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. Its another to ensure that
they keep on wearing it. Over time, people can get careless, forget, or simply take dangerous
shortcuts, perhaps when theyre 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 companys 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 companys 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 employers 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 factorys 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
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Compliance Guidelines and Recommendations for Process Safety Management
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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-
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Importance of Safety and Workplace Awareness Retrieved from http://safetyandworkplace
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Safe At Work Ontario Today. Retrieved from http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/ english/hs /sawo/
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Safety Legislations in Malaysia -UTM-OCW. Retrieved from ocw.utm.my/mod/resource
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The regulation made under OSHA 1994. Retrieved from www. pkb.edu.my /elearning
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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