1. CHAPTER 14 – OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

2. KEY CONCEPTS AND SKILLS
Why organisations usually undertake safety and health programmes
Main features of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and the general duties of employers
General duties of employers and employees under Occupational Safety and Health Act
Main causes of accidents
Three E’s of accident prevention
How employees can be encouraged to be more healthy through health and wellness programmes
Actions that can be taken to manage stress at the workplace, prevent drug abuse, and to maintain a workplace free from violence

3. CHAPTER OUTLINE Reasons for safety and health programmes
Government objectives for occupational safety and health programmes
The Occupational Safety and Health Act
Causes of accidents
Preventing common accidents
Basic approaches to accident prevention
The safety programme
The health programme

4. REASONS FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMMES
1. Moral
2. Legal
3. Economic

5. GOVERNMENT OBJECTIVES FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMMES
Aimed at assuring that every working person is provided with safe and healthful working conditions
To preserve nation’s greatest assets, its human resources
Constant reviews of legislation and regulations by Ministry of Human Resources will ensure there are standards for safe working environments for all employees.

6. THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT 1994
Passed by Malaysian Parliament in October 1993
Gazetted on February
Umbrella legislation in respect of safety and health
Current legislation in Factories and Machinery Act 1967 maintained as “technical” aspect of safety legislation
In event of conflict between OSHA and other safety legislation, then OSHA shall prevail.

7. Objects of the Act
secure safety, health and welfare of persons at work
protect persons at place of work other than persons at work against risks to safety or health
promote occupational environment for persons at work adapted to physiological and psychological needs
provide ways to replace laws with system of regulations and approved industry codes of practice to maintain or improve standards of safety and health

8. Scope of the Act
Applicable to all persons at work in all organisations
Also public services and statutory authorities
Excludes those working on board ships and armed forces.

9. National Council for O S H
Act provides for establishment of National Council
Consisting of 12 to 15 persons appointed by Minister
Representing employers, employees, government, and organisations or professional bodies
Council may conduct investigations and submit recommendations with regards to legislation, administration or enforcement of Act
May also make recommendations to foster tripartite co-operation, or on special problems.

10. General Duties of Employers
Duty of every employer to ensure safety, health and welfare at work of all employees and includes:
Provision and maintenance of safe plant and systems of work
Ensuring safe and healthy use or operation, handling, storage and transport of plant and substances
Provision of information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure safety and health at work place
Maintenance of safe work conditions and provision and maintenance of access and exit
Provision and maintenance of adequate facilities for employee welfare
Also required to formulate written statement of policy with respect to safety and health.

11. General Duties of Designers, Manufacturers and Suppliers
Person who designs, manufactures, imports or supplies any plant for use at work shall:
ensure that plant designed and constructed to be safe and without risks to health when properly used
carry out necessary tests to ensure safety of plant
ensure adequate information about use and any condition necessary to ensure that it will be safe.
Any person who contravenes this part of Act shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or to imprisonment not exceeding 2 years or both.

12. General Duties of Employees
Duty of every employee at work to:
take all reasonable care for safety of himself and others who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work
co-operate with employer or other person in discharge of any duty or requirement imposed by Act
wear or use at all times any protective equipment or clothing provided by employer
comply with any instruction or measure on occupational safety and health.
Any employee who contravenes above shall on conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding RM1,000 or to imprisonment not exceeding 3 months or both.

13. Safety and Health Organisations
Minister empowered to order medical surveillance and medical examination to be carried out in any of the industries which are deemed to be health hazards
Employers in gazetted industries required to appoint a competent person to act as a Safety and Health Officer
Employed exclusively for purpose of ensuring due observance at place of work of provisions of Act and promote safety at work place
Any establishment with 40 or more employees required to establish Safety and Health Committee.

14. Duties of Safety and Health Committee
review measures taken to ensure safety and health of persons at place of work
investigate any matter which is not safe or is a risk to health
attempt to resolve any matter regarded unsafe or a risk to health and if unable to do so, to request D G of O S H to undertake inspection.

15. Notification of Accidents, Etc.
Employer required to report any accident, dangerous occurrence, occupational poisoning or occupational disease
Every doctor attending to patient whom he believes to be suffering from occupational disease shall report.

16. Prohibition against use of Plant or Substance
D G of O S H may prohibit use of any plant or substance which in his opinion is likely to affect safety and health of persons at work.

17. Industry Codes of Practice
Minister may approve industry codes of practice to be introduced as a guide to complying with requirements of provisions of Act
Code may consist of code, standard, rule, specification or provision relating to occupational safety or health.

18. Enforcement and Investigation
S H officer empowered to enter, inspect, examine, investigate, take samples measurements or photographs, at any place of work
Also empowered to require any person to be examined by a doctor
Where officer is of opinion that a plant or substance has caused or is likely to cause a danger to safety and health, he may cause it to be dismantled or subjected to any process or test or take possession of it for the purpose of examining it and use it as evidence in any proceedings for an offence under the Act.

19. CAUSES OF ACCIDENTS Chance Occurrences
Accidents that just happen, due to bad luck or misadventure and beyond control of anyone and cannot be prevented.
Unsafe Conditions
Conditions that may be major causes of accidents
Unsafe Acts
Actions by people that are unsafe and that contribute to accidents.

20. The Accident-Prone Employee
An employee who has a tendency to be involved in accidents and gets injured.

21. PREVENTING COMMON ACCIDENTS
Preventing lifting and material-handling accidents
Preventing machinery accidents
Preventing falls
Preventing hand-tool accidents
Preventing electric shocks

22. BASIC APPROACHES TO ACCIDENT PREVENTION
Depends on the three E’s – Engineering, Education, and Enforcement

23. THE SAFETY PROGRAMME The Three E’s Support by Top Management
A Safety Officer
Record Keeping
Accident Investigation

24. THE HEALTH PROGRAMME Health and Wellness Programmes Managing Stress
Drug Abuse Problems
Workplace Violence