Occupational Safety & Health in

the Workplace
Ir Siow Yun Tong

Would you consider these as safe work

practices?

Vehicle prop

Creative use of
an excavator

Concept of safety at work

Safety means the state of being safe at the present

state or location of the person in question.
Safe means being protected from danger and harm.
The term safety can be difficult to describe
completely, as different persons have different
perception about what is the meaning of being safe!
Examples:

Safe from harmful injury due to exposure to running

machinery or equipment
Safe from social situation, like unwanted personal
violation, unrest, mob, accidents, robbery, rape, etc
Safe from natural disasters, floods, fires, earthquakes,
tornadoes

Definition of Safety

From Merriam-Webster dictionary:

Defines Safety as the condition of being
safe from undergoing or causing hurt, injury,
or loss.
William W. Lowrances definition for Safety
as a thing is safe if its risks are judged to be
acceptable.

Book entitled, Of Acceptable Risk: Science and

the Determination of Safety, William Kaufman
Publisher, May1976.

Concept of risk

A risk is the potential that an unwanted and

harmful event which may occur.
Dictionary defines Risk as the possibility of
suffering harm or loss.
William W. Lowrances definition for Risk as
a compound measure of the probability and
magnitude of adverse effect.

i.e. taking into consideration of cause and effect

Probability or likelihood of cause (in occurrence of
such event).
Compound with the degree of effect (minor,
medium, high) on personal or group safety.

Risky businesses to avoid

Occupational Safety & Health Hazards

Safety hazards include any force that is strong

enough to cause personal injury in an accident.
Safety hazards occur most often when
adequate workplace safety standards are not
met.
An occupational health hazard is any
material or condition that can cause
occupational injuries and/or illness.
Health hazards can cause immediate and
serious effects, or slow and gradual injury .

Occupational hazard jobs and jobsites

What is Occupational Safety & Health

(OSH)?
It can be described as follow:
Promotion and maintenance of the highest degree of
physical, mental and social well-being of workers in
all occupations.
Prevention among workers of adverse effects on
health caused by their working conditions.
Protection of workers in their employment from risks
resulting from factors adverse to health.
Placing and maintenance of workers in an
occupational environment adapted to physical and
mental needs.
Adaptation of work to humans (NOT the other way
round).

Degree of safety?

Too lax or too strict?

Objectives of having OSH at workplace

Maintenance and promotion of workers health

and working capacity.
Improvement of working environment and
work to become conducive to safety and
health.
Development of work organizations and
working cultures which supports health and
safety at work.
Promoting a positive social & smooth
operational climate which enhance
productivity of the undertakings.

Effectiveness of OSH

Commitment of employers to implement and

enforce OSH policy.

Willing to appoint OSH executives / officers /

professionals
Willing to purchase / set-up safety features / facility
Willing to budget yearly for such facility / resources

Adherence to rules & regulations by employees

to OSH implementation.

Shifting mindset / cultural expectations

Mindful of oneself and others safety
Acceptance of personal responsibility tying to
group wellbeing

Roles of OSH professionals engaged

Systematic evaluations of the working environment.

Endorsing preventative measures which eliminate
reasons for illnesses in the work place.
Giving information in the subject of employees health.
Giving information on occupational hygiene, ergonomics,
and environmental & safety risks in the work place.
Develop processes, procedures, criteria, requirements,
and methods to attain the best management of the
hazards.
Promote OSH knowledge and execute safety procedures.
Apply good business practices and economic principles
for efficient use of resources to add to the importance of
the safety processes.

What is risk assessment?

Engineers are suppose to be good at it, hence the

reason why they are highly sought by financial
institutions.
Risk assessment is the determination of
quantitative or qualitative value of risk related to a
proposed situation and a recognized threat (i.e.
hazard).
Risk assessment consists of an objective
evaluation of risk in which assumptions and
uncertainties are clearly considered and presented.
Risk can be identified through past experience and
historical data.

Procedures in risk analysis/assessment

1. Gather information about each hazard that

you identify.
2. Work out the likelihood of an accident
occurring (e.g. how many people are likely to
be exposed to this hazard.)
3. Assess the consequences (e.g. severity of
injuries)
4. Rate the risk (using the Risk Rating Table)
see next slide for sample of Risk Rating
Table.

Risk rating table

Likelihood
of injury
or harm
to happen

Consequences of any injuries or harm to health

Minor: cuts
& bruises

Moderate:
first aid
medical
treatment

Major:
extensive
injuries

Catastrophic
: fatalities

Very likely

High

Extreme

Extreme

Extreme

Likely

Moderate

High

Extreme

Extreme

Moderate

Low

High

Extreme

Extreme

Unlikely

Low

Moderate

High

Extreme

Highly
unlikely
(rare)

Low

Moderate

High

High

Extreme = requires immediate action

Risks explained

Inherent Risk: The risk that an activity would

pose if no controls or other mitigating factors
were in place (the gross risk or risk before
controls)
Residual Risk: The risk that remains after
controls are taken into account (the net risk
or risk after controls).

Risk reduction / minimization

Organization to put in place the following:
A risk management programme.
Health and Safety programme.
A comprehensive training programme.
A strong management commitment.
The risk management programme has to include an
important task, i.e. Identifying Safety & Health
Hazards

Identifying Safety & Health Hazards

1. Inspect the workplace to identify and evaluate the

hazards to the safety & health of the employees.
2. Observe work activities to identify and evaluate
the hazards to the safety & health of the employees.
3. Examine proposed and new workplaces,
equipment, processes and activities in order to
identify and evaluate the hazards to the safety &
health of the employees.
4. Select and use appropriate measuring equipment.
5. Keep appropriate records of the hazards.

Common Workplace Hazard Areas

Mechanical hazards (impact force, compressed

air, struck by objects, slips and trips, etc.)
Chemical hazards (acids , heavy metals,
solvents, dust, etc.)
Physical hazards (noise, vibration, lighting, etc.)
Biological hazards (bacteria, virus, fungi, etc.)
Psychosocial issues (stress, violence, bullying,
sexual harassment, etc.)
Musculoskeletal disorders (poor ergonomic
design, repeated strenuous movements)

OSH issues in Malaysia from MTUCs

standpoint

MTUC, which stands for Malaysian Trade

Union Congress, founded in 1949 and has
500,000 members.
Objective is to fight for and maintain the
rights of workers in Malaysia.
Seek to improve the economic or social
conditions of workers in Malaysia and to
render them assistance whether or not such
workers are employed or have ceased to be
employed .

Background of work safety awareness

According to SOCSO (Social Security Organisation), nearly

1000 workers are dying each year due to the occupational
accidents in workplace and this figures seems to be stable
with no progress.
A sustainable and constant improvement of the working
environment requires a close and fruitful cooperation between
the employees and the employers.
It is also an area which is covered in the OSH Act in the form of
the required establishment of a Safety and Health committee.
In Malaysia, it mandatory that the safety officer has a
certificate endorsed by DOSH (Dept of Occupational Safety &
Health).
The aim of this requirement is to ensure that companies have
staff that are qualified to fulfil their obligations in this very
important area.

MTUCs Stand on OSH Act 1994

The Occupational Safety and Health act of 1994 (OSHA) is

appropriate and an adequate basis for the improvement of
the working environment for all employees in Malaysia.

The scope of the act, not only focuses on safety, but also
bounds companies to focus on health and welfare oriented
issues.

The requirement in the act that all companies must

formulate and implement an OSH policy reflecting and
addressing the OSH-problems within the particular company
is very good.

Laws and enforcement

The two main OSH Acts

1. Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139)
2. Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994
(Act 514)

The Factory and Machinery Act 1967

The Factory and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139)

is a piece of Malaysian legislation which was
enacted in 1967 as Act No. 64 of 1967 and
revised on April 1, 1974 as Laws of Malaysia Act
139. The Act was gazette on February 1, 1970.
The principle of the act is "An Act to provide for
the control of factories with respect to matters
relating to the safety, health and welfare of
person therein, the registration and inspection
of the machinery and for matters connected
therewith".

Jurisdiction of F&M Act 1967

All factories within the close or curtilage of precints of the

premises or part thereof persons are employed in manual
labour in any process for or connected with or incidental
to the making, altering, repairing, ornamenting, sorting,
finishing, cleaning, washing, breaking, demilishing,
constructing, re-constructing, fitting, refitting, adjusting
or adapting of any article or part thereof; and
the said work is carried on by way of trade for the
purposes of gain or incidentally to any business so
carned on, and (whether or not they are factories by
reason of the foregoing definition) the expression factory
also includes the premises in which persons are
employed in manual labour.

Occupational Safety and Health Act

1994

The Occupational Safety and Health Act

1994 (Act 514) is a piece of Malaysian
legislation which was gazetted on 25 February
1994 by the Malaysian Parliament.
The principle of the Act is "To make further
provision for securing that safety, health and
welfare of persons at work, for protecting
others against risks to safety or health in
connection with the activities of persons at
work, to establish the National Council for
Occupational Safety and Health and for
matters connected therewith."

Application of OSH Act 1994

The Act applies throughout Malaysia to the

industries specified in the First Schedule.
Nothing in this act shall apply to work aboard
ships governed by the Merchant Shipping
Ordinance 1952, the Merchant Shipping
Ordinance 1960 of Sabah or Sarawak or the
armed forces.

Findings by MTUC: Implementation of the

OSH Act

26% of the respondents said that their company do not have

an OSH policy and 40.5% of the respondents said that their
company do not implement the OSH policy. [non compliance with OSH Act 1994].

32.4% of the respondents said that their companies do not

have an OSH committee in their workplace.

30.2% of the respondents said that their companies do not

have workers representatives in the OSH committee.

44.7% of the respondents said that the OSH committee

members are selected by the employer and not by the
employees.

The employees should be given the right to elect the workers

representatives in the OSH committee.

52.3% of the respondents said that the OSH committee in the

workplace is not effective.

Note: Survey of 262 respondents

Findings by MTUC: Safety and Health in the

workplace

23.7% of the respondents said that fatal

accidents happen. This percentage is quite
substantial and needs strong attention.
43.5% of the respondents responded that
their workplace is not healthy enough to work
in.
Among the diseases that were asked in the
questionnaire, stress is the major problem
faced by the workers. 49.6% of the
respondents undergo stress problem due to
their work.

Findings by MTUC: OSH Culture in the

workplaces
It is good that 80.2% of the respondents said
that there is a first aid system in their
workplace.
76% of the respondents stated that they were
provided with PPE but indeed 30.9% of the
workers does not use the PPE related to their
work.
1/3 that is 31.3% of the workers are not
informed about OSH matters.
It is amazing that 51.1% of the respondents said
that their companies do not provide general
medical
examination
for their workers.
Note:
PPE = Personal
protective equipment

Summary of Survey findings

Based on the findings, the implementation of the

OSH Act 1994 is poor in the workplace. The number
of companies that do not have OSH policies is a
serious matter. It clearly shows that more than 50%
of the companys OSH committee are not effective.
Other than the poor implementation of the OSH
Act, the adaptation of the OSH culture is still
lacking in the workplace. The findings, especially in
the usage of PPE show that there is still insufficient
awareness of occupational hazards.
In the aspect of health, the main problem faced by
the workers is stress and 43.5% of the respondents
considered that their workplace is not healthy.

Recommendations: Implementation of the

OSH Act 1994

More focus and enforcement should be given

on OSH policy and OSH committee by the
authorities.
Promote the OSH management system in
order to ensure that the company implement
the OSH Act.
Further information and education on the OSH
Act.
Safety and health committee is desirable in all
the companies (even less than 40 employees).

Recommendations: OSH culture in the

workplace

The attitude, both of the employers and

employees should be changed in order to
create more awareness on OSH.
More education and information about OSH
should be given to the employers and
employee.

Unreasonable cost-cutting measures

can lead to less safety considerations

Recommendations: Safety and health in the

workplace

There must be more focus on health and welfare

issues, at least, just as much as there is in
safety, for instance campaigns such as safety
first.
Since accidents still happen in the workplace, a
competent study should be conducted to obtain
the clear circumstances.
More focus on risk and hazards in the
companies so that there is prevention.
Further investigation should be done on stress
to find out the impact on the employees the
root causes of stress and the solutions.

OSH situation in Electronic Industry (Penang,

Selangor and Johor)

Findings from survey of 197 respondents

Introduction

The average working hours among the workers

were 8 hours. 73% of the respondents said that
they work 8 hours per day , 26% work 12 hours
per day and 1% work more than 12 hours per day.
58% of the respondents said that there is no union
in their company.

OSH situation in Electronic Industry

Safety

Overall the safety condition in the electronic

companies covered positive results. 65% of the
respondents said that their workplace is safe to
work in.
The most alarming accident shows in the finding,
is the injuries where 64% of the respondents said
that the workers injured during their work.
Chemical exposure among the workers is also
serious, as 44% of the respondents said that they
are exposed to chemicals in their workplace

OSH situation in Electronic Industry

Health
In the health part, the most critical problem is back pain
among the workers. 64% of the respondents said that they
have back pain problem.
The stress problem among the electronic workers is 49%.
This health problem is almost similar with the survey that
was done among the MTUC affiliates, from variety sectors,
last year that is 50%.
Ear damage among the workers also shows a high
percentage. 51% of the respondents said that they have
ear problem due to their work.
Even though quite a number of the respondents
experienced the health problems, only 46% of the
respondents were away from work because of the illness.
According to the finding, 50% of the respondents said that
they were on leave for 1-5 days because of the illness.

OSH situation in Electronic Industry

OSH culture

Most of the companies in the electronic industries

provided PPE. 82% of the respondents stated that
the workers in their companies were supplied with
PPE related to their work.
39% of the respondents said that they were not
informed and educated about the rules and
regulations of safety and health in the workplace.

OSH situation in Electronic Industry

Implementation
It is quite amazing that only 27% of the respondents said that
they know about DOSH and 73% do not know about DOSH.
50% of the respondents said that their company have OSH
policy but 46% of the respondents said that they do not know
whether they have OSH policy or not.
33% of the respondents said that the management selected
the worker representatives to the OSH committee.
According to the finding, 54% of the respondents said that the
OSH committee in their company is not functioning.
51% of the respondents said that the OSH committee in their
workplace does not carry out any inspections in the
workplace.
52% of the respondents stated that the Safety Officer in their
workplace does not observe whether the workers are using
the PPE or not.

Summary of OSH situation in electronic

industry

Overall, the safety condition in the electronic industry

seems to be good but the health problem among the
electronic workers seems to be quite alarming.
From the finding, the three highest percentage of
health problems among the electronic workers are,
back pain, stress and ear damage.
The OSH culture among the electronic companies
shows a positive feedback. Somehow or rather close
concentration need to be given to the implementation
of the OSH Act by the electronic industry. This is
because the respondents stated that the OSH
committee in their workplace is not functioning
according to the requirement of the OSH Act.
The findings could conclude that there is still some
lacking in the implementation of the OSH Act.

Statistical accidents for Mechanical

Engineering, non-fatal 2005 figures

Nonfatal injuries and illnesses. As can be

seen in chart 1, most of the injuries and
illnesses to mechanics in 2005 were due to
contact with object or equipment (44.5
percent) or to overexertion (21.6 percent).
Contact with object includes being struck by
an object (22.0 percent of the total), struck
against an object (11.3 percent), and caught
in an object, equipment, or material (5.6
percent).
Refer to chart in next slide

Non-fatal accidents, 2005 figures for

mechanical engineering (Chart 1)

Statistical accidents for Mechanical

Engineering, fatal 2005 figures

Fatalities. Assaults and violent acts accounted for

29.3 percent of the workplace fatalities among
mechanics during the 2003-05 period, compared with
14.7 percent among all occupations. Of these, 44.2
percent were homicides and 55.8 percent were selfinflicted wounds. (See chart 2.) Self-inflicted fatalities
represented 16.3 percent of all fatalities to
mechanics, but only 3.5 percent of fatalities to all
workers. Nearly half (45.8 percent) of the self-inflicted
fatalities were by self-employed mechanics, although
only 16 percent of mechanics are self-employed.
Gunshot wounds accounted for 19.7 percent of the
fatalities to mechanics, compared with 9.9 percent for
all occupations.

Fatal accidents, 2005 figures for

mechanical engineering (Chart 2)

Do we want to continue bad practices?

Getting to work in Indiaan every day

eyesore!

Next on sustainable development

issues
End of this topic