[Document title]

PUSAT PENGAJIAN KEJURUTERAAN ALAM SEKITAR

UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA PERLIS

OCCUPATIONAL
SAFETY AND
HEALTH ASSIGMENT
EUT 440 ENGINEERS IN SOCIETY
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TABLE OF CONTENT

TITLE PAGE

BACKGROUND OF INDUSTRY 1

MANUAL MATERIAL HANDLING 3

PREVENTION MEASURES 5

RECOMMENDATIONS 8

REFERENCE 10
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BACKGROUND OF INDUSTRY

According to the First Schedule of Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994
[subsection 1(2)], it listed ten industries which in following;

1. Manufacturing
2. Mining and Quarrying
3. Construction
4. Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
5. Utilities
a) Electricity
b) Gas
c) Water
d) Sanitary Services
6. Transport, Storage and Communication
7. Wholesale and Retail Trades
8. Hotels and Restaurants
9. Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Business Services
10. Public Services and Statutory Authorities

This assignment will emphasize and discuss on the construction industry. According
to Guidelines On Occupational Safety And Health Act 1994 (Act 514), construction is
the activity or process of construction, extension, installation, maintenance, renewal,
removal, renovation, dismantling or demolition of any building, any road, any
drainage, any electrical works, any bridge and works which include site clearance,
soil investigation etc.

Example: a) General contracting including civil engineering

b) Special trade contracting

Broader explanation of construction industry be obtained from the Construction

Industry Development Board Malaysia (Amendment) Act 2011 (Act 520). From the
Act, it stated that construction industry means the industry related to construction
works, including design, manufacturing, technology, material and workmanship and
services for purposes of construction while construction works means the

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construction, extension, installation, maintenance, renewal, removal, renovation,

dismantling or demolition of;

a) any building, erection, edifice, structure, wall fence or chimney, whether

constructed wholly or partly above or below ground level
b) any road, harbour works, railway, cableway, canal or aerodrome
c) any drainage, irrigation or river control works
d) any electrical, mechanical, water, gas, petrochemical or telecommunication
works
e) any bridge, viaduct, dam, reservoir, earthworks, pipelines, sewer, aqueduct,
culvert, drive, shaft, tunnel or reclamation works

and included;
A. any works which form an important and integral part of or are preparatory to
or temporary for the works described in paragraphs a) to e), including site
clearance, soil investigation and improvement, earth-moving, excavation,
laying of foundation, site restoration and landscaping
B. procurement of construction materials, equipment or workers, necessarily
required for any work described in paragraphs a) to e).

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MANUAL MATERIAL HANDLING

Manual handling is any transporting or supporting of a load by one or more workers.

It includes the following activities: lifting, holding, putting down, pushing, pulling,
carrying or moving of a load. Manual handling is also sometimes called manual
material handling (MMH). Manual handling occurs in almost all working
environments such as factories, warehouses, building sites, farms, hospitals, offices
and etc. It can include lifting boxes at a packaging line, handling construction
materials, pushing carts, handling patients in hospitals, and cleaning. Manual handling
can result in variety of injuries. For example; fatigue, and lead to injuries of the back,
neck, shoulders, arms or other body parts. Two groups of injuries may result from
manual handling:
a. Cuts, bruises, fractures etc, due to sudden, unexpected events such as
accidents
b. Damage to the musculoskeletal system of the body (muscles, tendons,
ligaments, bones, joints, bursa, blood vessels and nerves) as a consequence
of gradual and cumulative wear and tear through repetitive manual handling.
These injuries are called musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and can be
divided into 3 groups:
I. Neck and upper limb disorders
II. Lower limb disorders
III. Back pain and back injuries.

By far the most common injuries from manual materials handling are back injuries.
According to several studies, low back injuries account for approximately one quarter
of all workers compensation claims. Back claims and complaints are widespread
among people and occupations. They are not limited to industrial or construction
activities.

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PREVENTION MEASURES

The negative health effects of manual handling can be prevented by trying to

eliminate or at least reduce the risk factors involved. The following hierarchy of
prevention measures should be used:

1. Elimination
First, can the work be designed and organised in such a way that manual handling can
be avoided completely, or at least restricted (e.g. using powered or mechanical
handling equipment such as conveyor belts, lift trucks, electric hoists or gravity-
inclined roller track)?

2. Technical measures
If manual handling cannot be avoided, automation, mechanisation and the use of
lifting and transport equipment should be considered (e.g. conveyors, hoists, cranes,
vacuum lifting devices, lift tables, pallet trucks, lift trucks, barrows, trolleys).
However, attention should be paid to ensure that new work risks are not created (e.g.
through noise, or hand-arm vibration).

3. Organisational measures
Organisational or administrative measures should only be considered if elimination of
manual handling is not possible, and if technical measures are not effective in
reducing the risks involved in manual handling. Heavy or frequent manual handling
tasks should be carried out by several people or, if possible, the amount that is
handled should be reduced or the load split into smaller ones. The rate of manual
handling should not be set by a machine, supervisor or colleagues. The time taken to
carry out manual handling tasks should be extended by taking breaks, or by
alternating them with other tasks so that the muscles have time to recover.

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4. Provide information and training to workers

If workers have to carry out manual handling activities, they should be informed of
the risks of accidents and ill health, particularly concerning their specific tasks. They
should also receive training on the use of equipment and on correct handling
techniques.

4.1 Correct handling techniques

Before lifting the load, you should plan and prepare for the task. Make sure that:
You should adopt the following technique when lifting the load:
I. Put your feet around the load and your body over it (if this is not feasible, try
to keep your body as close possible to the load and in front of it)
II. Use the muscles of your legs when lifting
III. Keep your back straight
IV. Pull the load as close as possible to your body
V. Lift and carry the load with straight arms.

5. Pushing and pulling

Pushing and pulling handling devices such as trolleys and barrows is particularly
strenuous for the back, shoulders and arms. It is important that:
I. Pushing and pulling is done using the bodys own weight: when pushing you
should lean forward, when pulling you should lean backward
II. You have enough grip on the floor in order to lean forward/backward
III. You avoid twisting, turning and bending the back
IV. Handling devices have handles/hand grips that you can use to exert force.
Handle height should be between the shoulder and waist so that you can
push/pull in a good, neutral posture
V. Handling devices are well-maintained so that the wheels run smoothly
VI. Floors are hard, even and free from rubbish (good housekeeping).

6. Legislation on manual handling

Workers are protected against work-related musculoskeletal disorders by health and

safety guidelines and Directives which sets out health and safety requirements for the
manual handling of loads, particularly where there is a risk of back injury to workers.
The Directive places the following general obligations on employers:

I. To avoid the need for manual handling of loads

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II. To take the appropriate organisational measures to reduce the risk if manual
handling cannot be avoided
III. To ensure that workers receive adequate information on the weight of a
load, the centre of gravity, or the heaviest side when a package is unevenly
loaded
IV. To provide proper training and precise information on how to handle loads
correctly.

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RECOMMENDATIONS

In this chapter, it mentions about the recommendation or suggested action or control

measure that vital in construction field.

1. Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment means any equipment which is intended to be worn or

held by a person at work and which protects him against one or more risks to his
health or safety and any additional accessory designed to meet that objective; PPE is
usually chosen to provide protection appropriate to each of type of hazard present.
There are specifications for the types of PPE used for protecting an individuals head,
eyes, footwear, limb and body, fire retardant clothing, respiratory, hearing, and
personal flotation devices.

2. Safe work procedures

Through the completion of a Job Hazard Analysis, sometimes hazards are identified
and cannot be eliminated or engineered out of a particular task. Safe Work Procedures
are step by step instructions that allow workers to conduct their work safety when
hazards are present. A Safe Work Procedure identifies the materials and equipment
needed, and how and when to use them safety.

Safe Work Procedures are generally prepared for

a. critical high risk jobs where accidents have or could result in severe injuries;
b. hazardous work where accidents occur frequently;
c. new or altered tasks have been introduced;
d. new equipment has been added to a process;
e. a job that requires many detailed tasks;
f. where two or more workers required for a job, and each must perform specific tasks
simultaneously; and
g. specific tasks are done infrequently.

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Safe Work Procedures must include:

a. regulatory requirements;
b. necessary personal protective equipment;
c. required training;
d. worker responsibilities;
e. specific sequence of steps to follow to complete the work safely;
f. required permits; and
g. emergency procedures.

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REFERENCE

European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (n.d.), Hazards and risks associated
with manual handling in the workplace

01, 2. S. (n.d.). Preventing Manual Handling Injuries. Retrieved May 09, 2017, from
https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2015/09/01/Preventing-Manual-Handling-
Injuries.aspx?Page=2

Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (Amendment) Act 2011 (Act

520). ,
Http://www.federalgazette.agc.gov.my/outputaktap/20110915_A1407_BI_A1407%20
(BI).pdf (2011).

Guidance on the Management of Manual Handling in the Workplace. (2005).

Retrieved May 9, 2017, from
http://www.hsa.ie/eng/Publications_and_Forms/Publications/Occupational_Health/Gu
idance_Manual_Handling.pdf

GUIDELINES ON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT 1994 (ACT

514), Http://www.utar.edu.my/osh/file/Guidelines%20on%20OSH%20Act
%201994%20-%202006.pdf (1994).

Manual Handling. (n.d.). Retrieved May 09, 2017, from

http://www.hse.gov.uk/msd/manualhandling.htm

Risk Factors. (n.d.). Retrieved May 09, 2017, from

https://www.ehs.iastate.edu/occupational/ergonomics/risk-factors