SRI LANKA ENGINEERING NEWS

The Newspaper of The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka Vol. 48, No 01, January/February 2013

Registered at the GPO as a Newspaper No. QD/24 /NEWS/2013

ENGINEERING NEWSSRI LANKA

Established 1906

IESLCE, Engineering Course 2013 –Inauguration of Certificate Level,

Stage 1

ICE Delegation Pays Courtesy Visitto IESL

Adelegation of theInstitution of CivilEngineers (ICE) led

by its President, ProfessorBarry Clarke paid acourtesy visit to the IESLHeadquarters on Friday,25th January, 2013. Theywere accompanied by Prof.Dayantha Wijesekera, theICE Representative in SriLanka.

The IESL delegation for themeeting was led by Eng.Tilak De Silva, President

IESL and consisted Eng. (Dr.)Anand Ranasinghe,Immediate Past President ofIESL, Eng. (Dr.) MervynGunasekera, Past President,IESL, Eng. Hemal A PeirisFellow IESL and Eng.Prabodha Jinasena,Chairman, Civil EngineeringSectional Committee of IESL.

The discussion focused onareas of common interest tothe ICE and IESL. It wasagreed upon that the twoinstitutions would explore

areas in which they couldengage constructively formutual benefits to be decidedupon in the future.

The main purpose of the ICEdelegation’s visit to Sri Lankawas to attend the ICE AsiaPacific Conference Sri Lanka2013 on the theme ‘NaturalDisasters: the Engineer’s rolein preparedness, mitigationand recovery held on themorning of the 25th January atthe Mount Lavinia Hotel, SriLanka organized jointly byICE – Sri Lanka, Pakistan,Bangladesh and Nepal.

The Certificate Level- Stage 1 of the

Engineering Courseconducted by the College ofEngineering of the IESL wasceremonially inauguratedon Saturday, 12th January2013 at the Headquarters ofthe Institution of Engineers,Sri Lanka at 120/15

Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo7. Eng. P Ranepura,Additional Secretary, Ministryof Higher Education was theChief Guest for the occasion.

Speaking at the occasionEng. Ranepura described thestudents who have joined thecourse as particularly

courageous for their choosingthe mathematics stream withthe aim of becomingengineers and also theirdetermination to achieve theirexpectations of becoming anengineer in the face of thelimited places available at the

Contd. on page 9....

In this Issue

The Institution of EngineersSri Lanka

120/15, Wijerama Mawatha,Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.

Tel: 2685490, 2698426, 2699210

Fax: 2699202

E.mail: [email protected] / [email protected]

Website: http://www.iesl.lk

IESL Holds Corporate PlanWorkshop at ‘BlueWater Hotel Wadduwa’...........3IESL ToastmastesClub..........................................4

Editrial........................... .4

Find information, Forms, Pay membershipfees, etc. http://www.iesl.lk

Provide direct feedback to the Presidenthttp://ieslpresident.blogspot.com/

Learn from public lectures and other mediahttp://www.iesl.lk/iesl_Multimedia_Portal.html

For fast breaking news, follow IESL in Twitter@iesllanka

IESL is now on Face Book, become a fan ofIESL

PRESIDENT’S CORNERPRESIDENT’S CORNERPRESIDENT’S CORNERPRESIDENT’S CORNERPRESIDENT’S CORNER

The IESL is on the verge of transforming into anorganization that’s on par with other internationalprofessional bodies with effective local, national and

international outreach focused on creating and sustainingmutually beneficial relationships with engineeringprofessionals.

Extensive collaborative efforts are underway both within

the IESL Secretariat and between the IESL Head officeand Provincial Centres, Chapters of Overseas Centres andUniversities to fast track the process.

The impending shift to a world class membershipmanagement system will set the "platform" to effectivelycommunicate with our membership, have better financialcontrol / visibility, and make IESL and its members'

relevance felt in the society.

ICT enabled features such as the completely overhauledwebsite, web based video conferencing, live web streamingof lectures, sites for blogging and online services such asPaying of Membership Fees, etc that were initially broughtin are being taken to new technological heights and userfriendliness.

Apart from the use of enabling software technology, current

business processes are being re-engineered as needed.

Particularly encouraging in the current atmosphere ofchange is the enthusiasm and commitment demonstratedby our provincial arms, the IESL Provincial Centres. Sinceestablishing its first provincial centre in Kandy in 1982,IESL Provincial Centres have been established in each ofthe provinces in the country except the Western Province

where its head office itself is located. Though all the centresare up to now functioning in borrowed spaces, I am proud

Contd. on page 2....

Sri Lanka Engineering News - January / February 2013IESL NEWS2

Subject: NEW BLOGS: Share Ideas, AskQuestions, Get Answers – Collaborate

Dear IESL Colleagues,

During past few months, you have been posting questions and thoughts to thePresident’s Blog that is available on our website (www.iesl.lk)

We have taken this success further and have opened few other blogs to enhancecollaboration among fellow engineers. During our visits to Provincial Councils andthe Australian Chapter, many requested forums to discuss and share. All theseblogs including the President’s blog are now listed under a drop down menu on ourwebsite (top menu bar)

IMPORTANT: These new blogs are “moderated” ones, too. However, in the new ones,members can initiate fresh “postings” (topics, questions, ideas etc.) apart from“commenting” on “published postings”. How to “post” is clearly given in the “Instruction”box. Therefore, go ahead and initiate new topics (postings) apart from commentingon others.

These blogs will flourish if you share and collaborate with others. So, not only youshould contribute, but also must promote in every possible way to attract othercontributors. Sooner than you think, they will become “transparent” mechanisms tofind answers, express ideas, know what is going on related to important IESLinitiatives, etc.

Special notes must be made about three of the new blogs.

“You are the Author - Write to SLEN”: this is the blog where you can write articles etc.to be selected for SLEN. IESL Editor is moderating this blog. Your writings will bepublished online anyway.

“Share Insights About Obtaining Charter”: this is your place to share experiences orask for tips about becoming a CEng. Again, it’s the members who will have to do thatalthough at times an official of IESL too could contribute.

“Ratify Engineering Council Act”: if one reads the President’s Blog, there’s plenty ofevidence to indicate that this is a need of the hour. You can ask, express, your concernsabout this long overdue initiative and its current status. Get your voice out there.

The other blogs are professional area specific - water, energy, manufacturing,management, IT. This is where you can ask questions or share ideas. Later we willintroduce some more. Spread the news among sectional committees. We don’t planto open blogs by sectional committees. For example, many manufacturing disciplinescan use “Excellence in Manufacturing”. Many civil engineers can use “BetterInfrastructure Development”

Let’s grow together. Happy Blogging.

IESLICT Committee

FOR INFORMATION OFIESL MEMBERS

GOVERNMENT BUDGET PROPOSAL YEAR 2013.

There is a proposal to give a Tax Amnesty in year 2013 GovernmentBudget.

The Benefits:

i. The source of Income will not be questioned/asked.ii. No Tax payable, provided the declared income is invested.(Profit or income generated from investment will be liable)iii. No penalties will be enforced.iv. The Amnesty available for those who have no income tax files

yet.v. The proposal will be implemented, once the Budget is passed.

More information can be obtained from Inland Revenue TaxAssistant Service in the ground floor.

Director - Finance

FORTHCOMINGANNUAL EVENTS CALENDAR –

2013 Event Dates

♦♦♦♦♦Dr. Ray Wijeyewardene Memorial Lecture Monday - August 19, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Induction and Graduation Ceremony Friday – August 23, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Engineering Excellence Awards Ceremony Friday - September 06, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦E O E Pereira Memorial Lecture Friday - September 13, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦D J Wimalasurendra Memorial Lecture Tuesday - September 17, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Techno Exhibition Friday–Sunday October 11-13, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Inauguration of the Annual Sessions Tuesday- October 15, 2013,

♦♦♦♦♦FEISCA Seminar Saturday - October 18, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Annual Field Visit Sunday - October 20, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Presentation of Technical papers Monday - WednesdayOctober 21-23, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Presentation of Technical Papers Thursday - October 24, 2013 by Young Members

♦♦♦♦♦Dr. A N S Kulasinghe Memorial Lecture Friday - October,25, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Annual General Meeting Saturday - October 26, 2013

♦♦♦♦♦Techno Awards Ceremony Friday - November 01, 2013

Note:

Associate Members who wish to apply for the Professional Review, arestrongly advised to attend all Memorial Lectures and keep a record of theattendance for any future reference.

to mention that I had the privilege of laying the foundation stone forthe commencement of construction of its own building by the IESLCentre, North Central Province on 31st January, 2013. This wouldenhance very much the capacity of the NCP Centre to carry outmembership development programs more effectively for membersin the province. While congratulating the Chairman and the Executive

Committee of the NCP Centre it’s my hope that the other Centreswould follow suit and enhance their own capacities to serve membersin those provinces.

I also mention with pride that the IESL Centre, Southern Provinceoperates its own website. I hope all the Provincial will establishtheir own websites very soon and be linked as subsites of the mainIESL website.

As President, IESL I am taking every effort to personally visit and

encourage the Executive Committees of all Provincial Centres. Ihave had the pleasure of participating in the Annual General Meetingsof the UVA and Southern Centers and seen the tremendous effortstaken by them to serve the members. It’s my desire to see somefunctions of the parent body devolved to the Provincial Centres afterthey build up their capacities to undertake the task.

At a national level the IESL has entered into an MOU with the Sri

Lanka Standards Institute (SLSI) to provide necessary expertiseand financial assistance to the latter to prepare the NationalAnnexures mandated for the use of European Standards by SriLanka. The British Standards Institution has pronounced that mostof their standards that they have been using have become obsoletefrom the year 2005 and therefore European Codes will be used in

the continent of Europe including in the United Kingdom. It’s thereforeimproper and unlawful for the Sri Lanka engineering industry tocontinue to use British Standards. I am hopeful that the preparationof the National Annexures, which have been dragging for some time,could be completed very soon vis-à-vis this MOU.

In another event the IESL and IIESL has come to a mutualunderstanding whereby both institutions would work towards getting

the Sri Lanka Engineering Council Act passed by the parliament.The Act would regulate the standards of engineering practice in thecountry. It has been approved by the Cabinet but has been with theLegal Draftsman in limbo partly due to the differences in opinionbetween the two institutions.

The modernization in two phases of the rear building at the IESLHead office saw light when the Canteen had its soft opening on 1stFebruary, 2013. We are grateful to Eng. (Dr.) Ananda Ranasinghe,

Immediate Past President of IESL for accepting our invitation andperforming the ceremonial cutting of the ribbon for the occasion.Several Council members too attended the event taking theopportunity to walk through the balance work in progress.. The formerLibrary in this building is being converted to class rooms while theKulasinghe Auditorium and Members Lounge are being refurbished

with enhanced facilities.

PresidentIESL

Contd. from page 1.... PRESIDENT’S......PRESIDENT’S......PRESIDENT’S......PRESIDENT’S......PRESIDENT’S......

Sri Lanka Engineering News - January / February 2013IESL NEWS 3

IESL HoldsCorporate - Plan Workshop

at ‘Blue Water Hotel’Wadduwa

A Workshop in connection with the preparation of theCorporate Plan of the IESL was held at the ‘Blue Water’Hotel Wadduwa on Sunday, 20th January, 2013 with the

participation of Council members, Secretariat Staff and specialinvitees.

The President, IESL, Eng. Tilak De Silva welcoming theparticipants stated that the IESL Corporate Plan will define theway the IESL hopes to achieve its goals in order to meet thecountry’s rapid development drive for the next five years andthat the workshop is an opportunity for theparticipants’suggestions and recommendations to be taken intoconsideration in the preparation of the final document from theframe work document that have been prepared by the CorporatePlan Steering Committee. Presiding over the meeting he invitedProf. A.K.W. Jayawardane, Past President to do the introductorypresentation on the Corporate Plan.

Prof. A.K.W. Jayawardane, stating that the Corporate Plan isfor the next five years from 2013 to 2017 likened it to a BusinessPlan addressing how we can get to where we want to be in 5 yrstime in relation to the declared Vision and Mission statementsof the institution. He touched on the setting of goals andobjectives and strategic planning through SWOT analysis asimportant aspects of defining policies and procedures to workwithin in the Corporate Plan.

Eng. Shavi Fernando, President Elect In his address pointedout to the fact that the first and second Corporate Plans didn’tachieve its set objectives and that we should put specialefforts to ensure success this time.

Eng. (Prof.) (Mrs) N. Ratnayake, Chairman, Corporate PlanSteering Committee made a detailed presentation of theCorporate Plan Framework in hand and invited contributions inthe form of suggestions recommendations on the componentsections of the draft plan.Eng. Arjuna Manamperi, Chairman, ICT Committee made apresentation of the trends observed from the initial 500respondents of the On- line survey being carried out amongIESL members on services provided to them by the IESL.

This was followed by representatives of Sectional Committeesexpressing their suggestion Opportunities were also given torepresentatives of IESL Provincial Centres to express theiropinions and suggestions on the different aspects of the draftCorporate Plan before breaking for lunch.The post lunch session was mostly devoted to the differentdepartments of the IESL Secretariat led by the ExecutiveSecretary making presentations on their scope of work andexpressing suggestions for the draft Corporate Plan.

The workshop concluded at around 6.30pm.

The soft openingof the

modernized andrefurbished renovatedcanteen of the IESLtook place on 01st

February 2013 at 5.00p.m. in the presence ofCouncil members andSecretariat Staff. Theceremonial cutting ofthe ribbon was done byEng. (Dr.) AnandaR a n a s i n g h e ,Immediate PastPresident at therequest of thePresident, Eng. TilakDe Silva.

Soft Opening of the renovatedIESL Canteen

ENGINEER Journal Seeks International Diversity in Authorship

With a view to increase the international diversity in the authorship of papers published inthe journal ‘ENGINEER’, the Editorial Board of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lankahas decided to relax the policy on authorship of papers published in its peer reviewedquarterly journal.Henceforth papers authored exclusively by non-members too would be considered forpublishing in the journal without necessity for collaborative authorship with members ofthe IESL. The policy change is expected to benefit the burgeoning expat engineeringcommunity of Sri Lankan origin in countries like Australia, New Zealand, Canada, MiddleEast and other Countries who were hampered by the necessity to seek collaborationwith IESL members in getting their work published in the ‘ENGINEER’. It also means, byextension, that engineers who are nationals of any foreign country in the world is entitledto submit papers for consideration to be published in the ‘ Engineer’. The new guidelinesand forms could be downloaded from the institution’s website www.iesl.lk.


Sri LankaEngineering News

Professional ReviewWith effect from February 01, 2013, all

candidates who wish to enroll as “Members”

and become Chartered Engineers are required

to apply first for the written paper-B. They

can apply for the interview and the written

paper-A only after successfully completing the

written paper B.

Executive Secretary

IESL TOASTMASTERS CLUBExpand Your Horizons with

Toastmasters by T M Manjula Samarasinghe, CC

Vice-president of IESL Toastmasters Club

"There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superiorto your former self,” Ernest Hemingway once wrote. This is a good thought that you haveto keep in mind forever. Then you perceive your mind to look outside the box and approachthings in a different way. Therefore, no matter what you did in the past, no matter what pastexperiences have shaped you, you can always change and become a better version of yourself.So, if your interests are narrow, you only see a small part of the world, but to learn more, andexpand your interests, you’re broadening your horizons.

Persons’ mindset is always changed by the environment. Objectively built environment willchange the perceptions to a specified direction. Experiencing a toastmasters’ club will driveyour mindset toward superiority to your former self. So, getting experience with toastmasters’club will pave the way to excel your life to a brighter direction objectively.

Toastmasters club is a built environment for the purpose of helping its members to improvetheir communication, public speaking and leadership skills. Thousands of member clubs inthe world offers programs of communication and leadership projects designed to help peopleto learn the arts of speaking, listening, and thinking.

If you are given an opportunity to speak impromptu for your work group or any other forum,you may decline due to fear of public speaking. This is a general phenomenon, which anybodywill face in public speaking. However, you should decide, that you will not allow your fear ofpublic speaking to hold you back anymore. Fear is the obvious reason for people tojoinToastmasters. Experience with toastmasters will help you to overcome fear gradually.Networking is another good opportunity to a Toastmaster. It is a great place to make friendsand meet new people.Some people, who are labeled themselves as ‘introverts’ or lack ofsocial skills, will have a fantastic environment to rapidly improve their networking skills. Ifyou are a socialistic person, your network will further expand and will last forever.However,going to one or two meetings of a Toastmasters club will not be enough to get thebenefits. It will take few meetings over time before you really find the intrinsic benefits ofToastmasters. Although the improvement to public speaking comes almost immediately, itcan take a little longer before you recognize the benefits it has in all communication.You may add valued tools to your life whenever needed. Toastmaster is another tool that youcan add to your tool box that adds more value and increases your ability to be employed.Though you are not employed, public speaking is a valuable tool that you will be able to usein any facet of life.

Toastmasters have frequent opportunities to sharpen their leadership skills. They are oftenasked to run meetings and other activities that would allow them to sharpenthe leadership abilities. In the toastmasters meetings, people are asked to give an impromptuspeech about the topic presented. This is really interesting and your ability on think on yourfeet is improved.

Now, you are spun on about how great a toastmaster is. Joining to a club is incredibly easyand is relatively cheap compared to the value you get out of it. You will be able to find a clubin your area out of hundreds of member clubs in Sri Lanka. Being involved with the right clubcan mean the difference between having a good experience or a great one. Contacting amember of a club, which you are comfortable to join with, will give you the club data, whenthey meet, what kind of members (experienced, new, etc.) and what to expect.Though each club has its own membership policy, you can participate as a guest. You cancheck out several clubs this way and find one that suits your needs. For example, IESLToastmasters club is good for Engineers. Clubs sessions are generally held two times permonths. IESL Toastmasters meet on the second and last Thursday of each month at 17.30hrat IESL.

A Toastmaster is a great club for all ages to join. Weather the usage of English language isgood or bad, you will be getting benefited. If you join today, you will wonder why you haven’ttaken this decision earlier. Therefore, reach your personal and professional goals withtoastmasters expanding your horizons.

(The writer is the Vice-president of IESL Toastmasters Club. He is an engineer byprofession and presently working for Sri Lanka Telecom (PLC). He has completed hisMBA and B.Sc. from University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He is a Member of Institute ofEngineers, Sri Lanka. He can be reached on [email protected]).

ICT and where arewe?

As has been informed, important steps have been

taken to enhance membership facilities at IESL

with the use of ICT. The online blogging made

available through the IESL website is one major step.

Though front page notifications in the SLEN lets you know

about the online features available, sadly only a very few

make use of these facilities up to now. Several blogs can

be found in the web, but I always felt the blog that you can

directly communicate with the IESL President (http://

ieslpresident.blogspot.com/) would be treated as a rare

opportunity that you have never had before. Why not take

the opportunity of talking to the IESL President for the

benefit of our members when they have thousands of

professional issues to find solutions for?

You are the Author – Write to SLEN.This is something new. You may submit your articles of

technical, managerial, artistic or any other nature or write

a book review, a policy paper, a poem, a true story of a

project, etc. Best publications will be reproduced in the

SLEN. This issue of the SLEN too carries some of those

that were already published in the blog called “You are the

Author –Write to SLEN”(http://ieslslen.blogspot.com/).

Corporate Plan of IESLThe Corporate Plan has already been drafted, but with few

more steps members may find a comprehensive document.

The task was not simple and has dragged on for a while

before it became a reality now. Several workshops were

conducted, and the Council members and Provincial

members presented their input for this draft. IESL would

like to acknowledge all these contributions and members

are required to be continuously on alert to observe whether

all the strategies and actions adopted are being

implemented. If not, it is the responsibility of the

membership to question them. Now you can do it fast;

use the blogs available in the IESL web.

Eng (Dr). Udeni P. Nawagamuwa

[email protected]






Civil Engineering Project Symposium(CEPS) 2012 at Peradeniya

The extended abstracts of final year Civil Engineering projects were publishedas proceedings by the Department of Civil Engineering of University ofPeradeniya at the Civil Engineering Project Symposium (CEPS) 2012 held on

31st December 2012 at the E.O.E. Pereira Theatre. The event was supported by theCivil Engineering Society (CES) and sponsored by Tokyo Cement Group.

The Tokyo Cement Company(Lanka) Ltd. has beengenerously assisting theDepartment of Civil Engineeringfor several years in carrying outfinal year projects. Thememorandum of understandingbetween the two institutions isa fine example of howIndustries in Sri Lanka canassist the higher educationinstitutions with long termcommitments.

Initial training in researchduring the undergraduatecareer is an important aspectof career development of youngengineers. What one can seein these proceedings are theoutcomes of certain amount ofresearch embedded into

projects conducted by Finalyear Civil Engineeringundergraduates.

In 2012, the Final year CivilE n g i n e e r i n gundergraduates havecarried out 51 projectsunder six categories. In thetechnical session, whichwas chaired by Prof. S.B.Weerakoon, six projectsrepresenting the categoriesof Environmental,Hydraulic, Structural, Geotechnical, Material andhighway Engineering werepresented.

According to Dr. A.L.M.Mauroof, Head of theDepartment of CivilEngineering, the

Symposium was a hugesuccess with nearly 300participants including theEngineers from the Industryand academic staff membersof the Faculty participating.

The invited guest Prof.Leelananda Rajapaksha, theDean of the Faculty ofEngineering and Dr.M.G.M.U. Ismail, TechnicalConsultant, Tokyo cementgroup also addressed thegathering sharing their yearsof wisdom and experiencewith the participants. All thepresenters and sessionchairs contributed withenthusiasm and shared asignificant portion ofresponsibility.

sent by Eng. W R M U WickramasingheSenior Lecturer/ Director

Industrial Training and Career Guidance Unit, University of Peradeniya

IESL STUDENT CHAPTER ATPERADENIYA

Office Bearers for the year 2012/ 2013President : R.A.D.K.M. Jayawardene

Vice President: U.G.P.R.N. Bandara

Secretary : R.G.R.N.K. Ariyaratne

Treasurer : R.M.P.P.Rathnayake

Chair-Programmes Committee:R.S.M.S. Bandara

Chair – Publicity Committee: H.M.D.B. Herath

Chair – Membership Committee:R.P.N.l Seneviratne

YMS representatives:J.V.D. JayasooriyaK.M.T.K. Gunarathna

Staff Advisor:Eng. W.R.M.U. Wickramasinghe

PERADENIYA SNAPS TWO E-SWABHIMANI AWARDS

Two teams from the Faculty of Engineering at Peradeniyawon national best e-content awards (e-Swabhimani)under the following categories:

e-Science and Technology— Mr. UpulSenanayake, Mr. Rahal Prabuddha and Dr. Roshan Ragel

for the project titled An Open-source Framework forLead Identification in Drug Designinge-Enternainment and Games— Mr. Ajitha

Samarasinghe, Mr. Samitha Marasinghe and Mr. LakshanPriyadarshana for the game named Eat ‘em All

New Dean – Faculty of Engineering,University of Peradeniya

sent by Eng. W R M U WickramasingheSenior Lecturer / Director

Industrial Training and Career Guidance UnitFaculty of Engineering

University of Peradeniya

Prof. Leelanada Rajapaksha is the new Dean of the Faculty of

Engineering, University of Peradeniya.

Prof. Rajapaksha obtained his BScEng degree in Mechanical Engineering specialization

with First Class Honours from University of Peradeniya, MEng from AIT, Bangkok

and PhD from UCL, London. After two years of service in industry as a design engineer, he

joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Peradeniya in 1994 as a

Lecturer. He was a winner of the Commonwealth Academic staff Fellowship,ORS scholarship

and three awards for best performance at undergraduate level. He is currently a Professor

attached to the Department of Mechanical Engineering, of which he was the head prior to

the appointment to the post of the Dean.

Prof. Rajapaksha is a Corporate member of the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka (IESL),

and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), London, and an International Chartered

engineer (ecUK). He is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air

conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) and the Refrigeration Committee chair of local ASHRAE

chapter. He is a registered consultant of the Sustainable Energy Authority (SEA) of Sri

Lanka. In addition to being an academic, Prof Rajapaksha is an Industrial Refrigeration

consultant specializing in ammonia refrigeration systems. He is a member of the International

Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR), and he has worked extensively in ammonia

refrigeration system safety, and promotion of natural refrigerants. He has published a number

of books on refrigeration in both Sinhala and English.

Contd. from page 1...

state universities.He said that there is an unending debateon role of education with some saying that educationincreases the cognitive ability in a world that is fast changingbut others saying that its relationship to life of people asassured employment in later life should be more important.He pointed in this regard that the engineering field isguaranteed of high earning jobs.The President, IESL Eng. Tilak De Silva in his speech said“the engineering course conducted by the IESLCE ,recognized as an equivalent to engineering degrees offeredby state universities in the country, fulfills the academicqualifications required to become a fully-fledged engineer. Thequalification is well recognized to gain employment as aqualified engineer, both in the state and the private sector.Thus the IESL Engineering Course has become a top choicefor those students who wish to pursue engineering as aprofessional career but deprived of gaining entry to stateuniversities due to various reasons.”

IESLCE, Engineering....


Do we have a habit of giving honestfeedback?

by Eng. Tharindu WeerasingheMSc.Eng, BSc.Eng(Hons) - Peradeniya

The writer is a software engineer working at aleading software company

Almost all of us likeothers praising us;on the other hand,

many of us don’t l ikesomebody criticizing us orgiving negative feedback onsomething we have done.Even kids feel very happy ifwe praise them. Parents areadvised to appreciate theirchildren after a good workthat they have done. It is amorale booster. It is naturalthat all human beings likepraising. But in reality, wedon’t find appraisals all thetime.In a nutshell, we needfeedbacks on our work, ourbehavior, and our attitudesto develop ourselves. Tobuild up a good personalityand character feedback isessential. Accepting honestfeedback is our duty. Actingupon those feedbacks areour responsibility.

Feedback can be seen intwo formats. They arePositive feedback andNegative feedback. Bothare pretty much important forthe development of humanbeings.

Appreciation (goes aspositive feedback) upon agood work is somethingwhat we normally expectand constructive criticismson our mistakes are indeedessential to build up ourcareers. On the other hand,direct criticisms onsomething bad we havedone (goes as negativefeedback),are also importantto emphasize that is a“should not do again” typeof act.Parents should givedirect feedback to their kids.Whether it is positive ornegative children should beaware of the fact that theirgood work is highlyappreciated while their badwork is highly criticized in acivil ized way! Not onlyparents, but also teachers,partners, employers, in factall of us who are involved invarious types ofrelationships (civil andbusiness) should have amindset of acceptingfeedback and givingfeedback. Otherwise dailywork that we do seem to beill-treated! It is good if youpractice the habit ofrequesting feedback onsomething you did from an

observer who is in the form ofyour spouse, parents, teachers,colleagues, lovers and so on. Itwill help you to identify the natureof what you have done; whetheryou have done somethingpleasant or unpleasant.

Positive and Negative: in twoformats:

As far as my opinion isconcerned, “Positive” and“Negative” feedback can be seenin two forms each. If I furtherexplain, one can give youpositive feedback honestly, upona good work that you have done.So it is one form of positivefeedback. Another can give youpositive feedback upon a bad actof yours, but he or she wantsyou to continue that bad habitor work. So, in that sense theparticular person who givesfeedback, is not honest; he orshe is not genuine!

On the other hand, if we consider

negative feedback, one can giveyou true negative feedback toimprove yourself. They can be

regarded as constructivecriticisms. We all needconstructive criticisms as we allare not 100% perfect. So it is one

form of negative feedback. Theother form is, giving negativefeedback upon a truly good work

that you have done. It is notgenuine. The person who givesthat feedback is not honest and

he or she is not fond of seeingyou doing the same type of goodwork again.

Thus, it is clearly obvious that weneed to identify the attire offeedbacks that we receive. We

need to think deeply and take themfor granted! It is important to notethe nature of the person who gives

feedback. After analyzing them wecan decide whether we need tocontinue the particular work or

behavior or else correct them.

Feedback can pivot around,

Outcomes or Consequences ofyour behavior/action/work,Feelings of the observersand finally your Comments andSuggestions towards them. It isso important that you spin out and

emphasize these three factorswhen you give feedback. If thereis room for improvement then

these three factors will be highlyimportant!

At work:

Most of us receive formal feedback

on our daily work at our workplaces. Your immediateresponsible (manager) and/ or

your senior responsible (group/general manager, CEO) givefeedback on your work/ how you

have performed/ how youcontributed towards the

growth of the company/institution. They come in theform of annual reviews or 6

months reviews. Thisscenario is pretty much thesame for almost all the

private companies. In myopinion it is so important forboth the parties (employeeand employer) to receive/give feedback. Managementshould give honest feedbacktowards their subordinatesand at the same time theemployees (team members)should accept the feedback(may be come to conclusionsafter discussions with themanagement) and try tobuild up on them! It is veryimportant that both partiesare humble and honest! Andmore importantly, themanagement must be in aposition to accept any truefeedback that an employeegives and act upon that! Thusmany of us experience aproper mechanism ofreceiving and givingfeedback at our occupation(especially in privatecompanies) which is prettyessential. But it is so goodthat if we practice the sameat the governmentinstitutions as well becauseit will surely boost

performance and it wil limprove the personality ofemployees. When we think

of cost-effective work andproductivity of employees ofthe government sector, there

should be a propermechanism of givingfeedback and accepting

them.At home:Do we have habit of giving

feedback at home? Do youasses the behavior of yourspouse/children in a way that

you can give properfeedback? Do you think thatwe can improve our living

standards if we practicegiving feedback on our dailywork at home? I think so! Tell

your husband or wife orchildren to give you feedbackon your behaviors, thinking

pattern, attitudes and work.And tell them that you alsowill give honest feedback. It

is so nice that we behave ina way that others like us tobehave and more importantly

you should be keen on thatbehavior. I think that mentalityand environment can be

created if we have a propermechanism for givingfeedback at each other!

Think about this and actsoon! Contd. on page 11...

Machinery SafetyPart 1

part of any prime mover,except such prime moversas are mentioned insubsection (3) of thissection, shall be securelyfenced whether the flywheel or prime mover issituated in an engine-houseor not.(2) The head and tail raceof every water wheel and ofevery water turbine shall besecurely fenced.(3) Every part of electricgenerators, motors androtary converters, and everyfly wheel directly connectedthereto, shall be securelyfenced unless it is in sucha position or of suchconstruction as to be assafe to every personemployed or working on thepremises as it would be ifsecurely fenced.

Transmissionmachinery

Section 18. (1) Every partof the transmissionmachinery shall besecurely fenced unless it isin such a position or ofsuch construction as to beas safe to every personemployed or working on thepremises as it would be ifsecurely fenced.(2) Efficient devices orappliances shall beprovided and maintained inevery room or place wherework is carried on by whichthe power can promptly becut off from thetransmission machinery inthat room or place.(3) No driving belt when notin use shall be allowed torest or ride upon a revolvingshaft which forms part ofthe transmissionmachinery.(4) Suitable striking gear orother efficient mechanicalappliances shall beprovided and maintainedand used to move drivingbelts to and from fast andloose pulleys which formpart of the transmissionmachinery, and any suchgear or appliances shall beso constructed, placedand maintained as toprevent the driving belt fromcreeping back on to the fastpulley.(5) Where theCommissioner is satisfiedthat owing to specialcircumstances thefulfillment of any of therequirements of the last

Machinery Safety is adifficult area to carryout training for. In an

ideal world, any course wouldbe based around a machine ina realistic environment so thatparticipants could inspect andassess the machine as partof the training. It’s not practicalto put a machine into a trainingroom, nor is it safe to troop acourse of participants into theproduction environment to lookat machines.

How do you carry out effectivetraining for machinery safety?

The new system goes a stepfurther than the originalmachine in that it is a truevirtual reality package in thatthe user can ‘walk’ around themachine looking at all aspectsof the machine. A list ofcommon hazards, which willbe built into the machine forparticipants to find as part ofthe training. Once assessed,the hazards will be corrected.The end result is a verypractical introduction tocarrying out machinery safetyrisk assessment. This includeoverviews of relevantlegislation and standards, thepractical application of safetyproducts, encompassingelectrical and mechanicalissues, finding out aboutcurrent and future legislationand guidelines as well asdiscovering the best safetysolutions available.

Machinery Safety: Who’sResponsibility

♦♦♦♦♦ Mechanical orelectrical engineersinvolved in specification,design, maintenance ormodification of machinery

♦♦♦♦♦ Managers andsupervisors responsible forproduction, maintenance ordesign of factoryequipment.

♦♦♦♦♦ Anyone elseconnected with machinerysafety.

Legislation

In Sri Lankan legislation,Machinery Safety and HighRisk Machinery are coveredunder the Factories Ordinancein Part III, SAFETY(GENERAL PROVISIONS),from section 17 to 45.

SAFETY (GENERALPROVISIONS)Prime movers.Section 17. (1) Every flywheeldirectly connected to anyprime mover and every moving

by Eng. Luxman Graciyas JanszB. Sc. Eng, Chartered Engineer, FIE (Sri Lanka),

MIIE (USA)


three foregoing subsectionsis unnecessary orimpracticable, he may byorder direct that thatrequirement shall not applyin those circumstances.

Other machinery.

Section 19. (1) Everydangerous part of anymachinery, other than primemovers and transmissionmachinery, shall be securelyfenced unless it is in such aposition or of suchconstruction as to be as safeto every person employed orworking on the premises asit would be if securely fenced:Provided that, in so far as thesafety of a dangerous part ofany machinery cannot byreason of the nature of theoperation be secured bymeans of a fixed guard, therequirements of thissubsection shall be deemedto have been complied withif a device is provided whichautomatically prevents theoperator from coming intocontact with that part.(2) Where the Minister issatisfied that there isavailable and suitable for usein connection with machineryof any class any type ordescription of safety devicewhich -(a) prevents the exposure ofa dangerous part ofmachinery whilst in motion;or(b) stops a machine forthwithin case of danger, theMinister may makeregulations directing that thetype or description of deviceshall be provided for use inconnection with such classof machinery as may bespecified in the regulations:Provided that, in anyproceedings in respect of acontravention of thissubsection, it shall be asufficient defense to provethat a device at least equallyeffective was being used inconnection with themachinery in respect ofwhich the contraventionoccurred.(3) Any part of a stock-barwhich projects beyond thehead-stock of a lathe shall besecurely fenced unless it isin such a position as to beas safe to every personemployed or working on thepremises as it would be ifsecurely fenced. The Ministermay, as respects anymachine or any process inwhich a machine is used,make regulations requiringthe fencing of materials orarticles which are dangerouswhile in motion in themachine.

Provisions as tounfenced machinery

Section 20. In determining,for the purposes of theforegoing provisions of thisPart, whether any part ofmachinery is in such aposition or of suchconstruction as to be assafe to every personemployed or working on thepremises as it would be ifsecurely fenced-(a) no account shall betaken of any person carryingout, while the part ofmachinery is in motion, anexamination thereof or anylubrication or adjustmentshown by such examinationto be immediatelynecessary, being anexamination, lubrication oradjustment which it isnecessary to carry out whilethe part of machinery is inmotion; and(b) in the case of any part oftransmission machineryused in any such processas may be specified inregulations made by theMinister being a processwhere owing to thecontinuous nature thereofthe stopping of that partwould seriously interferewith the carrying on of theprocess, no account shall betaken of any person carryingout, by such methods andin such circumstances asmay be specified in theregulations, any lubricationor any mounting or shippingof belts: Provided that thissection shall only applywhere the examination,lubrication or other operationis carried out by suchpersons, being malepersons who have attainedthe age of eighteen, as maybe specified in regulationsmade by the Minister, andall such other conditions asmay be so specified arecomplied with.

Construction andmaintenance of fencing

Section 21. All fencing orother safeguards provided inpursuance of the foregoingprovisions of this Part shallbe of substantialconstruction, and constantlymaintained and kept inposition while the partsrequired to be fenced orsafeguarded are in motion orin use, except when anysuch parts are necessarilyexposed for examinationand for any lubrication oradjustment shown by suchexamination to beimmediately necessary, andall such conditions as maybe specified in regulationsmade by the Minister arecomplied with.

Construction and sale ofnew machinerySection 22. (1) In the caseof any machine in a factorybeing a machine intended to

be driven by mechanicalpower -(a) every set-screw, bolt orkey on any revolving shaft,spindle, wheel or pinionshall be so sunk, encasedor otherwise effectivelyguarded as to preventdanger; and(b) all spur and othertoothed or friction gearing,which does not requirefrequent adjustment while inmotion, shall be completelyencased unless it is sosituated as to be as safeas it would be if completelyencased.(2) Any person whoimports, sells or lets onhire, or as agent of theimporter, seller or hirercauses or procures to beimported, sold or let onhire, for use in a factory inSri Lanka any machineintended to be driven bymechanical or electricalpower which does notcomply with therequirements of thissection, shall be guilty ofan offence and liable to afine not exceeding fiftythousand rupees.(3) The Minister may byregulations extend theprovisions of the lastpreceding subsection tomachinery or plant whichdoes not comply with suchrequirements of thisOrdinance or of anyregulation made thereunder as may be specifiedin the regulations, and anyregulations made underthis subsection may relateto machinery or plant in aspecified process.(4) Nothing in this sectionshall apply to any machineconstructed before theappointed date, andregulations under thissection shall not apply toany machinery or plantconstructed before themaking of the regulations.

Vessels containingdangerous substances.

Section 23. (1) Every fixedvessel, structure, sump orpit of which the edge is lessthan three feet above theadjoining ground or platformshall, if it contains anyscalding, corrosive orpoisonous liquid, either besecurely covered or besecurely fenced to at leastthat height, or where byreason of the nature of thework neither securecovering nor secure fencingto that height ispracticable, all practicablesteps shall be taken bycovering, fencing or othermeans to prevent anyperson from falling into thevessel, structure, sump orpit.(2) Where any fixed vessel,structure, sump or pitcontains any scalding,corrosive or poisonous

liquid but is not securelycovered, no ladder, stair organgway shall be placed above,or cross it, which is not -(a) at least eighteen incheswide, and(b) securely fenced on bothsides to a height of at least threefeet and securely fixed.(3) Where any such vessels,structures, sumps or pits as arementioned in subsection (2)adjoin, and the space between,clear of any surrounding brickor other work, is less thaneighteen inches in width or isnot securely fenced on bothsides to a height of at least threefeet, secure barriers shall be soplaced as to prevent passagebetween them.(4) For the purpose of thissection, a ladder, stair organgway shall be deemed to benot securely fenced unless it isprovided either with sheetfencing or with an upper and alower rail and with toe boards.(5) (a) The Minister may byregulations extend any of theprovisions of this section so asto make them applicable -(i) to a vessel or structure whichis not fixed; or(ii) to a vessel, structure, sumpor pit containing a substancewhich is not a liquid.(b) In any regulation madeunder paragraph (ii) of thissubsection, the expression“scalding” when used in relationto any substance which is nota liquid, shall mean likely tocause burns.(6) The Chief Factory InspectingEngineer may by order exemptfrom the requirements of thissection any class of vessel,structure, sump or pit in thecase of which he is satisfiedthat the requirements areunnecessary or inappropriate.

Self-acting machines.

Section 24. (1) In any factoryor part of a factory to which thissubsection applies no traversingpart of any self-acting machineand no material carried thereonshall, if the space over which itruns is a space over which anyperson is liable to pass, whetherin the course of his employmentor otherwise, be allowed on itsoutward or inward traverse torun within a distance of eighteeninches from any fixed structurenot being part of the machine:Provided that nothing in thissubsection shall prevent anyportion of the traversing carriageof any self-acting spinning mulebeing allowed to run to a pointtwelve inches distant from anypart of the head-stock ofanother such machine.

(2) The provisions of subsection(1) shall apply -(a) to any factory or part of afactory reconstructed after theappointed date; and(b) to any extension of oraddition to a factory madeafter the appointed date.(3) All practicable steps shall betaken by instructions to theperson in charge of the machine

and otherwise to ensure thatno person employed shall bein the space between anytraversing part of a self-actingspinning mule and any fixedpart of the machine towardswhich the traversing partmoves on the inward run,except when the machine isstopped with the traversingpart on the outward run.(4) The Commissioner mayexempt from the operation ofthis section any factory orclass of factories in whichprecautions have been takenor safeguards adopted inaccordance with therecommendations of theChief Factory InspectingEngineer.

Cleaning of machineryby women and youngpersons.

Section 25. A woman oryoung person shall not cleanany part of a prime mover orof any transmissionmachinery while the primemover or transmissionmachinery is in motion, andshall not clean any part ofany machine if the cleaningthereof would expose thewoman or young person torisk of injury from any movingpart either of that machine orof any adjacent machinery.

Training and supervisionof young personsworking at dangerousmachines.

Section 26. (1) No youngperson shall work at anymachine to which thissection applies, unless hehas been fully instructed asto the dangers arising inconnection with the machineand the precautions to beobserved, and -(a) has received a sufficienttraining in work at themachine; or(b) is under adequatesupervision by a person whohas a thorough knowledgeand experience of themachine.(2) This section applies tosuch machines as may bedeclared by order of theCommissioner to bemachines which in hisopinion are of such adangerous character thatyoung persons ought not towork at them unless theforegoing requirements arecomplied with.

Presented by: Eng.Luxman Graciyas Jansz Visiting Lecturer – Universityof Moratuwa (Sri Lanka),CETRAC & NIOSHSpecialist Factory InspectingEngineer,97,Industrial Safety Division,Department of Labour,Colommbo-05,Sri Lanka. Tel: +94-714461670, +94-1 1 2 5 0 7 1 0 4 , E - m a i l :[email protected], Web:w w w . s c h r i . c o m /safetymeasures

Contd. from page 10...

Machinery ....


Printed by Karunaratne & Sons (Pvt) Ltd., No. 67, UDA Industrial Estate, Katuwana Road, Homagama

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, SRI LANKACompetition

on

“Eco Efficient Water Infrastructure forSustainable Development / Management

Experiences gained from Integrated Water ResourcesInfrastructure Development /Management in Sri

Lanka”

Session 2012/2013Sponsored by

St. Anthony’s Industries Group (Private) Ltd.(MANUFACTURES OF ANTON PVC PIPES AND FITTINGS)

Two competitions will be held this year for the award of certificates and cash prizes. Thecompetition soliciting original Technical Papers on research and case studies are acceptedfrom members of IESL who are above 35 years.

There will also be another competition for members who are 35 years and below on 01October 2013. This competition is open to members of IESL and final year students ofFaculties of Engineering of Universities in Sri Lanka who are student members of IESL orwho obtain such membership before submitting their technical papers.

AWARDS & PRIZESABOVE 35 YEARS ON 2013.10.01

First Prize - Rs. 50,000/=Second Prize - Rs. 25,000/=Third Prize - Rs. 10,000/=

The members (Fellows, Members, Associate Members, Associates, Companions andStudents) who wish to participate must obtain the application forms from IESL and submitbio data & full Technical Papers to reach the Executive Secretary, Institution of EngineersSri Lanka, No. 120/15, Wijerama Mawatha, Colombo 07 on or before 28th June 2013.

Further information could be obtained from the Chairman, Steering Committeeon Water Resources Development of The Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, onTel: 072- 3421493 or Publicity Officer-IESL 011-2685490, 011-2698426 or 011-2699210, ext - 232, 207, E-mail: [email protected] , [email protected] , Fax :011-2699202Note : Forms and Guidelines could also be downloaded from the IESL Website,www.iesl.lk or obtained from the IESL Secretariat.

THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS,SRI LANKA

Competitionon

“Water ResourcesDevelopment and

Management FutureChallenges”

Role of Engineering meetingFuture Challenges of WaterResources Development /Management in Sri Lanka”

Session 2012 / 2013Sponsored by

International WaterManagement Institute (IWMI)

We are pleased to announce that arrangements are beingmade for the forthcoming Competition on Water ResourcesDevelopment sponsored by IWMI towards the AnnualSessions of IESL in October 2013. The prizes will be givenfor the two best Technical Papers under the above mentionedtheme prepared for this competition by Associate Members& Corporate Members of IESL. Jointly authored papers willbe accepted, provided at least one of the authors satisfiesthe above criteria. Papers must be original and demonstratethe author’s knowledge and experience of the subject. Theaward winning articles will be published in the journal,“Engineer” of the IESL.

Water is a vital input in industrial, energy, tourism,recreational, navigation, agriculture, forestry, livestock andfishery sectors. As water scarcity grows, competition amongsectors and users, and between the human needs and theenvironment intensifies. Effective and efficient watermanagement is therefore a prerequisite for sustainablesocio-economic development.

The paper can address extraction, storage, distribution, useand disposal issues in any economic sector. It should illustratehow engineering and technology is applied in increasingproductivity, in balancing supply and demand of water and/or in reducing water pollution and protecting freshwaterecosystems.

Preference will be given to papers of an empirical andanalytical nature based on primary and/or secondary dataalthough papers addressing topical issues through conceptualdevelopment may also be forwarded.

AWARDS & PRIZES

(A) Rs. 45,000.00 - For members of IESL over35 years of age on 01 October 2013

(B) Rs. 30,000.00 - Engineering graduatesholding membership of IESL and 35 years of

age and below on 01 October 2013007

Intention to participate in this competition should beintimated to us along with your bio-data & the fullTechnical Papers on or before 28th June 2013.

IESL form IWMI/1 obtained from the IESL should be usedfor this purpose.Further information could be obtained from theChairman, Steering Committee on Water ResourcesDevelopment of The Institution of Engineers, SriLanka, on Tel: 072- 3421493 or Publicity Officer-IESL011-2685490, 011-2698426 or 011-2699210, ext-232 , 207, E-mail: [email protected], [email protected],Fax : 011-2699202

Note : Forms and Guidelines could also be downloadedfrom the IESL Website, www.iesl.lk or obtained fromthe IESL Secretariat.

35 YEARS AND BELOW ON 2013.10.01

First Prize - Rs. 25,000/=Second Prize - Rs. 15,000/=Third Prize - Rs. 5,000/=

IESL holds LateEng. (Prof.) R. H. Paul Memorial

Lecture

The 109th birth anniversaryof Late Eng. (Prof.) RobertHaisington Paul was

commemorated with a memoriallecture on 08th February, 2013 atthe Wimalasurendra Auditorium ofthe Institution. This year’s lectureon the theme ‘EngineeringEducation and Prof. Paul’ wasdelivered by Eng. (Prof.) SamKarunaratne, Chairman SLIIT,Malabe and Past President, IESL.Delivering the lecture Eng. (Prof.)Sam Karunaratne described thelate Professor as a teacher parexcellence with whom he had hadvery close professional dealings.Tracing the history of EngineeringEducation in the country he veryclearly brought out the contributionthe late Professor made in theformative years of the universityengineering education system inthe country. To view videorecordings of the memorial lecturevisit the IESL website www.iesl.lkand click on the multimedia portal.

Eng. (Prof.) Sam Karunarathna delivering theMemorial lecture

President IESL, Eng. Tilak de Silva presenting amemento to Eng. (Prof.) Sam Karunarathna

Documents

SRI LANKA ENGINEERING NEWS