Chapter 1: Introduction

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & HYGIENE

BNS10203
 Learning Outcomes

This chapter is mapped to Course Learning Outcome (CLO) 1, 2 and 3.

Therefore, at the end of this chapter, students should be able to relate and
support the achievement of CLOs to:

CLO1: Explain the principles of occupational health and hygiene arising from the
workplace. (LOD1, PLO1, C3).

CLO2: Relate the principles of occupational health and hygiene to work related
problems. (LOD19, PLO5, A3).

CLO3: Propose appropriate control measures to reduce problems relating to

occupational health and hygiene. (LOD13, PLO6, A3).

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 Content
Topics in this chapter
Topic

1.1 Introduction to Occupational Health and Hygiene

1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational Health and Hygiene

1.3 Hygiene Standards and Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)

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 1.1 Introduction to Occupational Health and
Hygiene
Importance of Occupational Health & Hygiene
 Occupational health and hygiene is a multidisciplinary activities aimed at the
protection and promotion of health of workers.
 When work is associated with health hazards, it may cause occupational disease,
illness, and death, subsequently effect the productivity of work.
 Increasing industrial activity in many countries means that there are more
people with exposed hazard worldwide.

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 1.1 Introduction to Occupational Health and
Hygiene
Benefits
• Improve health and hygiene
• Reduce compensation
• Improve job satisfaction
• Reduce absenteeism
• Improve productivity
• Improve workers’ attitude towards management

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 1.1 Introduction to Occupational Health and
Hygiene
Purpose

• To create awareness among employers and workers on the importance of

OHH practices in industry to preserve and protect the health of workers
from being affected by hazards in the working environment.

• To investigate the effect of specific hazard on the health of workers so that

the short and long term measures can be taken to control the hazard.

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 1.1 Introduction to Occupational Health and
Hygiene
Historical Perspective
• Development of legislation
• Provisions of FMA, 1967
• Industrial Hygiene Unit, 1975-1979
• Industrial Hygiene Division, 1989-1993
• Industrial Health Division, DOSH 1994

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Definition by International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA)

The discipline of anticipating, recognizing, evaluating and controlling

health hazards in the working environment with the objective of
protecting worker health and well-being and safeguarding the community
at large.

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Definition by American Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH)

The science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation

and control of factors and stresses (arising in or from the workplaces),
which may cause sickness, impaired health and well being or significant
discomfort, and inefficiency among workers or among the citizens of a
community.

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene

1. Anticipation
This involves identifying potential hazards in the workplace before they are
introduced (in the new or proposed work situations at workplace)

2. Recognition
This involves identifying potential hazards that a chemical, physical or
biological agent or an adverse ergonomic situation poses to health (in the
existing workplace).

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Principles of Occupational Health and Hygiene
3. Evaluation
This involves measurement of the personal exposure of a worker to the
hazard / agent in the workplace, particularly at the relevance interface
between the environment and the body, and assessment of the data in
terms of permissible exposure limits (PELs), where such criteria exist.

4. Control
This involves control of the chemical, physical or biological agent or an
adverse ergonomic situation by procedural, engineering or other means
where the evaluation indicates that this is necessary.

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Scope of Anticipation

• Inspect, research or analyze how particular chemicals or

physical hazards at a worksite affect workers
• Design of process, equipment
• Future legislation/regulations

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Scope of Recognition

• Raw materials, by-product, products

• Process and operations
• Records of incidents and diseases
• Walk around – senses, talk to workers, etc.
• Grab samples

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Scope of Evaluation

• Purpose
• Sampling technique and strategy
• Instrumentation
• Standard, regulations, etc.

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Scope of Control

• Principle of control measures

• Hierarchy of control measures

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Categories Factor / Agent

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 Discussions

Discuss the Regulations/Standards/Guidelines related

to Industrial Hygiene based on the type of Hazard listed
below?

a)Chemicals
b)Physicals
c) Biological
 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Mapping with Continuous Improvement Concept of PDCA Cycle
PLAN
(Anticipation)

ACTION DO
(Control) (Recognition)

CHECK
(Evaluation)

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Mapping with Safety Management Concept of HIRARC
HAZARD IDENTIFICATION (Anticipation & Recognition)

RISK ASSESSMENT (Evaluation)

RISK CONTROL (Control)

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Occupation as Occupational Health Practitioners (OHP)

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Scope of Occupational Hygienist vs. Occupational Doctor
PREVENTION CURE

OCCUPATIONAL HYGIENIST

DISEASES
HAZARDS

WORKER

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH DOCTOR

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Roles and Responsibilities of Occupational Hygienist
• Occupational hygiene inspection
• Monitoring of occupational hazards
• Enforcement - DOSH
• Investigation of complaints / accidents
• Training

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Occupational Hygiene Inspection

• What are you going to inspect???

- Refer to the checklist on factory inspection

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 1.2 Definition and Concepts of Occupational
Health and Hygiene
Industrial Hygiene Instruments
• Noise – Sound Level Meter
• Ionizing radiation dose – Dosimeter
• Lighting – Luxmeter
• Heat – Hygrothermometer
• Gas/Vapour/Fumes – Gas detector
• Dust – Suction pump

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 1.3 Hygiene Standards and Occupational
Exposure Limit (OEL)
OEL and International Standards
Some of the established international standard as guidance criteria for OEL:

- Maximum Allowable Concentrations

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 1.3 Hygiene Standards and Occupational
Exposure Limit (OEL)
Categories of OEL

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 1.3 Hygiene Standards and Occupational
Exposure Limit (OEL)
OEL and Malaysian Standards
Malaysia standard by Dept. of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH):

 Akta Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan 1994

(Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994)

 Akta Kilang dan Jentera 1967

(Factories and Machinery Act 1967)

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 1.3 Hygiene Standards and Occupational
Exposure Limit (PEL)
Government Agency and Authorized Body
Devoted to occupational health and hygiene activities:
Agency Function
Dept. of Occupational Safety and
Legislation, Standard, Enforcement, Promotion
Health (DOSH)
National Institute of Occupational Training, Consultation, Research, Information
Safety and Health (NIOSH) Management

Social Security Organization (SOCSO) Social Security Protection, Promotion

Ministry of Health (MOH) Provide health delivery services

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Anticipation, Recognition, Evaluation and Control can be applied
in all industries, discuss in small group the situation that all this
concept can be applied?
End of Chapter 1

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