup.com/appointment-management-systems-ams

Myth 1: Online appointment means that the entrepreneur will have lesser control on their schedule

On the contrary, online appointment gives you greater control on your schedule and also reduces the efforts needed to organize those appointments. For instance, if you own a salon and have hired 2 staffs and do not work full-time, this information can be easily included in your schedule so that customers can find out the available time slots.

It eliminates the requirement for an entrepreneur to spend many hours tweaking the appointments so that all the customers get the slot they are looking for. As it will be an automated system, a notification will be sent to the customers when a slot they want to reserve is already booked. Thus, you can save the time spent on a lengthy phone call and use that time to do more important tasks.

Myth 2: Online appointment is not suitable for the demography of the customer

It is a complete misconception as about 2.3 billion people from all over the world use smartphones today. As the same set of people are using these phone for accessing social media an online banking, scheduling appointment online will be a child’s play altogether in case the layout of the online scheduler you are using is intuitive and straightforward.

Additionally, 20% of the above members are more than 55-year-old. Thus, age is definitely not an important factor for one’s ability to book appointments online.

Myth 3: Booking online does not offer the same superior quality of customer service since there is a less personal touch

With the growing popularity of online booking, a larger population of customers would be looking for more choices. It is not a big concern simply because a customer is not interacting with a customer service representative. In fact, several of them would rather like to enjoy the flexibility of booking whenever they want to from any device of their choice.

Online appointment system can add its personal touch by sending confirmations electronically. The confirmation automatically shares the details of the appointment with the customers.

In today’s day and age, all companies want to be global in their approach. This means employing foreign employees. While foreign worker insurance is mandatory in many countries including Singapore, it has many advantages. Getting this insurance will not only protect your employee but you as well.

Advantages of getting this insurance:

  • Saves you from high medical bills

No one can predict when misfortune can strike. But a medical emergency not only means health issues for your employee, it also hurts your pocket. That is why this was made mandatory by the government to protect employers from high medical bills.

  • Added perk for the employee

In this increasingly competitive market, potential employees select those companies who provide the most incentives along with the salary. They want a comprehensive package that takes care of their welfare. For foreign employees, especially, they are away from their countries and are naturally apprehensive of how they will be taken care of should they fall ill in a foreign country. The better comprehensive package you offer, the higher the chances of you getting the cream of foreign applicants for your company.

  • Repatriation expenses

In case a foreign employee dies or is permanently disabled, this insurance indemnifies you from bearing the cost of transferring the body to his/her home country.

  • Personal accident during off hours

Depending on the comprehensiveness of the insurance policy, several important benefits are covered.

  • Disability, dismemberment due to any accident
  • Some plans even safeguards your employees against any financial issues due to loss of income; in case disability from the accident prevents the employee to be able to work
  • Surgery, dental, maternity expenses, are some of the areas covered by these insurance companies

 

  • Outpatient treatment

Some amount of outpatient treatment is always covered by all types of insurance; however the coverage varies. From dental to general check up to specialist consultation and cost of tests, there are a variety of outpatient coverage options.

This type of insurance protects both you and the employee for a minimal fee. It protects you from incurring financial loss and insures the employee’s life and takes care of any additional cost should tragedy occur. It also earns you good will from the employee. This in turn ensures lesser attrition over compensations offered, and higher chances of attracting the best in the market. Therefore choose the coverage that is beneficial for both you and your foreign employees.

 

Most employees consider health insurance as the most important perk in their remuneration package and many studies and surveys have shown that a good health insurance plan increases the chances of retention and improving recruitment quality. It is mandatory for all those who are employing foreigners in their companies to get foreign worker medical insurance in most countries, including Singapore. However, not all insurance plans offer a good bargain and therefore should not be selected blindly.

Important points to remember while selecting the right insurance:

  • Compare the policies

Never look at just one insurance company’s plan, especially if you’re planning to have more than one foreign employee. The policy needs to be beneficial for both you and the employee. Look at at least a few options before freezing in on one.

The following factors should be kept in mind while comparing policies:

  • Cost

How much does the policy cost you? Is this something that you can bear even if your number of foreign employees increases? What is the cost of the plan, the deductibles, and the co-insurance costs (if any)? How much of it can be borne by the company? It also should be noted that deductibles and co-insurance costs should not be such that it affects the employee’s salary significantly.

  • Coverage

Some policies limit coverage to specific conditions or provide the absolute minimum coverage. These details are mostly written in fine print, so they need to be read carefully. Insurance policies that cover diseases should usually be avoided as their charges are higher than the chances of contracting one.

  • Reimbursement

Their compensation or reimbursements for individual incidents should be viewed to see whether the coverage actually does justice to hospital charges and doctor’s fees. Consulting a physician might be a good idea to understand if the amount mentioned seems reasonable or not.

 

  • Check the market

It is always good to know which policies competitors and other companies use for their foreign employees. It helps you to get an idea of the quality of service provided. In this day and age, when several insurance companies are facing bankruptcy issues, one can’t be too careful.

  • Get a broker

In case this overwhelms you, or you don’t have the time to review the policies in such detail you can always get a broker to compare policies for you. However, brokers are not always ethical or reliable and can influence the rates offered by insurance companies. Therefore, the background of brokers too, must be thoroughly investigated.

Once the foreign worker insurance policy is bought, you can’t reverse it without incurring some loss. Choose the one that benefits both you and the employee and spend time to find the right insurance policy.

It is quite easy to understand why you need to purchase coverage for your personal vehicle. You would like to safeguard your property as well as protect the lives of your dear ones. Moreover, it is compulsory by law in several States. But to know when to avail commercial insurance is a completely different fall fame altogether. However, there are some kinds of vehicle usage, which do not fall within the scope of a personal vehicle insurance policy. If you are an entrepreneur or a businessman and are using a vehicle exclusively for your business, then commercial vehicle insurance is needed. Moreover, when your vehicle has commercial tags, you must purchase a commercial coverage for it.

There are several instances when a businessman may be using the same vehicle for both pleasures as well as business. When your business owns a vehicle, you need to ensure that the. Business’s name appears on your policy not in your name but as a “principal insured”. Such a step will help remove confusions when you may require to file your claim or done files a claim against you.

Whether you should purchase commercial vehicle insurance in Singapore will also depend on the type of driving done by you. A reputable insurance agent will probe for detailed information about how your business uses the said vehicle, who will be the drivers and in case you have hired employees, whether they have the likelihood of driving their personal vehicles for your business.

Business use

You need to understand when a vehicle is known to be deployed for business use. A vehicle used for business is one that is used for commercial purposes for at least more than three times on an average during a period of 30 days. If you find they it is happening in your case, then commercial vehicle insurance is something that you should definitely go for.

What is defined as “business use”?

This is a crucial concept with respect to commercial vehicle insurance. When you merely use a vehicle to commute to and fro from your main workplace, it is regarded as commuting and you need not purchase a commercial policy. In fact, then the vehicle is required to be covered within the ambit of personal vehicle insurance. But when you are driving the same car to travel to clients? Offices or other job sites, vases based on how frequently you do it and your work type, you could be requiring commercial vehicle insurance .

Though the key coverage for the personal auto policy and its commercial counterpart may look same, both of them differ in several technical aspects. Contact your insurance agents to explain the distinctions properly.

Being an owner of a business and operating it efficiently means that you can be exposed to certain financial and legal risks. But you can protect your company and yourself by purchasing commercial liability coverage.

Defining commercial liability insurance

Your business needs liability insurance to safeguard its assets and to pay for the financial and legal obligations from time to time. For instance, when someone gets injured within the premises of your workplace, the expenses related to the person’s medical bills and other costs as the result of an accident can be covered by your commercial liability coverage. Moreover, such an insurance policy can also cover the legal fees for defending any lawsuits against your business and for settlement of cases.

Is it a necessity for your business?

On many occasions, it may feel that you can do away with liability insurance since it is not likely that your company will file a claim ever. But, contrary to what many people perceive commercial liability coverage is a cost-effective and a sensible investment. You should remember that if an accident takes place, it can harm your business both financially and legally. Such an unfortunate situation can occur at any time. So, in case you do not have commercial liability coverage, make sure that you purchase one on a priority basis.

Do you need commercial liability coverage for a home business?

There are some businesses that are operated from homes. So, the question is if you are one of those and have purchased homeowners coverage, does your business have protection against liability? The answer is in negative for sure. Home insurance does not include any form of business activity. However, you may require different kinds of protection, depending on your employees, customers or other business issues.

Thus the bottom line of this discussion is that a business can be a risky proposition. When you get the right liability policy, it can be helpful for any kind of challenges your venture may face. But different ventures will be associated with different kinds of risks. So, the same kind of insurance solution may not fit all the businesses. You can take the help of an expert to know what kind of commercial liability insurance is needed for your business.

While running your venture, you need to interact with vendors, clients, suppliers, contractors, employees and others. You never know who can make claims against your company. So, it is important for you to defend your business against such claims of bodily injury, property damage etc.

Allegiance can provide answers all your queries on commercial liability insurance related services or levy bond.

Low Maintenance Types of Upholstery

The whole look of the furniture in any room depends mostly on the upholstery that is used on it. Choosing the kind of upholstery that is most suited to ones needs can sometime be a mammoth task as there are many varieties of colours and textures to choose from. One of the major criteria that come into play while choosing upholstery is easy maintenance. Here are a few types of low maintenance upholstery Singapore.

Natural fibres are made from natural origin such as wool, jute, cotton, flax, etc. These fibres are anti-allergenic, friendly to the environment and can also breathe easily.

Cotton is soft and breathable material, it is also durable, easy to clean and comfortable. As the price is also not very high it is a very economical type of upholstery. Cotton blends can also be used to increase strength and durability of the fabric as well as to add texture to it.

Linen is another natural fibre that is usually used for upholstery and is a great choice for the living room. It is elegant, unpretentious and most importantly it is resistant to pilling and soiling.

Wool upholstery is the most versatile as they can vary in texture and pattern. It is a very sturdy and durable kind of fabric. Along with this, wool has very good resistance to fading, wrinkling, pilling and soiling. Wool is easy to clean and maintain and remains as beautiful as the first day for many years.

Synthetic fibres are more resistant to fading and staining than natural ones. Thus a blend between a natural fibre and synthetic one are most commonly used.

Acrylic fibres are soft and warm; they are usually very light but have a high resistance to wearing, wrinkling, fading and soiling. They retain their colour even if kept in the sun for a long time.

Nylon is one of the strongest fibres, when blending nylon with other fabrics increases its durability, stain resistance and reduces wrinkling.

Polyester like nylon is most commonly used as a blend. It is durable and strong and is resistant to exposure to sunlight.

Suede and leather may not technically be fabric but are increasingly being used in furniture. The major advantages of leather are that it is soft to touch, durable, can come in a variety of textures, and is very easy to maintain as it is stain resistant.

Leno urges Governor to take immediate action to stop the contamination of California homes

SAN FRANCISCO, CA— Highlighting a recent study showing that Californians have twice as much toxic halogenated fire retardants in our blood than the national average, Assemblyman Mark Leno urged the Governor today to take immediate action to stop the addition of these chemicals to furniture and baby products sold in California.  The findings, published in the academic journal Environmental Science and Technology on Wednesday points to California’s obscure furniture flammability regulation, Technical Bulletin (TB) 117 as the cause.

“This report confirms our worst fears about the chemical disaster in virtually every home in California,” said Assemblyman Leno. “TB 117 is poisoning our homes, our kids, and our mother’s milk with toxic fire retardants that cause thyroid hormone disruptions and damage the developing reproductive and nervous systems in infants and children.  I am urging the Governor to do everything in his power to stop it.”

The study, conducted by the Silent Spring Institute, UC Berkeley, and Harvard University, also found that dust in California homes is contaminated with the now banned halogenated fire retardant penta-BDE at 4 to 10 times the levels measured nationally and 200 times more than in Europe.  It can also be found in “nearly every species across the globe.”

Assemblyman Leno, along with advocates at Friends of the Earth, Making Our Milk Safe (MOMS), and firefighters have been fighting for the last two years to replace TB 117, a 1970’s era flammability standard responsible for the use of toxic fire retardants in baby products and furniture.  Leno’s AB 706, which failed passage under pressure from the chemical industry, would have replaced TB 117 with a new cigarette ignition resistance standard proposed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, providing superior fire safety while eliminating toxic exposure.

“The Governor should order the immediate suspension of TB 117, require the Bureau to enforce the current ban on penta-BDE in imported furniture, accelerate the development of an alternatives assessment process in the Green Chemistry Initiative, and use alternatives assessment to look first at halogenated fire retardants found in furniture,” said Leno.

Virtually every Californian tested has been found to have fire retardants stored in their bodies, with babies showing the highest levels.  Halogenated fire retardants pass from mothers’ bodies to children during pregnancy and through breast milk. Levels of these chemicals have increased 40-fold in human breast milk since the 1970s. 

This increase coincides with the expanded use of fire retardants in order to comply with California’s TB 117. Previous studies have shown that elevated cancer rates among firefighters compared with the general population, likely result from workplace exposure to carcinogens like dioxins and furans, which are formed when PBDE fire retardants burn.