FALKULTI PENDIDIKAN DAN BAHASA

SEPTEMBER 2012

OUMH2203

ENGLISH FOR WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

NAMA : IKMAL HISHAM BONG ABDULLAH

NO. MATRIKULASI : 720113135055002

NO. KAD PENGENALAN : 720113135055

NO. TELEFON : 0148813027

E-MEL : ikmalhisham@OUM.edu.my

PUSAT PEMBELAJARAN : PPW SARWAK

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MEMORANDUM

TO : Encik Mohammed Ali Bin Bujang, Director IB Warehouse Services

FROM : Ikmal Hisham Bong Abdullah, Occupational Health Manager

DATE: 16 November 2012

SUBJECT: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MEASURES TO BE CONSIDERED TO

IMPROVE THE SAFETY STANDARDS IN OUR COMPANY

Report on workplace safety and health problems and the recommendations

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CONTENTS

1. Executive Summary 3

2. Definition of Occupational Safety and Health 3

3. Purpose 3 - 5

4. The Findings 6

4.1 The 1st Finding - Incorrect Lifting Method 6

4.2 The 2st Finding - Danger When The Vision is Obscured 7

4.3 The 3st Finding - Inappropriate PPE 7

4.4 The 4th Findings - Unhealthy Environment 8

5. Recommendations as Solution To The Findings 8

5.1 Solutions for the 1st findings 9

5.2 Solutions for the 2st findings 9

5.3 Solutions for the 3st findings 10

5.4 Solutions for the 4th findings 10 -11

6. The Benefits of Practicing Occupational and Safety at Workplace 11

7. Reference 12

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1. Executive Summary

Firstly, we look at the definition of occupational safety and health. We did a safety

regulation check at our Material and Handling Department, where for problems which

reveals that the operators were blatantly ignoring the safety regulations. Among the four

problems concerned are workers being exposed to injuries accidents can occur when load

obscure employees’ vision, workers not wearing the appropriate PPE and health risk

involved at our workplace due to the unhealthy environment. Measures to be taken are

recommended as solutions to all the four findings and how they will be able to bring

benefits towards the employees as well as the organization.

2. Definition of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH)

Before looking at the report, we need to know what exactly is occupational safety, health

and welfare of these being employed. The soul of OSH is to foster a safe and healthy work

environment. It is the moral obligation of the employee to ensure protection of employee’s

lives and health. From legal aspect, OSH helps to protect workers as it is related to

preventive, punitive and compensatory effects of laws. Practicing OSH will help reduce

injury and illness related cost.

3. Purpose

On Wednesday, 31 October 2012, starting at 9.30 am, inspection was carried out in the

material and Handling department of our company and was surprised to uncover that the

operators carrying out their tasks were blatantly ignoring the safety regulations. These

workers seemed to take things for granted without realizing that by not taking the

necessary safety precaution and care, accidents were waiting to happen. As we are aware

general safety principles can help in reducing accidents at our workplace. The

organizations employees should actually be aware of the potential hazards associated with

the task at hand and know how to exercise control over the workplace in order to

minimize the danger. Workers performing their respective task should not in any way be

in pain or discomfort as this will hamper them from carrying out their duties to the best of

their abilities as well as being unable to meet the need or requirements of organization’s

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target goal or objective. Is our responsibility to see to it that our workers are not facing

any injuries or health problems thus enabling them to be at their optimum healthy level

when carrying out the tasks entrusted to them.

Very often we read in newspapers concerning workplace related or occupational safety

and health related accidents. One incident where it still lingers in our mind is the scary

episode of an explosion which happened in a firework factory in Sungai Buluh, Selangor.

The Bright Sparklers Firework fire happened on 7 May 1991. Where the factory caught

fire and caused a huge explosion where 26 people were killed and over a hundred people

injured in that disaster. Even though our company is not dealing with firework products,

serious injuries can still happen to our workers when they carry out the task of lifting

boxes of different sizes boxes from the warehouse to the containers for the trucks or

lorries to transport to the designated places. Some of the boxers are small in size, but it

could be heavier than the bigger boxers as it contain vehicles’ parts, engine parts and

extra.

Looking at statistics, we should be convinced on the need to take action so as to ensure

our workplaces is free from accidents or incidents. according to Datuk Maznah Mazlan,

the deputy minister of the Human Recourses, who is also the chairman of National

Council for Occupational Safety and Health, said the number of accidents at workplace

had increased by 1.98 per cent to 40 834 cases between January and August this year

(2012) as compared to the corresponding period last year. She said this opening the

National Occupational Safety and Health Practitioners Conference 2012 at the Putrajaya

Convention Centre in Tuesday, October 30, 2012. Our company must look at the increase

in the number of accidents at the workplace during the period as a wakeup call and

remainder for us that accidents can happen at anytime and anywhere including in the

premise of our warehouse, if we do not bother to take action and believe that these will

not be any accidents which may happen in our workplace. As of now, we were lucky that

there had not been any serious accident which took place at our workplace. It is wrong to

assure or have the perception that it will not happen to any of our workers. We cannot just

take things for granted and hope for the best that nothing will happen here. If we hope this

attitude and rest at our laurel, we maybe head for trouble. Prevention is better than cure.

Let the accidents or tragedies that have befallen onto others be a lesson for us to value our

life more and be better workers. Based o the findings, we need to take immediate actions

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and measures possible in order to avoid leaving our organization vulnerable to workplace

accidents resulting in being in the bad book of the department of Occupational Safety and

Health.

4. The Findings

There are four findings which we have identified as potential hazards which can cause

injury and pose health problems to our workers, It is here that we must play our respective

roles in ensuring that the workers are aware of the potential hazards associated with the

task at hand and know how to exercise control over the workplace in order to minimize

the dangers.

4.1 The 1st Finding – Incorrect Lifting Method

As we are running a warehouse service, it could clearly be seen that majority of our

workers are not carrying out their manual task that is lifting the load of boxes in a safe

manner, rather their handling is improper and they could easily be injured. Our

workers are exposed to back injuries which they may not be aware of as it may set in

during later years resulting from damage, wear, or trauma to the bones, muscles. or

another tissues at the back. some of common back injuries include sprains and strains,

herniated disks, and fractured vertebrae. from observation, most of our workers lifting

methods and posture are incorrect.

No doubt we have trolleys and forklifts to minimize the lifting process of our

workers, but still there are lot of lifting needed to be taken done manually such as to

place the boxes on the trolleys and later to remove it from the trolleys. Also to list the

boxes on the pellet racks in order for forklift to move them from one point to point. at

times, the loads also needs to be dragged manually especially when placing them next

to another in the warehouse for staring. Interviews carried out with the workers,

reveals they do not know there are proper lifting methods as they were not given

training when they join service and also to them, lifting the loads of boxes has become

their routine task and it is so simple thus they do not see the necessity of having to

undergo training for this type of job.

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Among the most common unsafe practices being carried out by our workers

are;

i. Each one of them will just lift a load of box without taking into consideration

whether they have the physical strength to do so as it may be too strenuous as

the weight of the load may exit their lifting capacity. They tend to have

forceful exertions to ensure the work is completed.

ii. The workers tend to be an awkward body position when lifting a load of box

from the floor, in that they do not bend their knees to lift the boxes rather they

would just bend their bodies from their waist upwards to lift the boxes.

iii. Some workers do not bother to keep the load as close to their bodies as

possible.

4.2 The 2nd Finding – Danger When Vision is obscured

At times, the workers will be carrying stack of boxes which is higher than their

heads. They do not seem to realize that this practice is dangerous as the load

will obscure their vision as their eyes are being blocked. Without clear vision,

one may step on uneven floor or any materials placed intentionally on the path,

which can cause the worker to trip and fall thus injuring himself while at work.

The injuries can be serious and may need hospitalization, if any facture

accurse. When asked, the workers said since some of the boxes are not heavy;

they can easily carry them by stacking them. Queried further, what would

happen if they tripped and fell, they answered that would not happen as the

path in the warehouse is at their fingertips having work there for sometimes,

when told that someone might accidently placed a box along the path they will

take, they said so far no one did that and they think it will not happen in future

too.

4.3 The 3rd Finding – Inappropriate PPE

The personal protective equipment (PPE) of footwear and glove given to them

to carry out their task is a positive move by the organization to reduce the

employees’ hazard when handling work. But upon scrutinizing their PPE, the

gloves were found to be ordinary rubber gloves which are not really suitable

for their use when carrying the boxes. As some of the boxes are made from

hardboard, the box might slip from the worker’s hands as the rubber glovers’

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surface is smooth. When lifting wooden crates, a worker’s finger might get

pricked by wood splinter pieces as these pieces can easily penetrate into fingers

due to the quality of gloves which is of thin material.

Another factor is regarding the boots given to them. The rubber gum

boots given to them to protect their feet will not actually serve its purpose. This

is because if any of the boxes accidentally drops on a worker’ feet, chances are

that he will still injure his feet as the boots are more suitable to keep their feet

dry when they are outside the warehouse where some areas are water logged

after heavy downpour.

4.4 The 4th Finding – Unhealthy Environment

The 4th finding concerns the environment at the workplace premise. There are

7 plastic drums being kept outside the warehouse. Rain water is collected for

purpose of watering the flower plant around the warehouse. Inspection carried

out reveals that the containers are positive or breeding with mosquito larvae.

These are also some empty polystyrene food containers which are discarded

indiscriminately around the compound which had collected rainwater and are

potential breeding ground for mosquitoes. We have to be cautious as we are

providing the mosquitoes breeding laces in our premise. The life cycle of an

Aedes mosquito is 1 week, from egg to larvae, pupa and finally an adult

mosquito. The mosquitoes will pose a health risk toward our workers as well as

our clients coming to the warehouse especially the transportation company

employees, importers, exporters, distributers, wholesalers, manufacturers and

extra.

Dengue hemorrhagic fever is an infectious disease caused by the dengue virus

that is borne by the Aedes mosquito. There is no medicine or vaccine that can

be used to treat dengue fever, thus it may leads to death.

5. Recommendations As Solutions For The Findings

It is just that, the management might have overlooked or is unaware of the potential

hazards which can cause injuries and pose health problems to our workers. Nevertheless,

based on each of the findings, there are solutions for all the findings that are by taking the

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necessary control measures and actions. While some actions can be implemented by the

management team themselves, other actions are where the workers must play their roles

effectively and efficiently. For this to happen, we need to create awareness among the

workers. It is nothing more than negligence that had lead to the present situation.

5.1 Solution for the 1st Finding

The workers should be made aware that the correct technique of lifting loads will

minimize injuries. We can seek assistance from the National Institute of Occupational

Safety and Health (NIOSH), a body that comes under the Ministry of Human Resources,

Malaysia to conduct a two days course which is an integral part of Occupational Safety

and Health. Workers, supervisors and management should attend the course, so all will

know their respective responsibilities. The topics include – Awareness of Health risks to

improper lifting, Knowledge of the basic anatomy of the spine, muscles, joints of the trunk

and the contributions of intra – abdominal pressure while lifting, Awareness of individual

body strengths and weakness determining one’s own lifting capacity, Use of safe lifting

postures and timing for smooth, easy lifting and ability to minimize the load – moment

affects.

Video showing correct technique of lifting loads and health risks involved if wrong

technique is applied will be incorporated during the course. The workers will learn that the

closer the load, the less leverage it has in placing injury – causing undue stress ao the

back, keeping the back straight whenever possible will help in reducing potentially

damaging stress on the lower back, avoiding excessive bending and twisting prevent

injuries while for the course, it is safer to be lifted by 2 persons. For the course, there will

also be trainings so as to enable managers, supervisors and workers to understand the

workings of safety management systems and the legal compliance required.

5.2 Solution for the 2nd Finding

We need to talk to the workers, so that they will understand accidents can happen anytime,

more so when their vision is blocked. Explanation with example should be given such as

serious injury can happen if a workers step and trips over a drinking water bottle which

may have been dropped unintentionally bay another worker. As the height of objects will

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obscure a workers vision, his reflex to avoid the drinking water bottle maybe slow thus

putting him at risk with injuries. By creating awareness and when the workers look at

things from a different perspective, they will realize the importance of safety aspects and

change their habits.

5.3 Solution for the 3rd Finding

No doubt the PPE given to the workers is to protect them, but unfortunately the gloves and

boots will not serve the intended purpose of preventing injuries. Leather or synthetics

gloves which area thick will help in avoiding penetration of wood splinters and will be

able to give added grip when handling objects, not rubber gloves which is more for

protection against chemicals and detergents.

The workers should be supplied with safety boots (also known as steel toe boots) which

are durable and have a protective reinforcement steel cap at toe area which protects the

feet from falling objects and compression with a mid sole plate to protect against

punctures from below. Thus if they are loose nails from wooden crates, our workers’ feet

will be well protected.

5.4 Solution for the 4th Finding

The simplest way to overcome breeding of mosquitoes which pose threat to our health is

to use piped water for plants, thus no necessity to store rain water. As for the empty

polystyrene food containers, we need to place additional garbage bins in our premise, so

that the workers will not discard them indiscriminately around the compound, thus

ensuring a clean surrounding. It is very dangerous for our workplace if any dengue

outbreak or epidemic occurs. Also, we should realize how serious the authorities are in

their fight to eradicate Aedes mosquitoes, as those found harboring mosquitoes would

have deemed to commit an offence under Act 154, Destruction of Disease – bearing insect

act 1975.

If the management wants to reduce the cost of monthly water usage payment, and still

insist on using rainwater, we should take control or preventive measure such as adding

larvacide (Abate 1%SG) in the water containers, or cover them tightly with mosquitoes

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nettings. In order for us to get our workers to be aware of dengue threat which can cause

death, we will arrange for a one day seminar or talk where the facilitator will be a Health

Inspector or Assistant Environment Health officer from the Vector Control Unit of

Medical Department or local council. Being an expert in this field, he will be able to give

insight to our workers on the danger of dengue and what measures to implement.

6. The Benefits of Practicing Occupational Health and Safety at Workplace

An accident will not happen by itself rather there must be a basis which causes it to

happen. In actual fact, a lot of accident can be avoided if we take the appropriate

measures. Sometimes the cost of taking the necessary measures may be costly, but we

must bear in mind that eventually the benefit, we feel that the place is safe. Actually we

think it that way, because so far there is no serious accident here. We have been lucky all

there while, but luck alone cannot guarantee a safe workplace, as one day, the luck might

just ran out. But we can ensure safety or at least minimize accident at our workplace if we

implement the necessary actions. Whether an accident which is severe or less serious, it

will still leave an impact on us, be if from the social or economic aspect.

Among the many benefits of safety at our workplace is that it will help in avoiding

accidents from happening which can cause injuries, disability or even death, will enable us

to keep away from wastage of time and risk involved while at work, will produce workers

who passes skill, responsible and will always adhere to safety policies and procedures,

save the cost from employers and organization on payment for accident related treatment

or hospitalization. Occupational safety and health practices will also improve the morale

of the workers due to fewer injuries, better performance in non- safety areas (safeguarding

our Company’s image and reputation) as a result of commitment to a safety quality

management process, ensuring legal compliance whereby the company will be free from

fines and the bosses will be kept out of jail. Beside these, when our company takes into

consideration the factors in cresting a safe and healthy workplace, this will help in

securing future potential clients as it shows our ability to operate effectively. With

education and training in place it will help create awareness toward our workers and

finally safety will become a culture and work ethic for us.

(2980 words)

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REFERENCES

1. Alwi Saad.(2011).Occupational Safety and Health Management. Kuala Lumpur :

USM Press.

2. Azizi Ahmad.(2007).Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Industri. Kuala Lumpur. Dewan

Bahasa dan Pustaka

3. Beware of Dengue.{Brochure].Putrajaya; Health Education Division withCo’operation

of Vector Unit, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

4. Kementerian Alam Sekitar dan Kesihatan Awam.(2011).Panduan Penghapusan

Tempat Pembiakan Lalat, Nyamuk dan Tikus: Putrajaya. Unit Kesihatan

Pekerja. Dicapai pada 14 Nov 2012 dari http://www.moh.gov.my

images/gallery/Garispanduan/

5. Question and Answers for Dengue Patients. [Brochure].Putrajaya; Cawangan Penyakit

Bawaaan Vector, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia.

6. The Star Sarawak. (Monday 29 Oktober 2012).Raising awareness on health and safety

Receipt No : 235504

Assignment Submission Receipt

Student ID 720113135055

Course OUMH2203SMP

Title SEPTEMBER 2012 : Assignment

Due Date 18 November 2012

Submission Date 16 November 2012

Submission Time 22:01:34

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