Tag: business

Monitoring and inspection of energy transmission lines is an important topic for several reasons. To be able to intervene quickly in faults, to prevent leakages, to ensure the security of energy supply, etc. Many sub-headings make it mandatory to monitor and inspect transmission lines.

There are different risks such as short circuit, rupture (open circuit), illegal transformer connection in energy transmission lines. Although it is sometimes possible to detect such a situation, another question arises: where is the fault? Not knowing the location of the fault may require a complete inspection of a line. In some cases (such as a leaking transformer), the event may not be recognized, but events can be detected through notifications and instant inspections.

Even in terms of the costs incurred for the elimination of a fault, let alone the cost of the occurrence of a fault, detecting the fault quickly and directing the teams to the right point stands as a business need. Moreover, in terms of energy continuity, this need will gain even more importance.

Simple devices can be installed to detect power failure in transmission lines, and it is also possible to detect short circuit incidents. It is obvious that more intelligent structures will be needed for violations such as illegal transformers. With a system that transmits the information to be received from important points determined on a network to a data center and monitors the changes with a software on this center, it will be possible to both describe the fault and determine its geographical location.

In these systems to be established, the devices located in the field should have an ID and their locations should be clearly recorded in the system. In addition, it would be wiser to use GSM for communication in terms of communication continuity. Another feature should be that the energy required by the system should be taken from the transmission network and the battery should be redundant just in case. The system will be able to generate different information by determining the current flowing through the transmission wire and the amplitude of the voltage. A single GSM module should be used to transmit information from points close to each other. If the communication between the meter and the communication module is RF, the installation will be easier. Considering that at least three measurements will be made at each point, this approach will provide significant cost savings. How often the system will transmit information will be determined by the team designing the system. How many kilometers a detection system will be installed on uninterrupted lines should also be determined by the operator.

It is also important that this system is integrated with other existing systems. Converting the fault or leakage information obtained directly into a work order will both speed up the processes and eliminate negligence.

I foresee that such monitoring systems will become widespread in the near future and will develop with some additional features. Another expectation is that both foreign and domestic companies will enter into a serious competition in this market. For a traceable and manageable public grid, these applications will need to be encouraged and even made mandatory after a certain stage.

Increasing the share of high-tech products with high added value in the national economy should be identified as a vital priority. It is necessary to carry out the necessary studies and act within the framework of a policy to direct the labor force, which is mainly focused on the service sector, and the capital, which is mainly focused on the construction sector, towards high technology.

The resources allocated to R&D activities have paved the way for significant progress in high technology. However, some changes in approach are needed to achieve the expected leap forward. There is a need for more result-oriented approaches in the identification and follow-up of projects. In some cases, project support can only be designed as a resource utilization for a certain period of time and does not produce the expected results.

One suggestion is to focus on ordering products or R&D. R&D activities can be incentivized with orders to be placed by taking into account the current market conditions for the product expected to emerge as a result of a study, and with appropriate time plans, with the own resources of the aspirant companies or the opportunities offered by investors. With this method, I believe that there will be a significant increase in successful R&D processes.

With this approach, private funds and capitals can also be included in the R&D budget, thus increasing the total resources. In the current situation, state resources are dominant. With this approach, private sector capital will also become a significant contributor. The biggest hesitation of an investor is that the work will not be sold and therefore the return on the invested resources will not be realized or will be delayed. A process that starts with a pre-order will alleviate these concerns. Likewise, entrepreneurs and idea owners will be more courageous and aggressive with this method.

This method can be used for products that are already outsourced or for completely new needs. The basic principle here is that the procurement to meet the needs should be contracted at the first stage of the idea.

In the same way, it can make a significant contribution in studies where R&D activities in accordance with specified criteria are ordered to specialized companies and R&D funds are made available. In this process, models should be created for approaches such as R&D ordering through TÜBİTAK or R&D ordering by investors.

Although it is not correct to expect all R&D processes to turn into a product, it should be kept in mind that process improvements are needed at every stage for the efficient use of resources. Proper utilization of limited resources will be the key to success.

In addition to these, the correct positioning of human resources will increase the share of high technology. Solutions should be created to guide the new generation in a focused manner through specialized schools. Unfortunately, the role of youth as IT users has been confined to the consumer category. Youth should be saved from being consumers of informatics and transformed into producers of informatics. Within the framework of the topics highlighted in development with informatics reports, youth should be brought to a level where they can do value-added work with solutions such as informatics schools. It is only possible for a person employed in minimum wage jobs to earn much higher wages after a certain period of time if they accumulate savings. People who turn to call centers, security, parking services, etc., which do not promise future advancement and accumulation, will work at or around the minimum wage level throughout their entire working lives and we will have a continuous minimum wage agenda. However, for people who can make progress in their own professions, the minimum wage will only be a starting point and at a certain stage it will be completely off their agenda.

As a result of all these evaluations, the following determination can be made: The vision of a country that produces, not uses, next-generation technologies and uses these technologies for high value-added jobs will be possible with properly designed education, guidance, R&D and innovation policies.

The second industrial revolution, which began with the discovery of electricity, simplified production and production facilities with production lines and machines that were not dependent on a single shaft, and paved the way for mass production. The ability of electric machines to operate independently triggered a transformation in production that closed one era and opened another. The formation of the electronics industry, solutions for controlling systems and the concept of automation formed the basic dynamics of industry three. Developments especially in communication technologies, extraordinary capacity increases in control devices and the idea of an integrated world that followed were the key to Industry 4.0. It seems that this dizzying development will continue in the coming years and we will be surrounded by more and more devices.

As of the first day electricity entered our lives, a different topic was opened. In fact, this title, which has always existed but has not been dealt with, is electromagnetic waves. In its simplest form, the electric current transmitted on a conductor also creates an electromagnetic wave. The electromagnetic waves emitted by the electricity we use in our networks or provide with batteries were far from disturbing or disturbing us. Especially as high-frequency systems spread, opinions on the negative effects of these waves on human health began to be put forward. As of today, cell phones, high-voltage transmission lines, radio, television and radio transmission systems, wireless devices, microwave devices, all electrical appliances at home, computers, etc. Human beings who interact directly with many generators are facing a serious threat. We live in an electromagnetic pollution that surrounds us like a fog cloud. Although we cannot see this fog, it is not that difficult to feel its presence. Many people have noticed that their radios do not work near television transmitters or that they cannot turn on their cars with the car remote control. This new type of pollution, which manifests itself clearly in such dense fog, continues to surround us in every moment of our lives.

Just like hydrocarbon fuels, it is clear that we cannot completely end our relationship with electromagnetic waves. We have little intention of giving up all communication systems or lighting or even production techniques. What is important here is to know what we are surrounded by, to determine the doses and levels that pose a threat to humans and other living things, to prevent emissions above the threat limits with certain regulations or, if there are mandatory environments, to assign personal protective equipment for people working in that area and to monitor its use.

There are different criteria used when examining the effects of electromagnetic waves on human health. Considering that these waves are also a source of energy, the heat increase they cause in the human body is considered an important evaluation criterion. Evaluations using this criterion ignore non-thermal effects and do not take into account different problems. Electromagnetic waves have been observed to cause dryness in the throat, eye complaints, headaches, insomnia and fatigue, various allergies, hypersensitivity to sound or hearing loss in some people. Considering that the nervous system in the human body works with electrical signals, it can be easily said that non-thermal effects should also be taken into account. Just like in buses (!), our body’s control systems use electrical signals and are naturally affected by signals in the environment, such as cell phones. Not every interaction may be problematic, but it must be examined.

THE PARAMETERS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN EVALUATING ELECTROMAGNETIC POLLUTION AND ITS EFFECTS ARE: FREQUENCY OF THE WAVE

Frequency can be defined as the frequency of repetition of a signal per unit time. For example, mains electricity repeats itself fifty times per second and its frequency is 50 Hertz. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR), which affects us, is divided into two categories in terms of frequency. The first is very low frequency electromagnetic fields. These waves are emitted by the electrical appliances we use daily and are called the ELF band. The second is the micro-wave frequency (RF-MW) band, which is produced using special antenna systems and used especially for communication purposes. GSM base stations, cell phones and radio-TV transmitters emit this type of electromagnetic wave. The damage these two different types cause to humans and other living things is of different nature. The oft-quoted statement “The electromagnetic field emitted by a hair dryer is higher than that of a cell phone” is actually a technical deception. Although it expresses the truth, it is quite correct to state that it is a well-disguised lie, considering that what is meant is “the harm is less”. In the simplest terms, a 500-1000 watt microwave oven can cook a food in a few minutes, while a heater of the same power takes much longer. Moreover, while the main element in the oven is EMR, the main element in the heater is the heat generated as a result of resistance. The contribution of electromagnetic radiation here to the cooking process is negligible. Moreover, the two sources are not comparable in terms of exposure time.

In this formula

P: Device output power (Watt),

G: Antenna gain (dBi),

E: Electric field limit value (limit value for a single device in Table-1) (Volt/meter),

d: Safety distance (meters),

refers to.

2) (Amended: RG-9/10/2015-29497) When calculating the safety distance in the neighborhoods where pre-school education and basic education institutions are located and in children’s playgrounds, the boundaries of playgrounds reserved for children and the garden boundaries of pre-school and basic education institutions are taken into consideration.

(3) The electric field intensity value of electronic communication devices to be installed in health institutions shall not exceed E= 3 V/m in order not to affect medical devices.

EXPOSURE TIME

Another parameter is how long the living thing interacts with the wave. Although the pollution caused by a high-voltage line does not cause any harm to a person passing under it, it has been proven by scientific studies and observations that it harms people living in a house at a very close distance. Similarly, similar studies have been conducted on people living in the radiation area of a cell phone base station, close to the source, and negative effects have been observed. As a parenthesis, I would like to state that since base stations do not broadcast globally, they usually affect the neighbors rather than the houses on their roofs. Therefore, when placing these devices on your roof, you should take into account the damage you may cause to your neighbor. If you have a neighbor in close proximity, you should definitely avoid it.

Day by day, sensitivity about electromagnetic pollution is increasing and positive steps are being taken. However, every day lost is a threat to future generations. International criteria developed especially to protect individuals and naturally other systems have defined conditions such as how much power can be broadcast at which frequency, the upper limit of the amount of EMR in an area or the distance of presence, and these criteria are also applied in our country. These restrictions, which are also followed and supported by the World Health Organization, are of course very important steps. However, considering that developed countries apply stricter limits in their own cities, we can easily say that there are steps we need to take. The limits applied in our country are defined by the “Regulation on the Determination, Control and Supervision of Exposure Limit Values of Electromagnetic Field Intensity Arising from Electronic Communication Devices According to International Standards” published by the Information and Communication Technologies Authority. The article of the relevant regulation on electromagnetic field intensity limit values is as follows.

ARTICLE 16 – (Amended: OG-9/10/2015-29497)

(1) Electric field and magnetic field intensity in Table-1;

a) For the environment, it cannot exceed three quarters (3/4) of the total limit values determined by the International Council for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and valid as of the effective date of this article.

b) For a single device, taking into account the environment and human health; It cannot exceed two ninths (2/9) of the limit value determined by the International Committee on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and valid as of the effective date of this article.

People’s living areas and other areas must be considered separately. It is wrong to subject the base station on the roof of a neighbor’s house to the same criteria as a base station on a high tower on an intercity road, far from living areas. Just as in the case of passive smokers, there is a need for legal regulations and follow-ups for people who are at risk due to the consumption of others, even though they do not consume EMR themselves. While being affected by a device used by oneself can be classified as a preference, people exposed to devices hidden on roofs face a threat they are not aware of. It is natural for cell phones and base stations to come to the forefront in every environment where the issue comes up, as they are widespread, intertwined with people and have high frequencies. However, TV transmitters, WiFi, bluetooth, dect phones, microwave ovens, televisions and other generators should not be left off the agenda.

Steps taken to block the waves emitted by TV transmitters have been quite successful. New technologies such as satellite broadcasts, cable TV, IP TV have greatly reduced the need for terrestrial broadcasting. However, the abnormal increase in the number of channels has not made it possible to reduce the effects sufficiently. A solution to this problem can be produced with terrestrial digital broadcasting. Especially the reduction in the number of antennas is a serious step. In addition, it is still important that the locations of these broadcasts are chosen far away from living areas, especially residences, or that this is ensured by high towers.

Communication radios should also be isolated from people. Considering that these devices are used for point-to-point communication, narrower angles and the absence of buildings that interact with the wave between two points will eliminate harmful effects. Of course, considering that birds and other living creatures living in this area are also exposed to these effects, transferring communication to predominantly fiber environments will produce more effective results. Likewise, taking high-voltage power transmission lines in urban areas underground and isolating their effects with protective measures is another step that should be taken.

The limits of base stations should be lowered even further, especially in urban areas. This will be possible with improvements in antenna technologies or additional device investments. Femtocell-like technologies should also be evaluated in this context and more care should be taken regarding wave propagation. Devices concealed using all kinds of city furniture only cover the eyes of people, and as long as the waves continue to exist, the risk continues.

The regulations and limitations imposed by the state enable serious controls on electromagnetic pollution. In addition to these efforts, there is a need for serious information and awareness-raising activities. Just like smoking, the harms of these waves should be explained to people in a systematic way and people should be informed about how they can be protected. Perhaps one day in the future there will even be an obligation to put a “hazardous to health” label on these devices!

How can we individually protect ourselves from these effects? The answers to this question are widely available. Every individual should read up on this topic to protect themselves and their loved ones. However, it is worth mentioning some important points. Getting rid of some of the devices that offer great comfort in homes or using these devices correctly can be an important step. First of all, wired devices should be used whenever possible. Wired instead of wireless headphones, wired instead of wireless mouse and keyboard, ethernet instead of WiFi, normal phone instead of dect phone can be a step. A protective approach would be to use the cell phone with a headset instead of holding it directly to the ear, not to charge it in the bedroom, and not to use it in areas with poor reception quality. It is also advisable not to talk on the cell phone for long periods of time, to use a headset if talking, to use it in hands free mode if not possible, to limit the time spent interacting with the phone and to keep the phone at the farthest possible distance in any case. Another useful step would be to avoid using microwave ovens, replace tube televisions, monitor cell towers in close proximity to the home, especially in bedrooms, and request their removal if necessary. Finally, blocking the power input or unplugging all electrical appliances when they are not in use, in short, not leaving them in standby mode, is also one of the measures to be taken.

Above all, the most effective prevention method is to create an informed society. It is not a matter of debate that electromagnetic waves can cause harm, although their harm has not been clearly proven. What is debated is the extent of these damages. Today, studies on the relationship between these waves and cancer, their effect on our psychology, their effects on organs such as the eyes, and their consequences on pregnancy show that we are facing a serious threat. Although electromagnetic emitting devices have become very common, it would not be wrong to say that we are at the beginning of the road. Steps to be taken today, raising public awareness and approaches to alternative solutions will prevent this problem from being inherited by future generations.

We all remember that air pollution bulletins were published in the past. A similar effort is needed for EMR. Regular measurements should be made with mobile systems and fixed stations, just like meteorological measurements, elements exceeding the limits should be identified, people should be informed about the measurement values and these values should be used to normalize and improve conditions. In particular, playgrounds, schools and hospitals should be regularly measured and necessary measures taken. In the future, regular measurements by local governments in potentially risky areas will become as much a duty as garbage collection.

Pollution caused by electromagnetic emissions should be an important item on our agenda. As was the case with tobacco and tobacco products in the past, studies commissioned by industry stakeholders with strong financial resources that underestimate or overestimate the harms should not be the harbingers of a major disaster! It is important for our future to allocate resources to independent and scientific studies and to take into account the results of these studies. Solutions to minimize the use of microwave waves should be prioritized. In particular, obstacles to fiber investments should be removed and the use of fiber as the main carrier element should be supported. As we have emphasized before, what we really need above all is to inform and raise awareness of individuals and society.

Occupational health and safety in the installation of wireless communication devices should be considered from two different perspectives. The first is the safety of the person or persons performing the installation and the people and devices around during the installation, and the second is the health and safety of the people around during the use of the device.

ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED DURING INSTALLATION IS THE RULES FOR WORKING AT HEIGHT. THESE DEVICES ARE GENERALLY INSTALLED AT HIGH POINTS OF THE CEILING OR WALL OR IN HIGH EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTS SUCH AS ROOFS, TOWERS, PYLONS. IN ADDITION, ELECTRICAL ENVIRONMENTS, RULES ON THE USE OF CUTTING AND PIERCING TOOLS AND GENERAL OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY RULES SHOULD ALSO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION.

• Ladders and similar tools that provide height to be used in indoor installations must comply with the standards and must be used in accordance with the user manual.
• In outdoor environments, devices such as tower cranes, basket cranes, ladders, etc. can be used, as well as installation on the roof with direct access. Appropriate safety belts and other personal protective equipment must be used in all cases.
• If drilling or welding is to be carried out, special precautions should be taken. Drilling and cutting tools must have protection parts attached. In addition, these operations should be carried out by personnel who have received the necessary training. Equipment to protect the eyes and face from parts and excessive light and gloves must be used during these operations.
• The installation area must be marked and people must be prevented from passing by or under the ladder or platform and possible risks must be eliminated.
• The platform must be moved when necessary for the installer to perform the installation in a comfortable position without sagging and creeping from the ladder or platform, otherwise it must not be allowed to be used.
• If an electrical device is used during installation, it should be ensured that the cables do not pose a risk in transitions. In addition, if the cable is wound on a reel, the reel must be fully opened and problems that may occur due to heat etc. effects must be eliminated.
• The device energy connection must be made when there is no energy on the line. If the line is energized, the fuse or switch must be turned off and an attendant must wait until the work is finished.
• Especially during the adjustment and commissioning of devices such as radio link etc. operating at high frequency and with high output power, it should be ensured that no one is in the broadcasting direction of the device. It is more important to protect these people, especially considering that the personnel performing the installation are very close to the device. If necessary, the person who will approach the device from the wrong place should be protected with protective equipment.
• It is especially important that the person who will be going up is healthy and in a state of concentration. Persons who are weak, offended, taking medication, dizzy, dizzy, epileptic, etc. and personnel who do not feel ready to work at height that day should not be forced to do the work.
• Care should be taken about slippery floors, especially when working on roofs. Work should be postponed when necessary, taking into account bird droppings, etc. and effects such as precipitation.
• Again, bird chaser devices should be kept ready against seagull harassment in the bushes and activated when necessary.
• If the device to be installed is too heavy for the installer to lift or impractical due to the difficulty of the installation location, additional measures should be taken for lifting.

AFTER THE INSTALLATION OF THE DEVICES IS COMPLETED, THE SYSTEM WILL BE COMMISSIONED AND THE DEVICES WILL OPERATE CONTINUOUSLY. THE ISSUES TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION FOR AFTER THIS STAGE SHOULD ALSO BE PLANNED DURING THE INSTALLATION PHASE.

• The devices must be mounted securely so that they do not fall from their location. In addition, due to the possibility of the devices falling in the worst case, the location selection should be made carefully so that people and other devices will not be damaged.
• Electrical connections must be made using the correct consumables so as not to cause arcing.
• Grounding must be healthy.
• Connection points must be isolated and there must be no bare cables.
• Especially for high frequency and output power devices, a safe approach distance should be calculated and people should be prevented from being in these areas under normal conditions. If this barrier cannot be provided naturally, it must be provided with materials such as fences etc.
• All kinds of devices should be prevented from facing an area where a particular person or group is regularly and long-term, or at least closer than a certain distance. Particular attention should be paid to this issue in places such as counters and secretariats that require continuous sitting.
• Devices should be prevented from broadcasting at a higher power than permitted.
• The presence of electromagnetic waves higher than permitted in an environment should be prevented. People should be protected by making measurements when necessary.
• It should be ensured that the cables pass through the channel or pipe in a way that does not pose a threat to the passages.
• Care should be taken to ensure that cable cross-sections are appropriate.
• It is important that the devices are installed in such a way that they do not hit the head during transitions. Especially considering that the visually impaired cannot control the head level, the height should be taken into account in the installations and if a low installation is required, safety should be ensured by marking the walking track for the visually impaired.

Much has been written and spoken about what needs to be done about occupational safety. What needs to be emphasized is that the issue of occupational safety should become a reflex. When people exhibit the right attitudes and behaviors with an internal motivation, both violations and accidents will be significantly reduced.

Legal regulations and monitoring have led to serious progress in occupational safety. However, the loosening of control clearly shows that occupational safety has not yet become a reflex. I remembered a definition I read about courtesy: A truly courteous person is one who covers his or her mouth when yawning, even when alone. Based on this definition, I believe that if we can make occupational safety a reflex, people will continue to follow the necessary rules even in places where there is no supervision. In order for a concept to become a reflex, education starting at a young age, healthy supervision and effective reward and punishment practices are necessary.

In order for occupational health and safety to become a lifestyle, there is a need for a comprehensive training plan using all elements. At a young age, individuals should be exposed to accurate information, either explicitly or indirectly, when exchanging information from different sources such as family, environment, school and media. The message of a father who uses personal protective equipment for minor home repairs is clear. The opposite practice will be the first seed of the misconception that if no one sees it, there is no need for precautions. Occupational health and safety should be included in the curriculum in primary and high schools, and especially in vocational high schools, and people should be guided before they start their working life. In programs such as television programs, series, clips, movies, cartoons, especially those that appeal to individuals of educational age, the heroes’ attention to occupational health and rules should be designed as a part of education. In any case, many concepts such as a policeman wearing a helmet while riding a motorcycle, an actor wearing a seat belt while sitting on a sofa, a TV series house with a fire extinguisher in the kitchen, etc. should be carefully handled and individuals should be set the right example. Especially in child education, the eye comes before the ear; showing things instead of telling them will yield more effective results.

The higher the contribution of education in this process, the higher the contribution of inspection. Currently, inspections are carried out by occupational safety experts or occupational health experts. The progress made in audits, especially in high-hazard areas, is satisfactory. However, the fact that inspections are carried out by personnel attached to the employer makes possible cover-up attempts. Examples where the employer and the inspector are independent, as in major works such as subway constructions, yield much more successful results. While these inspections are carried out effectively in large projects, the lack of inspections in projects in the neighborhoods and projects carried out with a hands-off approach causes serious problems to continue. After a work accident involving injury or death, the relevant workplace is inspected and those involved are punished. However, if what is meant by occupational safety is prevention, this approach must be changed urgently. Of course, state resources may not make such an effective inspection possible. As a suggestion, the concept of a voluntary occupational health inspectorate could be considered. Just like in traffic enforcement, a community of citizens reporting irregularities to the relevant authorities could be a first step towards effective inspection. In this practice, citizens are not expected to enter construction sites and conduct inspections on their own. The aim of this practice should be to turn natural observations made while walking on the road, sitting at home, etc. in natural life into reports. For example, an observation from your window is sufficient to report with a photo that a person going up to the scaffolding for exterior cladding is not wearing a seat belt. We have many similar observations in our daily lives: workers doing roadwork with incomplete markings, craftsmen not using PPE, vehicles traveling with loads that are not in accordance with the transport limits, carpenters working with tools without protective equipment, and many other violations can be reported without any special effort. For this purpose, fast and practical ways such as an e-mail address or Whatsapp number should be preferred rather than a call center.

Another necessary step for occupational safety to become a life argument is related to punishment. Directing the punishment to the person who committed the violation in the first place is perceived as the most effective punishment method. Of course, the employer, official, etc. who condone the violation should also receive their share of the punishment. Currently, the personnel with the title of occupational safety specialist plays a key role in punishment. The fact that these people are punished rather than the employer in post-accident punishments reduces the deterrence of the penalties. The penalties to be imposed after an accident should of course be evaluated in a separate category, but the penalties to be imposed in case of violations should be created with a different fiction. The deterrence of financial penalties is only effective for those who cannot afford the penalty. Even for this group, if there is a mood of not paying the fine anyway, the fine ceases to be a deterrent for this person. Instead, punishments should be based on what is valuable for each person. Even though it is not a punishment, directing them to participate in retraining should definitely be a part of the penalties. Apart from this, getting a video or text explaining why they committed the violation and emphasizing why they will not repeat it again in this video or text can give effective results. When people write something down, they are more careful about obeying that rule. It is also effective to show videos of real or fictional accidents caused by people who commit similar negligence. Making a person unable to use a document issued for working life, such as a driver’s license, for a certain period of time can be a further punishment. If a record is kept on this issue, it may be another step to record this incident in his/her record.

A neglected aspect in this regard is rewarding. You cannot achieve all success with punishment. Rewarding should also be designed and used as an element of training. Regulations are also needed for incentive premiums for zero accidents, financial or incentive rewards for individuals, etc. For example, a bonus to be given to a contractor and its employees who finish a construction site with zero work accidents can create a serious motivation.

Serious progress can be achieved in occupational safety through effective training, effective supervision and an effective penalization system. It should not be forgotten that our main goal is to prevent accidents. It is not only the employee who causes accidents. Elements such as the selection of the right machines, the correct placement of the machines, regular maintenance should be carefully evaluated. When an elevator malfunctions and falls, the helmet you are wearing will not protect you. The right steps should also be taken regarding non-human elements. In particular, a mechanism should be established where employees can report violations. There is a need for an organization where the identity of the whistleblower can be concealed and which acts only to prevent accidents. Just like volunteer inspectors, workers should be made a part of the occupational safety process. In general, such mechanisms created in our country can be opportunities for people to disrupt one another’s work. The structure that will be formed should not turn into a structure that stops work and makes the industry inoperable, it should remain only and only as an activity to ensure safety. A more solution-oriented approach would be to refer the issue to the employer or the official at the construction site, to define the time and conditions for the solution, and finally to question whether the necessary correction has been made and to move to the next stage if no steps are taken.

An accident that happens to an individual negatively affects many different people in society. When a person becomes disabled or dies, not only that person is affected. Someone’s child, someone’s spouse, someone’s father, someone’s father, someone’s brother, someone’s neighbor, etc. With a network of interaction, many people are more or less negatively affected by this event and a social wound is formed. Every measure to be taken will heal the wounds or prevent new ones. But it should not be forgotten that the most important measure to be taken is to create a society that has made occupational health and safety rules a life reflex.

One of the mistakes made in today’s energy distribution systems is that the only issue that comes to mind when it comes to energy quality is compensation or harmonic filtering. Quality, by its literal meaning, means that the product or service that covers consumer needs is met with the same values every time and continuously. In energy distribution, this means not only transmitting energy with pure sine, but also providing this transmitted energy to the consumer continuously and minimizing losses.

In energy distribution systems, 80% of the faults affecting the continuity of the energy provided to the customer are temporary faults. Examples of these faults are falling trees on distribution lines in windy weather or wing contact of birds on the lines located on the migration routes of birds or shaking the lines when they wing and causing a short circuit. This failure triggers tripping operation in feeders even for a short time and causes losses in energy continuity. In today’s systems, with the Reclose feature in almost every Secondary Protection Relay, reclosing operation is applied on these faults that clear themselves in a short time and the line is re-energized.

However, in some feeders where there is no Reclose feature in the SC relay/protection or where this feature is not activated for safety/importance reasons and in cases where non-volatile faults are observed, the fault must be intervened by the relevant teams. The biggest difficulty faced by the teams in the event of such a fault is that the location of the fault cannot be found clearly and in areas where the relevant feeder line is very long, the relevant team has to find the fault by eye for a long time in difficult terrain conditions. This leads to loss of time for the teams, loss of production for the customer and long power outages that can cause legal problems for the distribution company. The easiest way to deal with these problems is to use Remote Control and Monitoring System (SCADA) and communicating Overhead Line Monitoring and Fault Detection devices.

The overhead line monitoring device consists of a self-powered lighted monitoring and indication device with magnetic induction logic that can be connected / disconnected to each phase even when the phase is energized, and terminals that analyze the information from this device and transmit it wirelessly to the SCADA system. This device, which is connected to the critical points determined in the system and to the areas where non self-cleaning faults are frequently seen, gives the first reaction to the fault and sends the information to SCADA, and the indicator device connected to the overhead line activates the fault LEDs. In this way, the location of the fault and fault information is transmitted to the relevant units as soon as possible and the teams intervene in a much shorter time. By analyzing the fault topology, the intervention to be made is determined in advance and it becomes easier to take actions. In addition, you will minimize your investment thanks to these devices that prevent unnecessary line recloser usage costs in your systems with Reclose feature on the feeder.

As AVD Teknolojik Çözümler, we offer the most suitable solution for your needs in your Energy Distribution system with the help of INHAND family’s high-precision indicators, terminals that have continuous monitoring feature and operate with solar energy without requiring external energy source. You can contact us from the contact addresses below for both technical information about the product and our solutions on how we can improve your line.

The age of mechanization, mass production technologies and automation solutions that started with Industry 2 and 3 caused people to flock to the centers of production, resulting in the formation of large metropolises. These structures have brought along brand new problems that we have never encountered before. Polluted air, congested traffic, neighbors who do not know each other, intense individualization, people who are constantly working, stress, etc. countless problems have entered our agenda and new ones are constantly being added to them. In the new process called Industry 4.0, the rules are set to change. Structures where everything used to be in one place are completely changing. Developments in communication technologies make it possible to use separate locations as part of a single system and it is time to stop thinking with the old mentality.

From a local development perspective, the contribution of information technologies to the process should be considered under two different headings. The first is to use the opportunities offered by ICTs to change traditional business models and enable people to participate in the production process in their own cities. The second approach is to prepare the codes and content required by the IT world, especially software development, locally.

SUPPLY OF MICRO-PRODUCTION TO MARKETS

You no longer need a distribution network to supply local production to the national or international market. It is now very easy for a handicraft or dried fruit produced by villagers to be presented to the world over the internet. This opportunity created by the widespread use of the internet is available for all products, from the most basic production to the most complex system. Establishing a widespread broadband internet network and making people able to use information systems are essential requirements for utilizing this opportunity. Young people are rapidly adapting to new technologies and are able to create their own opportunities. The main shortcoming here is that people do not recognize the opportunities and do not have the software infrastructure. This problem will only be solved if non-governmental organizations and the public sector carry out information and awareness raising activities and establish fast usable IT infrastructures.

Recent investments in fiber optic cables and 4.5 G infrastructure seem to have removed the constraints on internet access. The basic requirement, especially for micro-productions, is the preparation of a virtual marketplace to deliver products to markets. Although many shopping sites offer this opportunity to people, the best approach is to make a focused, attractive and locally known infrastructure available for general use. A solution that combines PTT’s distribution capability with informatics will yield highly effective results. A version of PTT’s shopping website (http://www.epttavm.com/) focused on local products and micro-productions could be considered, while a virtual marketplace concept where anyone can open their own shop could also be very successful.

SHIFTING INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION TO ANATOLIA

In addition to micro-production, information technologies offer serious facilities for the expansion of industrial production to rural areas. Since it is now possible to plan production in different areas, let alone moving sales and production to separate locations, shifting production from big cities to rural areas will make significant contributions to local development. Of course, localization of industrial production is not only a matter of IT infrastructure. Other components such as transportation infrastructures, qualified human resources and access to raw materials should also be considered and needs should be met. However, the preparation of all the necessary infrastructure will only yield the desired results if the information systems are adequate and healthy. For example, solutions where qualified human resources are not necessarily employed locally will be possible with IT infrastructures. Considering that today training on how to perform an operation can be given by remote monitoring, it will be very easy to provide many services such as consultancy etc. remotely. Moreover, the maintenance of most of the systems that require qualified personnel can be provided with remote access and the entire repair process can be carried out remotely with the support of an intermediate level personnel in the field.

CALL CENTERS AND DIGITAL ARCHIVING

It is also an important development that call center services can be provided locally, even in one’s own home, with healthy communication infrastructures and IT solutions. Considering that the highest non-public employment in Erzurum today is provided in a call center, it is an indisputable fact that this opportunity can be an effective tool for local development. Likewise, moving archiving to small cities with digitized archives and providing both archiving and digitization services from these cities will help local development and provide more efficient and faster access to archives. Again, by utilizing the distribution and transmission capabilities of PTT, documents to be transferred to the permanent archive can be transported to a city with low earthquake risk instead of big cities such as Ankara and Istanbul, thus creating a new focus city. At this point, serious steps have been taken in the field of call centers and a significant number of facilities have been established and services have started to be provided, especially in cities designated as Region 6. While the private sector has taken steps in this direction in terms of archiving, no significant steps have yet been taken by the public sector. Considering that the public sector transports its documents from the provinces to Ankara, it is easy to see that these investments will not be an additional burden. The ease of access to documents will not only enable the institution to do its work faster, but will also speed up activities such as judicial proceedings where these documents will be used. At the end of the day, these investments will generate direct and indirect benefits far in excess of their costs.

With their IT infrastructure and the opportunities it offers, it will be possible to shift a lot of work, especially service-oriented work, to the provinces. Such projects to employ people in their own hometowns should be added to the list of expenditures to make life in metropolitan areas bearable, and population growth should at least be halted. Many more can be added to the jobs we have exemplified above. All this will require a well-planned and effective fiber infrastructure, IT literacy and some courage.

BEING AN INFORMATION PRODUCER

When defining producers and consumers in the IT community, a classification is made as mouse users and keyboard users. Mouse users are consumers and keyboard users are producers. Of course, there may be exceptions to this, but in general it is a correct classification. Unfortunately, a significant portion of computer or equivalent product users in our country are mouse users and spend their time using software, content and products prepared by others. With a proper planning, we should direct our people to become keyboard users. With the arrangements to be made in the education curriculum, our people should be trained as IT producers. If this can be achieved, even a citizen in the remotest village where the internet can reach can be employed as a software developer for an international company. It would be erroneous to perceive IT production as only software development. There are hundreds of different production opportunities such as graphics, videos, writings, websites, etc. and millions of people around the world participate in the production process through these activities.

Software development activities are carried out both as a single work and as a group work. Many international software companies manage this process with teams formed in different parts of the world. With well-documented processes and simplified techniques, it is possible for very different people to develop the same code together. In fact, taking into account the time differences around the world, the same code is developed non-stop by teams in different countries on a 24-hour basis. It is possible to turn our country into a software development base, and plans for this should be made urgently. Considering the development of distance education techniques, spatial distance has lost its importance and effective training of a large number of people with a small number of educators has become possible. Just as vocational high schools provided qualified human resources in the industrial breakthrough, the human resources of the information age should be trained in high schools with a similar modeling.

Once the software development culture is established, entrepreneurial spirits will realize very different expansions. Today, especially the possibilities offered by smartphones and new generation operating systems have made it no longer a dream for even single individuals to sell their software to millions and created a brand new market. A simple game can earn its developer millions of dollars in an instant, or an add-on developed for an existing application can generate very serious profits.

Apart from software development, serious manpower is needed for many different areas such as graphic designs, content preparation, small videos, etc. These works, both artistic and content-oriented, will create a source of income for local human resources. Areas other than software development should also be considered in training planning. Preparing a web page, managing social media accounts, preparing texts to be presented, selecting or preparing visuals such as photographs, providing remote support to existing software, translating content into different languages, etc. dozens, perhaps hundreds of new business lines are being formed and the future is evolving here. Considering the new generation’s predisposition to technology, it is obvious that this field is an opportunity that must be seized.

In order to reduce unemployment in our country, serious steps have been taken in the service sector. Private security, call center, valet, parking attendant, etc. very serious employment has been created in many business lines. These steps played an important role especially in the participation of newly graduated high school graduates who were raised with the closure of vocational high schools and could not do anything. However, since these types of jobs do not offer a progression map, many people will have to work for many years with low salaries. Without mastery, income growth will be more difficult. However, if these people can be trained in areas such as software development, they will be able to increase their income incomparably with their first salary after a certain experience. If it is not possible to solve a problem in the first move, it is inevitable for administrators to mitigate it with temporary measures. Today, the steps taken against unemployment have significantly reduced the fever. We now need plans to direct people to permanent areas that offer them social dignity and improve their comfort.

In the information age, it is not possible to be a director without being a producer. Our country has very serious needs especially in software development. It is a basic requirement that software related to both data and system security be indigenous. The outsourcing of encryption software or anti-virus software, or even SCADA software that manages critical processes, will keep a constant suspicion alive. The question of whether someone has put a back door into the system will always occupy the minds. Just as in industrial production, what you can do in this field is related to what you have already done. Just as you need to be able to make components such as seats, carpets, wings, engines, etc. to build an airplane, you need to have made or be able to make simpler components for complex software systems. In every crisis we experience, we constantly postpone the answers to the questions that come to our minds. A cyber attack, a data flow, a coup or a scandal triggers the question of whether the systems we use are toys in someone’s hands, but we always postpone the permanent solution. Today, domestic software is a higher priority than domestic automobiles. We need urgent solutions, especially in data security, system security and communication. These steps to be taken for local development will enable our people to produce complex systems, and after a certain stage, we will go from being an informatics producer to a country that can shape informatics.

RTU

Manufactured by ABB, the leader in automation and energy systems, ABB RTUs are modular, reliable and advanced products with advanced features.

ABB RTUs are designed from the ground up with powerful and flexible cyber security features that enable secure communication over any network.

The ABB RTU500 series is known as a SCADA system that transmits information from the physical power grid designed to meet transmission and distribution automation requirements with the most efficient solutions.

Easily realizable with a complete set of functional and hardware features, the RTU500 series is the proven software tool that provides greater flexibility, cost savings and can be quickly designed according to needs.

ABB RTUs are produced in 3 different series according to their features and capacities.

1. RTU520: ABB RTU520 series is designed for small scale projects. Common areas of use are power generation plants such as SPP, WPP, GPP, substation automation and process automation.

IO cards of this series can be used by processors of other series. I/O cards have expandable input and output points. At standard level, there are 1 RS-232, 2 RS-485 and 1 Ethernet port on the CPU.

2. RTU540: ABB RTU540 series RTUs are designed for medium-sized projects. Their primary areas of use are substations, power generation plants, infrastructure facilities, pumping stations, transportation systems and similar applications.

They are also used in TEİAŞ RTU projects where redundancy is not required.

RTU520 series I/O processor cards can be easily added to the I/O processors of RTU540 series RTUs.

3. RTU560: ABB RTU560 series RTUs are designed for large-scale applications or applications requiring redundancy. Common applications include power transmission and distribution systems, rail systems, petrochemical plants and transportation systems.

RTU560 series RTUs provide full compliance with TEİAŞ RTU specifications.

In addition, the rack type RTU560 series can also be used in application areas that require hot-swap (the ability to remove and install the card without disconnecting the power) and Redundancy (redundancy).

RTU LICENSE SELECTION

The desired features in ABB RTUs are provided by license cards that can be installed in RTUs. All RTU licenses support the specified communication protocols and can convert from one protocol to another as a gateway.

License cards can be supplied in 3 different types as Basic, PLC/Archiving and HMI (Human Machine Interface) according to functions and capacities and between 50 Tag and 5.000 Tag capacity.

While the developments in information and communication technologies have made our lives easier, they have introduced us to a problem that was not in our lives before: Cyber threat! The systems we designed and used to make our lives easier suddenly turned into a threat and we started to come up with ideas and solutions on how to protect ourselves. These attacks, which initially manifested themselves as simple problems, turned into very complex and expensive attacks over time and we started to realize what kind of monster we had given birth to. Unfortunately, we still haven’t been able to grasp exactly what the threat is.

New titles are being added to the concept of cyber threat day by day. It should not be a prophecy to say that many more new concepts will be added to this list. As long as the development in communication technologies and information systems does not stop, which does not seem to stop, the threat will continue to increase.

In the information age, to talk about staying out of the developments, creating a closed model, not using products developed by others, abandoning integrated systems and returning to autonomous structures would be to push the country behind the times and expect it to give up its claim to be a leading country. The best approach would be to approach cyber threats with the seriousness required by the subject, without making paranoia and conspiracy theories the justification, to analyze possible risks in a healthy way and prepare action plans, and to take part in global competition without taking the easy way out. The IT world, which is a huge sector where the young minds of the country can be easily directed, will also be one of the engine elements of development.

Although the threat is cyber, one of the most important types is physical access and natural threats. First of all, the physical security of the places where information systems are kept must be ensured. Measures to be taken for both malicious access (direct access, sabotage, man-made threats such as cutting energy systems and fiber infrastructure and even bombing) and natural disasters such as earthquakes, fires, floods, etc. are the first steps to be taken to prevent cyber threats. For this purpose, special buildings should be constructed, energy and fiber infrastructures should be installed with route redundancy, and systems located in different geographies that can back each other up live should be created. Of course, a harmony should be sought between the measures to be taken and the existing risk. However, it should never be forgotten that the most important threat before us is the “nothing will happen to me” approach.

The goal of a cyber attack can be categorized under many different headings such as stopping a system, using it for malicious purposes, stealing data, monitoring what is happening, copying systems, etc. The easiest way to achieve these goals is to become a system administrator. The second most important measure to be taken against cyber threats are approaches to eliminate internal attack threats with reliable people, auditable systems, effective monitoring and reporting, and distributed use of authority. Today, the most important cyber threat is still internal attacks. This is true both in terms of the number of incidents and the damage caused. It should never be forgotten that today’s authorities will be the unauthorized of the future.

As in Ziya Gökalp’s story Yüksek Ökçeler, the approach of let them do whatever they want and not give me a headache should be abandoned. Especially in critical systems, the IT manager and the cyber security manager should be completely independent and co-authorized administrators. While the IT manager controls and manages all information systems, he should not be authorized to intervene in security systems. Likewise, the security administrator should not have the authority to interfere with IT systems. In addition to all these, it should not be forgotten that an uncontrolled system is open to all kinds of abuse. One of the most effective ways against possible internal threats is independent external audits. Here, it is important that the auditor is not selected by IT and/or cyber security managers, but is competent and authorized in the field. In addition, planning these studies in the form of sudden audits will yield more effective results.

Threats from access sources are another consideration. There are many codes such as viruses, spyware, trojans, ransomware, etc. prepared for this purpose. Measures that can be taken against all these are ready to use with continuous updates. The most important point to be considered here is to keep these software constantly updated. Malware does its greatest damage after a certain period of time has passed rather than when it is released. The main reason for this is the neglect of updates. In addition to such software, system designs should also take into account attacks classified as piracy. Malicious software uses vulnerabilities in systems to gain access and achieve their goals. These vulnerabilities are sometimes caused by system settings and sometimes by the operating system, database or application software used. In addition to updates, the most important measure to be taken for such vulnerabilities is to test the systems with non-malicious attacks and close the vulnerabilities found.

The measures to be taken for infrastructures to be classified as critical systems should be even more radical. Information and systems that should be kept secret by the state, military systems, nuclear power plants or similar critical facilities, infrastructures such as energy, water, natural gas networks and sensitive infrastructures such as banking should be evaluated in a different category. All software, access and security infrastructures and SCADA systems should be designed by considering the possibility of back doors. Efforts to use national software and systems in such infrastructures should be planned and steps should be taken quickly. It should even be ensured that the fiber network over which these systems operate is independent. As in the case of Germany and Russia, the use of common software in such systems should be prevented and controllable solutions should be popularized. Open source codes offer a wide range of opportunities for these studies. Using products prepared in this field alone will not be sufficient. Staff who are familiar with all the codes of these software should be formed and a living and developing structure should be created by modeling sustainability. In case of possible sabotage, tests should be conducted by an organization completely independent of the developer and the relevant software should be put into use after this stage. Another work that needs to be done for cyber sabotage is the preparation of disaster scenarios and the preparation of emergency action plans and drills to ensure the autonomous operation of systems.

Cloud applications, which have been on our agenda in recent years, should also be evaluated. Some data should be prevented from being stored in the cloud, while a national cloud infrastructure should be created for some cases. Studies should be carried out on the encryption to be used in cloud configuration and national algorithms should be developed if possible. There is no point in knowing who the culprit is after an incident has occurred. The damage is the same no matter who the culprit is.

The steps to be taken while planning the country’s cyber defense should also be evaluated. The country’s internet and communication entrances should be kept under control and necessary preventive investments should be made for all attacks, from traffic blocking attacks such as dDos to piracy and sabotage attacks. In addition, the approach that the most important defense is attack should be taken into account and the country’s ability to conduct cyber attacks should be improved. Controlled cyber-attack elements will serve as a deterrent to possible systematic attacks from other countries.

Finally, if we are to talk about cyber security in the real sense, raising awareness of users is a basic necessity. Simple passwords chosen, insecure site visits, random memory usage, carelessness, etc. make all the measures taken meaningless. User diligence is a prerequisite for any security system and we need to raise awareness starting from primary school age.

Dozens of small omissions, such as people keeping critical information in a generic mail system, keeping e-mails in these systems for easy access, most of which are not looked at a second time, going online in insecure environments, not having a screen protection password on computers, opening folders to sharing, not backing up information periodically, have caused and will continue to cause major problems. We need to stop being a society that gets wise when the problem happens to itself, instead of learning from it.

Both the scandals around the world and the realities we had to face, especially after the July 15 invasion attempt, raised awareness about cyber threats. The fact that one of the first arrestees was in the IT department of the Prime Ministry showed how serious an issue we are talking about. This awareness must be kept alive. As we see that IT managers still decide on security investments, we think that lessons have not been learned from what happened. The steps to be taken regarding security investments are strategic and concern senior management. Thanks to this approach, which will free IT managers from blame, we will have more secure systems. Our cyber defense infrastructure should be strengthened and continuously fortified, starting from the national level, with planning that should be done gradually, starting with institutions, the private sector and even individuals.