Introduction to

Industrial Safety
and Health
Issues
CHAPTER 1
• VIDEO ACCIDENT AT WORKPLACE
 Introduction
• Accident –Undesired circumstances which give
rise to ill-health or injury, damage to property,
plant, products or the environment; production
losses or increased liabilities.
• Incident –Undesired circumstances and ‘near
misses’ which could cause accidents.
• Ill health – Acute and chronic ill health caused
by physical, chemical or biological agents as well
as adverse effects on mental health.
 Introduction
• Hazard – The potential to cause harm. Harm
including ill health and injury, damage to property,
plant, products or the environment, production
losses or increased liabilities.

• Risk- Means the likelihood that a specified

undesired event will occur due to the realisation of
a hazard by, or during work activities or by the
products and services created by work activities.

• Safety- The ‘control of accidental loss’.

OSH Concept
Hazard/ Danger
Observable or predicted from
knowledge

Risk
Not directly observable - probability of harm
to system elements being realised from
exposure to hazards and danger.

Harm
Damage to system elements - long or short
term

Accidents
Injuries, Ill Health and Damage
 Reasons for Preventing Accidents

• Moral / Humane- No-one comes to work to be

injured or killed

• Cost - Accidents cost organisations money.

• Legislation - Organisations have a legal obligation.

Accidents at workplace in Malaysia

Source: www.dosh.com.my
Statistics of workplace accident (States)

Source: www.dosh.com.my
Recent Accident

Source: www.dosh.com.my
Accident
Disasters

• International
• Bhopal
• Chernobyl
• Piper Alpha- 1988

• Local
• Bright Sparklers, Sg. Buloh (1991)
• Gas Processing Plant Fire, Kertih (2002)
• Middle Distillate Plant Explosion, Bintulu (1997)
 Bright Sparkles Tragedy.
Sungai BULOH 1991

VIDEO : Bright
Sparkles Tragedy
 Bright Sparkles Tragedy.
Sungai BULOH 1991
• 7 May 1991 Bright Sparklers Fireworks disaster

• Bright Sparkles Sdn The Bright Sparklers Fireworks

Bhd fire occurred in Malaysia on 7 May
1991.[1][2] The Bright
Sparklers Fireworks Factory in Sungai
• Explosion of 200 tons Buloh, Selangor caught fire and caused a
of sulfur hugeexplosion.[1][2] Twenty six people
were killed and over a hundred people
• “Hiroshima Sg Buloh” were injured in the disaster.[2] The
explosion was strong enough to rip the
• The incident killed 22 roofs of some local houses, and ended
people and injured 103 up damaging over 200 residential
others properties.[3]
The Bright Sparklers Fireworks fire-
Sungai Buloh
• A Malaysian unit of Royal Dutch Shell said yesterday, it had shut down a large plant on Borneo island after an explosion injured 12
people and caused extensive damage.

• The explosion occurred at about 10:50 p.m. (1450 GMT) on Thursday at Shell MDS (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd's 400,000-tonne middle
distillate synthesis plant in Bintulu town in Sarawak state.

• "The plant has been shut down for safety and security reasons as well as for damage control and assessment," Shell MDS said in a
statement. Two of the plant's 12 tanks caught fire after the explosion, the company said.

• Fire at one of the tanks, which was filled with naphtha, was put out on Friday, while the blaze at the other tank, which stocks
kerosene, was expected to die out later in the day, it said.

• "The fire at two product tanks following an explosion at the SMDS plant last night is now under control and is not in danger of
escalating," it said.

• " The remaining eight product and two sludge tanks are being cooled off to prevent any further possible spread," it said. The plant is
a joint venture between Shell Gas BV, Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas), Mitsubishi and the Sarawak state government. It makes
products ranging from distillates to waxes, and daily production averages 1,200 tonnes.

• "Investigations will be carried out once the plant has been rendered safe. It is believed that the damage is extensive," the statement
said without elaborating. A Shell spokeswoman in the capital Kuala Lumpur said the plant converted natural gas into liquid
hydrocarbons. More than 150 firefighters were at the plant and another 70 were on their way from the state capital Kuching, the
company said.

• Twelve people were injured in the explosion, including five soldiers apparently stationed at a camp near the plant and two
employees of a nearby industry, it said. All but two of the injured were released after outpatient treatment at a local hospital. Two
Shell MDS employees, one with a broken wrist and the other with a cut to the head, were in stable condition in hospital.

• "Employees have been told to stay at home and remain accessible," Shell MDS said.
Highland Towers
collapse 1993
 Flow Chart of Occupational
Safety and Health in Malaysia
Government of Malaysia

Ministry of Human Resources

Department of Occupational Safety and Health

NIOSH OSHA
Responsibility of DOSH
STANDARD SETTING

• The standards on safety, health, and welfare had to be reviewed, drafted, and finalised
from time to time. This ensured that the prepared standards were relevant to the
safety and health conditions of the workplace.

a. Policy Study

• Studies on existing OSH policies were conducted from time to time to assess the extent
to which these policies had achieved their original objectives. Changes would be made,
if necessary, to ensure that the goals and the practice of selfregulation among
employers and employees were achieved.

b. Drafting Regulations, Guidelines, and Industrial Codes of Practice

• The Department had and currently in the process of amending the new industrial
Regulations, Codes of Practice, and Guidelines. This was intended to assist the industry
in complying with and fulfilling its responsibilities as an employer, as required by the
Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
 Responsibility of DOSH cont’d

The Department carried out Enforcement activities that were

enforcement activities aimed at carried out by DOSH include:
ensuring the safety, health, and
welfare of workers and other a. Approval and Authorization
persons from the hazards of
work activities, as required
under the following Acts: b. Registration

• Occupational Safety and c. Certification

Health Act 1994 (Act 514)
d. Inspection
• Factories and Machinery Act
1967 (Act 139); and e. Investigation

• Petroleum (Safety Measures) f. Litigation

Act 1984 (Act 302).
 NIOSH
• National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health

• The responsibilities are as follows:

• Provide training

• Provide Examination

• Information Services

• Research and Development

• Consultation
 Application of OSHA
• Manufacturing • Finance

• Mining and Quarrying • Insurance

• Construction • Transport, Storage and

Communication
• Agriculture,
• Hotels and Restaurants
• Forestry and Fishing
• Real Estate and Business
• Utilities Service Sector

• Wholesale and Retail • Public Service and

Trades Statutory Authorities
 Scope of OSHA
Includes all working personnel except:

• Armed Forces

• Crew of Merchant Ships

 Objectives of OSHA
• To secure the safety, health and welfare of
persons at work against risks to safety or
health arising out of the activities of persons at
work

• To protect persons at a place of work other

than persons at work against risk to safety or
health arising out of the activities of persons at
works
 The needs for safety & general
engineering goals
• reduce accidents

• Control or eliminate hazards

• Develop new methods & techniques to improve safety

• Maximize returns on safety efforts

• Maximize public confidence w.r.t product & service

safety