To: Chong Sui Lee, General Manager

From: Aiza bt Aziz, Occupational Health Manager

Date: 24 October 2012

Subject: Operators Safety Regulations Ignorance and Way to Improve the Safety

Standards.

This report is about the operators’ safety regulations ignorance and how the company can

improve the safety standards that are already exist. Throughout our inspection, we discover that

the Material and Handling Department operators was blatantly ignore the safety regulations. This

will lead to disaster such as accidents in the workplace. Some actions need to be taken by this

company. After the inspection done, we found that the safety standards in the company need to

be improved and remind to the operators. A course of safety regulation can be prepared for the

operators and an inspection checklist also can be integrated into the management console as

guide to implement the Safety Standards.

During our inspection, we use a checklist to ensure consistent and comprehensive inspections

each time they are done. Appropriate checklists are developed for each inspection and provide a

guide to the various standards expected to be in place. The check-list consists of simple questions

to help identify areas in the workplace that are not in compliance with existing regulations. The

checklist should inform the management console what to look at and what to look for. It also can

be used as a basic summary of the laws. This check list is based on the following work place

regulations: Workplace (health, safety and welfare) regulations; provision and use of work

equipment (puwer);lifting operation and lifting equipment regulations (loler); manual handling

operations regulations; personal protective equipment regulations; display screen equipment

regulations; control of substances hazardous to health (coshh); fire safety; food safety and

hygiene; security; first aid and waste management including waste electrical equipment

regulations (wee regs). The check list is for the company record only, the information should be

transferred to the annual inspection report. The completed annual inspection report form must be

forwarded to the Head of the Department concerned.

Throughout the inspection, we found that some regulations had been ignored by the worker.

There were four subjects that not in compliance with existing regulations. The subjects are

cleanliness, clothing, prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking and safety precautions. Above

we will elaborate each subject and why it needs to change.

Subject one: The operators were found not wearing and making proper use of the protective

clothing provided. Protective clothing used to protect against the effects of contamination or

physical harm. According to the regulations, no person shall remove from the factory any item of

the protective clothing provided by the proprietor. Suitable protective equipment shall be

provided and maintained in good condition for the use of every operator. Such protective

clothing includes: A cap to cover the hair of the head; a face mask to cover the nose and mouth;

Gloves to cover the hands and wrists; Overalls or other suitable garments to cover the limbs and

trunk of the body. Some of the operators were ask about why they are not wearing their

protective clothing, they said they washed their protective clothing and they only got one set of

it. It is advice that this company provide at least two sets of protective clothing to operators who

work in the Material and Handling Department. A good quality face mask to cover the nose and

mouth of the operators shall be provided. Some of the operators that were not wearing the face

mask complain that the face mask is not comfortable for them; it is hard to breath with it.

Operators shall be properly wearing an approved face mask of a type that gives appropriate

protection given the nature of the confined space. This is to create organization with effective

safety and operators that comfortable do their works. This can enhance their motivation and

confident in delivering their works.

Its one matter to get everyone committed to wearing safety clothing. It’s another to ensure that

they keep on wearing it. Over time, people can get careless, forget, or simply take dangerous

shortcuts, perhaps when they’re tired or near the end of a shift. Make it a responsibility for your

managers and supervisors to check that employees always wear their safety gear and clothing.

Walking around the workplace yourself from time to time is another way to check that people are

complying. Make it convenient for employees to find the safety clothing and ensure it is kept

clean and in good working order. Here company should play it role by ensure that the protective

clothing and equipment are fully and properly used by every employee who works with

or is likely to come into contact with a dangerous substance.

Subject two; Prohibition of eating, drinking and smoking. According to the regulation smoking

shall be prohibited in notifiable workplace. No person shall smoke in any part of a notifiable

workplace in which smoking and to smoke in enclosed areas of the workplace. This includes:

Employers; Employees; Voluntary workers and Customers and members of the public. During

the inspection, two operators were caught smoking in Material and Handling Department. This

department is an enclosed workplace so it is required to be smoke-free, regardless of whether the

roof or walls are permanent, temporary, open or closed. Exposure to harmful tobacco smoke in

the workplace significantly increases the risk of lung cancer and heart disease. For the company

information many workplaces are already smoke-free. Healthier and more productive workplaces

benefit everybody. This will not only protect more workers from the harms of tobacco smoke,

but will reduce losses in productivity due to sickness and death of skilled employees.

They are several operators that eat and drink in the department during the inspection. Their

reason is to save time by eating at their department. Our company’s safety regulation requires

that no employee be allowed to have food or beverages in an area where they could be

contaminated with toxic or infectious materials. Obviously, it would not be appropriate to eat and

drink in proximity to chemicals, such as at pesticide factory in the production area. This will has

to do with the hazards and potential for hazard that this would bring. In this department where

food could become contaminated rest facilities must include suitable facilities to eat meals.

Suitable and sufficient rest facilities must be provided at readily accessible places. Rest facilities

are required for welfare reasons, health and safety reasons, or both. Canteens or restaurants may

be used as rest facilities so long as there is no obligation to purchase food in order to use them.

Subject three; Cleanliness; It is important to create a comfortable working environment so

that workers feel less exhausted and stressed in places where they have to spend long

hours. Creation of a comfortable working environment is also believed, will enable workers to

put their abilities to use more effectively and revitalize workplaces. Likewise few if any workers

want to come into a workplace that screams of misery and dirtiness. They are a little less happy

coming to work, a little less productive while at work, and a little more likely to be disgruntled

workers. These small feelings and beliefs can have a larger impact on the organization as it

attempts to pull its resources together to compete with other businesses. So it is crucial that our

company should emphasizing on tidy, organized and safe work environment help boost the

individual and the company’s morale as a whole. This encourages everyone working there to do

their best and feel good about getting the job done.

Operators in this department were neglecting the important of cleanliness. Around their work

area we saw loose objects on floors, stairs and platforms. Operators may trip over if they step on

its. Other were slipping on greasy, wet or dirty surfaces; striking against projecting and poorly

stacked items or misplaced material. Those were all safety regulations ignorance done by the

operators. This showed the poor housekeeping in the Material and Handling Department.

Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get a job done safely and

properly. The floor of every department shall be cleaned at least once in every week by washing

or, if it is effective and suitable, by sweeping or other method. Poor housekeeping can

frequently contribute to accidents by hiding hazards that cause injuries. If the company maintain

cleanliness at every department it will not only increases performance but can also reduce costs.

The company can control expenses by substituting cleaning solutions with off-the-shelf products

or by reducing cleaning frequency and staff.

Subject four; Safety precautions; during the inspection there were some operators neglecting the

safety precautions when they did their work. Their reasons were lack of training and no

knowledge on the safety precaution. When the operators were handling the material, the

operators did not follow the safety instructions given and the procedures. They carry loads that

are either too large or too heavy for them. This can cause strains and sprains. They should know

that when moving materials manually, operators should attach handles or holders to loads. In

addition, operators should always wear appropriate personal protective equipment and use proper

lifting techniques. Also to reduce the number of accidents associated with workplace equipment,

employers must train operators in the proper use and limitations of the equipment they operate.

Here company should also provide training or other way to make sure this safety precaution are

adhere by the operators. According to the regulation every employee shall follow the safety

instructions given and the procedures set by the proprietor regarding that material handled. Every

employee also has to take such other precautions as are reasonable to prevent the material from

causing bodily injury to him or others.  Therefore, it is extremely important to follow safety

precautions at all times in order to avoid serious injury or even death. The efficient handling and

storing of materials are vital to industry. In addition to raw materials, these operations provide a

continuous flow of parts and assemblies through the workplace and ensure that materials are

available when needed. Unfortunately, the improper handling and storing of materials often

result in costly injuries.

Regarding to the problem it is important that this company have adequate policies and

procedures in establishing their safety inspection programs. Every factory has to meet the legal

requirement that is the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSH). It is an Act to make

further provisions for securing the 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. The Acts emphasize on self-regulation and duties of employer, employee and

designer/manufacturer. In short, the responsibility on OSH is made to rest on those who create

the risks and those who work with the risk. The employer’s duties include the provision of a safe

system of work, training, maintenance of work environment and arrangement for minimizing the

risks as low as reasonably practicable. Company has to promote and encourage OSH awareness

among workers and to create organization with effective safety and health measures.

Other than that company can apply a risk assessment. Risk Assessment is a systematic method of

looking at work activities, considering what could go wrong, and deciding on suitable control

measures to prevent loss, damage or injury in the workplace. The Assessment should include the

controls required to eliminate, reduce or minimize the risks. The aim should always be to reduce

the risks as much as is 'reasonably practicable'. An effective safety and health inspections also

are one of the most important incident/accident prevention tools in a company's safety and health

program. An effective safety inspection program will improve worker communication, company

morale and, over time, save the employer money. Inspection checklists also can be integrated

into the management console to guide operators through the inspection process. The electronic

inspection checklists can be customized to ensure safe equipment and compliance with OSHA

guidelines. Also, the next time OSHA personnel visit the department, managers can easily access

reports because fleet and operator management systems electronically organize the information.

Other then inspections, communicating to staff verbally, through signs, newsletters, meetings,

emails and posters will help people to understand and comply with factory’s safety regulations.

Furthermore penalties can also be applied to the operators that neglect the safety regulations. For

example if a person smokes in an enclosed workplace, the person who smokes may receive a fine

or be prosecuted, as may the person in control of the enclosed workplace at the time. Regarding

to the prohibition of eating and drinking, OSHA does not have a rule that flatly prohibits workers

eating or drinking in the workplace.  Each workplace is different and the employer has the

responsibility to evaluate the particular hazards and make a reasonable determination. Whole

company should also contribute to implementation of the safety regulations. Management

should, whenever possible, show their commitment to the program by being involved in the

inspection process. When management becomes part of the regular inspection team, it will show

commitment to the company safety program. Department managers should be aware of the

conditions that exist in the workplace and the various procedures necessary to carry out the work

process. Management should review inspection reports and ensure that proper action is taken to

correct any hazards that are reported. Give the operators the opportunity to participate in health

and safety decisions. This also gives the company an opportunity to develop relationships and

show operators and other staffs, the company have their health and safety at heart.

Lastly as conclusion, accident prevention is an essential part of good management and

workmanship the key here to archive safety standards are; top management must take the lead

and management and workers must cooperate. It is important to involve the workers. They will

be able to bring their knowledge, experience and understanding of the safety standards. They will

have an understanding of exactly how the safety standards are carried out and will look at it from

a different perspective from their manager or supervisor. Carrying out the standards is just the

first step. Once the standards have been carried out, make sure that everyone involved in the

activity, or exposed to the risk, is made aware of the findings of what they carried out.  Safe and

healthy environment in the workplace benefits everybody.  When people feel safe and are

healthy their productivity at work increases.  This in turn benefits the company.  The number of

work hours lost due to illness and injuries is also decreased in a safe and healthy workplace.

Everyone will be more productive. A safe and healthy work atmosphere also assists in reducing

the risk of avoidable problems.  It is in the interest of the company to provide safe and healthy

workplace if it needs to avoid dealing with complaints or lawsuits from its workers arising from

injuries while at job. Safety and health add value to your business, to your work, and to your life.

(2513 words)

Reference

Internet

Act 514 Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 Retrieved from www.agc.gov.my /Akta/Vol.%2011/Act%20514.pdf

Compliance Guidelines and Recommendations for Process Safety Management (Nonmandatory) Retrieved from http://www.osha.gov /pls/oshaweb/ owadisp.show_ document?p _id=9763&p _table = STANDARDS

Facilities for Rest and Eating Meals in the Workplace. Retrieved from http://simply-docs.co.uk/Welfare_First_Aid/Facilities_for_Rest_and_Eating_Meals

Food & the Workplace Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/food-workplace-12001.html

Importance of Safety and Workplace Awareness Retrieved from http://safetyandworkplace .com/safety-and-workplace.html

Safe At Work Ontario Today. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/ english/hs /sawo/ pubs/ issue12.php

Safety Legislations in Malaysia -UTM-OCW. Retrieved from ocw.utm.my/mod/resource /view.php?id=743

The regulation made under OSHA 1994. Retrieved from www. pkb.edu.my /elearning /OSHintro.pdf

Workplace Housekeeping-Basic Guide Retrieved from http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ hsprograms/house.html

Part 8 Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment Retrieved from http://www2.Worksafebc .com /publications/ohsregulation/part8.asp#SectionNumber:8.10