Physical Resources [P1] Describe the key features of physical resources for a selected workplace
Physical resources are the basic resources needed by a business to uphold and execute its activities. They can be said to be the ‘’base layer’’ of any organization and without them a business could not function. Physical resources include things such as buildings, materials, security, machinery and so forth. Physical resources must be managed in order to avoid wastage. At Braeburn School there are several physical resources in which are needed to keep the school up and running efficiently and allow everyone to play their role and execute tasks on a day to day basis. Some of the physical resources have been pointed out below:

Generator
Generator
Swimming pool
Swimming pool

Changing rooms and bathrooms
Changing rooms and bathrooms
Clubhouse
Clubhouse

Kitchen and lunch hall
Kitchen and lunch hall
Amphitheatre
Amphitheatre

Classrooms
Classrooms

Primary
Primary

Hard-court
Hard-court
Car park
Car park

Machinery The School has 2 generators that they use in emergencies that have to be automatically put on. The generators are in secure locations and completely locked up. This is good because it then means no one can steal/damage it and they are big enough to power up the whole school as well as boarding facilities and teacher housing. These generators use too much fuel which is not efficient. And they take out too much smoke which is pollutant to the surrounding environment. Photocopying machine: The school have a main photocopying machine is located in the secondary school, to primary this means it is not easily accessible. There is only one person in school who has been properly trained to use the photocopying machine which means if ever she is not there photocopying would not be able to be done. The fact that there is only one photocopying machine means that is if were to ever break down the school would have no back-up. Having only one also means items for photocopying will have to be put on a waiting list whilst other things are being photocopied. It is located in a secure location within the school

Materials
Materials are well suited and plentiful for their use. Braeburn use a lot of raw materials such as wood and metal to make various things around school such as tables, chairs, play equipment and so on. The raw materials are also used for repair work where and when needed. Without raw materials it would mean Braeburn would have to buy all of its equipment if ever it needed replacing or simply needed to be bought. Having a workshop allows for equipment to be made by hand by workers which is ultimately cheaper than buying readymade equipment. The people at the workshop have a very small space in which they can work from. This makes it inefficient for them to carry out tasks as larger structures cannot be made inside as even the door is too small to get them through.
Materials are not only the raw materials used for building and crafting they include things such as pens, pencils, paper etc… the school could not run without them as they allow teachers, students and other staff members to execute their daily tasks. The school encourages recycling in order to minimize waste and act more ethically, paper is the main resource that they recycle.

When staff require equipment orders can be taken to the store room and equipment gotten. This is a quick and easy process as they sign to order. By having a store room within the school it means the school can have all the necessary supplies for emergencies and everyday usage, instead of having to go to town every time they run out of materials compared to having large quantities of materials brought in once in a while. The store room is not easily accessible from the primary school thus meaning staff requiring ordering materials will have to walk all the way to secondary
Kitchen
The school kitchen is equipped to suit its purpose (making food fit enough for human consumption) they have the right equipment such as fridges, gas stoves…etc. to be able to cater for the whole school.
However the kitchen is very insecure, it is in an open location which means it is exposed to the weather and bugs as well as other things from the outside world. This makes doesn’t make it hygienic as food is exposed and can get cross-contaminated which could lead to food poison and the like. Food is not stored indoors where it has been completely been sealed off and this could cause food poisoning amongst pupils in the school.

Amphitheatre:
Is suited for its purpose, to be able to hold plays, musicals…etc. it is located in the middle of secondary and primary which makes it easily accessible for both parts of the school.
On the other hand when it rains the amphitheater would not be able to fulfill its purpose and the event at that time will have to be relocated. Due to a lack of coverage during the day it also gets too hot. The seats are all concrete which also makes it uncomfortable to sit on. Another issue is that it is not big enough, as when big events are held some parents and students will still remain standing. Getting to places to sit is also hard as there are only 2 ways to get to the seats, either through the stage which is very disruptive or through the back. The people sitting in the middle have to go through everyone and fight their way through.

Hard court:
Is fit to its purpose to be able to play sport on it such as basketball and netball. The hard-court can be used for a variety of sports as there are lines marked out for a multiple of them. The hard-court is covered to shade students from the sun and there are 3 gates leading in and out which can be opened and closed when necessary to prevent the balls in or keep little children out to prevent from hurting them.
The hard-court however is not big enough and there are some issues that arise from people wanting to play different sports but cannot due to other people playing another. The rims on the court are not high enough for the basketball players and are not straight on the netball court. This means it makes gameplay unfair.

Desktops:
Are pretty well suited for its purpose to allow students and teachers to complete work and assignments. There are more than enough computers for students to use in class as there are also school laptops students can use. The desktops are located all around school including in the ICT room, library, BTEC room and one in almost every class.
To contradict with that the computers do not have up to date software and the rams are too small. This slows them down and makes working on them inefficient. Sitting at a desktop is also very straining as the desks and chairs that go with aren’t able to be adjusted which is bad for posture and may cause students and teachers to feel uncomfortable and get long-term problems.

Buildings:
Are fit for their purpose to enable students to have classrooms to learn in. the classrooms have enough tables and chairs for everyone.
The chairs cannot be adjusted so for some people they will be sitting too high and banging their knees against the table, others may be too low and not able to comfortably reach the table. There is no controlled heating in the classrooms meaning in the afternoon it may get too hot and in some cases in the morning too cold.

Car Park:
Is suited for its purpose to be able to allow buses and cars to park in the school. There are safety poles along the edge of the car park to safely allow people to walk to and from the vehicles. The car park is big enough for all the buses to park in the school. The car park is located in the middle of primary and secondary which means accessibility is easy for both areas of the school and no one has to walk further than the other. Security guards are located at the gate to keep track of who is going in and out. There are 2 gates (one for going in and one for going out) which allows for traffic to flow and prevent accidents from happening.
However, the car park may be big for day to day usage, but when the school holds events there is not enough space forcing others to park outside. There are no lines marked out of where cars can park which means people may not park as well as they could due to misjudgment of space. The gravel in the car park is not safe for cars as they may slip on the gravel.
M2- Make recommendations for improvement of physical resources in a selected workplace

Dear Rob Williams,
REF: Recommendations to improve physical resources in Braeburn School Arusha
The physical resources in Braeburn School thus far have managed to keep the school up and running. However, having said this I feel like there are a numbers of areas and ways the school could look into to improving to make the running of the school more efficient and have better work ethics. To begin with the school could look at improving the efficiency of the photocopying machine I suggest for the school to invest in a second photocopying machine to speed up the process. And also training more people on how to use the machine instead of only having one person could also benefit them in the future.
The generator could be made more efficient by being made automatic; meaning as soon as the power goes off the generator turns on. Having someone to always have to put it on takes time and slows down the efficiency of the school. Generators use too much fuel to solve this the school might be able to look into getting solar panels around school which means when the power goes off the solar panels will be there to kick-in. As for the smoke the school should get new and more environmentally friendly generators.
To further improve the usage and management of materials that Braeburn use they could first start by building a bigger work place. The current one is very cramped and not ideal for making large structures. The steep steps leading into the workshop also makes it hard for workers to take equipment that they have made out or things that have to be repaired in. Maneuvering in and out is dangerous and there is a big chance accidents might happen. To ensure the risk is minimized as much as possible the steps should be removed and an alternative route gradually going up should be made.
As for the schools kitchen they should seal off the outside by building walls around the kitchen to make it a more hygienic place to prepare food fit for human consumption in. they could invest in getting more fridges and refrigerators to store food and keep it fresher for longer to minimize waste and keep unwanted pests away.

For the classrooms they should install Air conditioners or fans in all of them to keep them cool when it gets too hot. All the desks and chairs should be able to be adjusted to suit everyone as everyone is different heights and sizes. Having adjustable desks and chairs will mean nobody will be hitting their knees on the table or straining to see their work. As for the desktops in the classrooms I would recommend the school gets up- to- date software and buy the latest computers (preferably Macs as they are not prone to getting a lot of viruses and crashing) newer desktops would also mean they would be faster enabling students to be able to complete work and teachers to teach more efficiently.
The cark park could be made safer by removing the gravel and replacing it with concrete or another appropriate substance so that it provides a solid surface for cars and buses to safely drive on. It will also prevent people from tripping on rocks which will ultimately mean fewer accidents. Lines should be marked out for parking spaces to guide people where to park; this will help with using the space available as best they can.