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    ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2012/2013

    Topics for Group Assignment [10%]

    Divide yourselves into a group of 10. Select any ONE [1] of the following topic for research and

    write-up of report. Students are requested to search for information from reference books andfrom other sources available on relevant websites.

    1. Identify all relevant hazards in a semi-conductor manufacturing sector/industry andmethods (suggestions) to manage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which

    have been identified.

    2. Identify all relevant hazards in a hospital (doctors and nurses) and methods (suggestions)to manage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been identified.

    3.

    Identify all relevant hazards in an agricultural (palm oil) sector and methods(suggestions) to manage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been

    identified.

    4. Identify all relevant hazards in an office workspace and methods (suggestions) tomanage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been identified.

    5. Identify all relevant hazards in the transportation services (e.g. express bus services) andmethods (suggestions) to manage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which

    have been identified.

    6. Identify all relevant hazards in a construction industry (contractor) and methods(suggestions) to manage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been

    identified.

    7. Identify all relevant hazards in a food manufacturing sector and methods (suggestions) tomanage and control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been identified.

    8. Identify all relevant hazards in a quarry industry and methods (suggestions) to manageand control only THREE [3] major hazards which have been identified.

    Tip: The management and control of hazards should be described in terms of hierarchy of control

    The outcome of this assignment is a printed report (either in Bahasa Melayu or English)

    which should not exceed 10,000 words in length excluding references which should be

    submitted latest by the end of week 11

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    ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2012/2013

    Topics for Individual Assignment 1 [2%]

    Video Viewing of One Night in Bhopal

    The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial disaster that took place at a Union

    Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal, India. On 3 December 1984, the plant

    released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, exposing more than 500,000 people to

    toxic gases. The first official immediate death toll was 2,259. A more probable figure is that

    8,000 died within two weeks, and it is estimated that an additional 8,000 have since died from

    gas-related diseases.

    Video could be assessed from the following url:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G1UcEQVi7I

    Please answer the following questions and submit by the 4th

    week of this semester.

    QUIZ

    Question 1

    When did the disaster in Bhopal, India take place?

    Answer

    The disaster occurred on the night of 23 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India

    Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

    Question 2

    What kind of product was manufactured by the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India?

    Answer

    Union Carbide was a plant which manufactured pesticide.

    Question 3

    Which poisonous gas, which ultimately leaked and caused the Bhopal tragedy, was one

    of the ingredients of Sevin?

    Answer

    Methyl Isocyanate.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G1UcEQVi7Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G1UcEQVi7Ihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8G1UcEQVi7I
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    Question 4

    This was the first time that an accident had occurred in a Union carbide plant

    manufacturing Sevin. True or False?

    Answer

    False.

    Question 5

    Once the Bhopal tragedy occurred, what did the Union Carbide Corporation blame it on?

    Answer

    Union Carbide Corporation blamed the tragedy on a sabotage by a disgruntled worker.

    Question 6

    How many people have been convicted and imprisoned in connection with the Bhopal

    Tragedy?

    Answer

    In June 2010 seven ex-employees, including the former Chairman of Union Carbide

    India Limited were convicted in Bhopal of causing death by negligence and sentenced to

    two years imprisonment and a fine of about $2,000 each the maximum punishment

    allowed by Indian Law. An eight former employee later was also convicted but died

    before the judgement was passed.

    Question 7

    Who was Warren Anderson?

    Answer

    Warren Anderson was the former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Union

    Carbide.

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    ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2012/2013

    Topics for Individual Assignment 2 [9%]

    Instruction: Answer all questions below. Submit your answers by the end of week 8.

    1. Describe the 4 objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 Malaysia.Answer

    The 4 objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 Malaysia are :

    (1)To secure the safety, health and welfare of persons at work against risks to safetyor health arising out of the activities of persons at work.

    (2)To protect persons at a place of work other than persons at work against risks tosafety or health arising out of the activities of persons at work.

    (3)To promote an occupational environment for persons at work, which is adapted totheir physiological and psychological needs.

    (4)To provide the means whereby the associated occupational safety and healthlegislations maybe progressively replaced by a system of regulations and

    approved industry codes of practice operating in combination with the provisions

    of this Act designed to maintain or improve the standards of safety and health.

    2. Compare and describe the differences between the Occupational Safety and Health Act1994 and the Factory and Machinery Act 1967.

    Answer

    Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 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

    And the goals of occupational safety and health programs are to promote a safe and

    healthy work environment.

    The principle of Factory and Machinery Act 1967 on the other hand, is An Act to

    provide for control of factories with respect to matters relating to the safety, health and

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    welfare of person therein, the registration and inspection of the machinery and for matters

    connected.

    3. Use and Standard of Exposure to Chemicals Hazardous to Health Regulations 2000requires workers being exposed to solvents to undergo medical surveillance at regular

    intervals. True/False

    Answer

    True.

    4. What are the main functions of Department of Occupational Safety and Health,Malaysia?

    Answer

    The main functions of Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia are :

    (1)To study and review the policies and legislations of occupational safety andhealth.

    (2)To enforce the following legislations :(a)Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and its regulations.(b)Factories and Machinery Act 1967 and its regulations.(c)Part of Petroleum Act 1984 (Safety Measures) and its regulations.(3)To conduct research and technical analysis on issues related to occupational

    safety and health at the work place.

    (4)To carry out promotional and publicity programs to employers, workers and thegeneral public to foster and increase the awareness of occupational safety and

    health.

    (5)To become a secretariat for the National Council regarding occupational safetyand health.

    5. Please explain particle size fractions of dust.Answer

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    Smaller dust particles can be hazardous to human. In many cases, dust fractions at

    specific particle sizes in working environments are required to be measured.

    (1)Inhalable dustAirborne particles which can enter the nose and mouth during normal breathing.

    Particles of 100 microns in diameter or less.

    (2)Thoracic dustParticles that can pass through the nose and throat, reaching the lung.

    Particles of 10 microns in diameter or less.

    (3)Respirable dustParticles that will penetrate into the gas exchange region of the lungs.

    A hazardous particulate size less than 5 microns.

    6. Please explain the aerodynamic behaviour of particles in airstream and particle depositionin human lung system.

    Answer

    The diagram below shows the parts of the respiratory system. It can divided in two

    systems - the upper airway passages and the lower airway passages. The upper airway

    passages includes the nose, nasal passages, mouth and the pharynx down to the vocal

    cords in the larynx (voice box or "Adam's apple"). The lower airway passages start at the

    vocal cords, extend down the trachea (windpipe) and continue all the way down to the

    small air sacs, (alveoli) at the end of every branch of the bronchial tree. The bronchial

    tree includes the trachea, the bronchus (branches of the trachea going to each lobe of the

    lung), and bronchioles (branches of the bronchi).

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    How are particulates deposited in the lungs?

    Inhalation is the most important route of exposure in the workplace. When particles are in

    the air, there is the chance that you will inhale them. How far the particle gets in the air

    passages of the respiratory system, and what it does when it is deposited, depends on the

    size, shape, and density of the particulate material. The "what happens" also depends on

    the chemical and toxic properties of the material.

    Particles are deposited in the lungs by one of four different ways: interception, impaction,

    sedimentation, and diffusion.

    Interception: A particle is intercepted or deposited when it travels so close to a surface

    of the airway passages that an edge of the particle touches the surface. This method of

    deposition is most important for fibres such as asbestos. The fibre length determines

    where the particle will be intercepted. For example: fibres with a diameter of 1

    micrometre and a length of 200 would be deposited in the bronchial tree.

    Impaction: When particles are suspended in air, they have a tendency to travel along

    their original path. When there is a bend in the airway system, for example, many

    particles do not turn with the air but rather impact or stick to a surface in the particles'

    original path. The likelihood of impaction depends on the air velocity and the particle

    mass. Typically, most particles greater than 10 micrometers (aerodynamic diameter) are

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    deposited in the nose or throat and cannot penetrate the lower tissues of the respiratory

    tract. Aerodynamic diameter is the diameter of a spherical particle that has the same

    settling velocity as another particle regardless of its shape, size or density. Using

    aerodynamic diameters allows occupational hygiene specialists to compare particles of

    different sizes, shapes and densities in terms of how they will settle out of the air flow

    stream.

    Sedimentation: As particles travel through air, gravitational forces and air resistance

    eventually overcome their buoyancy (the tendency for the particle to stay up). The result

    is that the particles will settle on a surface of the lung. This type of deposition is most

    common in the bronchi, and the bronchioles. Sedimentation is not an important factor

    when the aerodynamic diameter of the particle is less than 0.5 micrometers.

    Diffusion: The random motion of particles is similar to gas molecules in the air when

    particles are smaller that 0.5 micrometers. When particles are in random motion, they

    deposit on the lung walls mostly by chance. This movement is also known as the

    "Brownian motion". The smaller the particle size, the more vigorous the movement is.

    Diffusion is the most important mechanism for deposition in the small airways and

    alveoli. Very fine particles 001 micrometers or smaller are also trapped in the upper

    airway.

    7. Explain the noise regulation being used in Malaysia.Answer

    1. Noise as a form of environmental pollution, comes mainly within the jurisdictionof Department of Environment. There are also several provisions under the

    Environmental Quality Act 1974 on the control of noise pollution from mobile

    sources, specifically that of motor vehicles. Apart from that, local government

    legislation, which contains provisions on nuisance, is also relevant for the purpose

    of noise pollution control.

    The environmental Quality Acts jurisdiction on noise pollution concerns the

    control of noise in streets from moving vehicles. The Environmental Quality Act

    1974 authorizes the Minister to make regulations defining objectionable noise and

    prescribing standards for tolerable noise.

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    2. The Local Government Act 1976 also contains provisions enabling action to be

    taken against owners or occupiers of premises whether public or private, emitting

    noise that is deemed to be a nuisance.

    The Act defines nuisance as any act, omission or things occasioning or likely to

    incur injury, annoyance, offence, harm, danger or damage to the sense of sight,

    smell or hearing or which is or is likely to be injurious or dangerous to health or

    property or which affects the safety or the rights of the inhabitants at large.

    3. A provision on nuisance is also provided in the Street, Drainage and Building Act

    1974.

    4. The Civil Aviation Act 1969 is another statute in Malaysia relating to noise

    pollution from aircrafts. This Act is enforced by the Director General of Civil

    Aviation of Malaysia.

    8. Please describe the steps to control dust exposure in a construction site.Answer

    As dust is one of the physical hazards, dust exposure must certainly be controlled using

    certain measures.

    1. Physical barriers2. Site traffic control3. Watering sprays4. Using wet drilling and grinding5. Earth moving management6. Limiting cleared areas7. Soil compaction

    Companies and property owners are legally bound to control dust emissions from

    construction sites under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. Any actions

    undertaken on site must not contribute to environmental degradation and pollution. Air

    impurity levels must not exceed the standards.

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    9. Please explain the roles of professionals in the field of occupational health.Answer

    The professionals in the field of occupational health have the roles of :

    Identifying and assessing the risks from health hazard in environment/workplace Protecting and promoting public/workers health Carrying out surveillance of factors which may affect health Improving the conditions that might hard health through sound control measures Maintaining health and achieving the highest possible standards of health in the

    interest of the workers

    Strengthening health promotion and ensuring continuous improvements

    Developing safe and healthy culture and management

    The Principal Approach used by these professionals are :

    1. Primary Preventiono Risk assessmentdetermining whether the risk is high or lowo Hazard control is performedo Health promotion is included

    2. Secondary Prevention

    o Treatment for injuries and diseases3. Tertiary Prevention

    o Rehabilitationo Therapy

    Occupational Health professionals should also be able to take on the roles below :

    Advisor - individual Agent of changeworker, environment, process Expertevaluation, risk assessment Counsellor Trainer Source of knowledgedisseminating relevant information Skill development resource

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    10.Define the term ergonomic hazard.Answer

    Ergonomic hazards refer to workplace conditions that pose the risk of injury to the

    musculoskeletal system of the worker. It is a physical factor within the environment that

    harms the musculoskeletal system. Ergonomic hazards include uncomfortable

    workstation height and poor body positioning.

    11.List four acts that are enforced by the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.

    Answer

    1. Occupational Safety and Health Act 19942. Employment Act 19553. Children and Young Persons (Employment ) Act 19664. Workmens Compensation Act 19525. Factories and Machinery Act 1967

    12.Define radiation. Discuss two types of radiation by giving appropriate examples.Answer

    Radiation is a process in which energetic particles or energetic waves travel through a

    vacuum or through matter-containing media that are not required for their propagation.

    Radiation can be classified as eitherionizing ornon-ionizing according to whether it

    ionizes or does not ionize ordinary chemical matter.

    1. Ionizing radiationIonizing radiation is caused when an electron is ejected from its atomic structure.

    Examples of ionizing radiation are X Rays and Gamma Rays

    2. Non ionizing radiationNon ionizing radiation does not eject electron, but causes molecules to vibrate.

    Examples of non ionizing radiation are radio waves, heat and visible light.

    13.Alpha radiation cannot travel far through air. How far does it go? What material willabsorb alpha radiation? State two safety precautions for handling radioactive sources.

    Answer

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    Although alpha radiation travels very fast, it can easily be blocked or shielded. Alpha

    particles have an electric charge because of the protons. As they move through matter,

    they are constantly interacting with other charged particles, such as electrons. This

    process transfers the motion (energy) of the alpha particle to the electrons, actually

    knocking the electrons free in the process. This is known as ionization. These

    interactions cause the alpha particle to loose its energy and come to rest. Alpha particles

    will loose all their energy in just a couple inches of travel in air.

    How far can an alpha radiation travels through air, depends on its energy. An alpha

    particle that comes from nuclear decay is usually only able to travel a short

    distance, a few centimeters, through air.Alpha particles as cosmic rays, however, are much more energetic, and can penetrate

    quite deeply, even through many meters of solid shielding. These can penetrate the

    atmosphere.

    Almost any material will absorb alpha radiation, including sheets of paper. Alpha

    radiation is big and bulky compared to other types of radiation. So it can't penetrate

    objects very far.

    Several precaution should be observed in handling radioactive sources :

    1. No radioactive substance should be handled with bare hands. Alpha and beta

    emitters can be handled using thick gloves. Gamma ray emitters must be handled

    only by remote control that is by mechanical means Gamma rays are the most

    dangerous and over exposure can lead to serious biological damage.

    2. Radioactive materials must be stored in thick lead containers.

    3. Reactor and laboratories dealing with and conducting experiments with

    radioactive metals must be surrounded with thick concrete lined with lead.

    4. People working with radioactive isotopes must wear protective clothing which is

    left in the laboratory. The workers must be checked regularly with dosimeters,

    and appropriate measures should be taken in cases of overdose.

    5. Radioactive waste must be sealed and buried deep in the ground.

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    14.Discuss how Malaysian workers are compensated for occupational injuries.Answer

    Worker of the private sectors in Malaysia who earns less than RM3000 a month are

    protected by the Employee's Social Security Act 1969 (ESSA 1969). They are covered

    under two insurance schemes; Employees' Injury Scheme and Invalidity Pension Scheme.

    Employees Injury Scheme

    To qualify for compensation from the Employees' Injury Scheme the workers must have

    been injured while commuting to and from work, commuting in the course of work, and

    while working.

    Workers who develop occupational disease are also covered under this scheme. There is

    no age limit to this scheme, the insurance scheme will continue while the person is still

    working and contributing to the scheme.

    Invalidity Pension Scheme

    A worker qualifies for invalidity pension if he suffers from chronic diseases that makes

    him unable to earn more than 1/3 of his usual wages. This scheme only covers workers

    up to 55 years old.

    The amount of compensation to be paid to the insured person who was involved in an

    accident or from occupational disease depends on the degree of impairment.

    If there is no impairment sustained as a result of the occupational accident or disease then

    compensation would not be paid. However the medical and surgical cost for the treatment

    would be borne by the Social Security Organisation.

    15.Explain 3 major incidents which occurred globally and in Malaysia that lead to theestablishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

    Answer

    1. The Bright Sparklers Fireworks fire happened in Sungai Buluh Malaysia on 7

    May 1991. The Bright Sparklers Fireworks Factory in Sungai Buluh Selangor

    caught fire and caused a huge explosion. Twenty six people were killed and over

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    a hundred people were injured in the disaster. It was considered the worst

    industrial disaster in the country.

    The report said the cause of the explosion was because the testing of chemicals

    used in making the fireworks was not carried out in the designated area. The

    incident raised concern among the public and a royal commission of inquiry was

    set up to probe into the matter.

    Manufacturers must comply with safety and health risk management legislation

    such as the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 and Occupational Safety and

    Health act 1994. We also need to continuously improve our legislation and

    empower the authorities to deal with illegal operations of factories , unlawfulhandling of machinery and handling of hazardous chemicals.

    2. The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, a gas leak

    incident in India, considered to be the worlds worst industrial disaster. It

    occurred on the night of 23 December 1984 at the Union Carbide India pesticide

    plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

    An estimation of 20, 000 died from that gas disaster diseases. A government

    affidavit in 2006 stated the leak caused 558,125 injuries including 38,478

    temporary partial injuries and approximately 3,900 severely and permanently

    disabling injuries.

    The Bhopal gas leak incident has given rise to public concern over the safety and

    health of employees and had initiated Malaysian government to come up with

    certain acts and legislation to protect the safety and well being of employees.

    3. The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26

    April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, Russia. The

    Chernobyl disaster is widely considered to have been the worst nuclear power

    plant accident in history.

    The battle to contain the contamination and avert a greater catastrophe ultimately

    involved over 500, 000 workers. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly

    radioactive fallout into the atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area.

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    The accident raised concerns about the safety of the Soviet nuclear power

    industry, as well as nuclear power in general, slowing its expansion for a number

    of years and forcing the Soviet government to become less secretive about its

    procedures. The incident has initiated many countries to come up with certain

    measures in generating and protecting safety and health of their employees and

    population in general.

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    ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2013/2014

    Topics for Individual Assignment 3 [9%]

    Instruction: Answer all questions below. Submit your answers by the end of week 13.

    1. Identify the impact of sickness absence to the employee and employer.Answer :

    Impact on employee.

    (1) employee has to bear extra work load when the employee is back to work.

    (2) de-motivation caused to those covering absent team member.

    (3) if employee is covered for a long period of sickness absence, he might have to be on

    unpaid leave, where his salary is deducted due to utilized sickness absence eligible days.

    (4) morale of colleague is driven down.

    Impact on employer.

    (1) huge negative impact on businesses.

    (2) reduction in productivity

    (3) reduction in company efficiency

    (4) increase the medical cost which needs to bear by the employer.

    2. Explain the mechanism by which organophosphate poisoning occurs. Include 2 diagramsto describe normal muscle function and muscle function with neuro toxic agent.

    3. Give the steps in control and management of pesticide exposure in a paddy farmingagricultural setting.

    Answer :

    (1) the usage of pesticide could be control through technological invention where the use

    of pesticide could be reduced (in terms of volume).

    (2) government policy option is another way of controlling and managing pesticide

    exposure.

    (3) breeding host plant resistance paddy, where a range of adaptations evolved by plants

    which improve their survival and reproduction by reducing the impact of herbivores.

    Thus reducing the dependency on pesticides used.

    (4) changing seasonal growth pattern

    (5) enhances the ability of a plant to recover from damage done by herbivores.

    (6) growing in a location where plants are not easily found or accessed by herbivores

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    4. Pesticides are categorised into different groups. Explain the classification of pesticides.Answer :

    The classification distinguishes between the more and the less hazardous forms of each

    pesticide, is that it is based on the toxicity of the technical compound or the lethal dose

    and on its formulations. Solid pesticides are considered less hazardous as compared to

    liquid pesticides.

    Classification of pesticides :

    Answer :

    1. Uses of pesticides2. Level of toxicity3. Chemical properties of the pesticide

    5. Use and Standard of Exposure to Chemicals Hazardous to Health Regulations 2000requires workers being exposed to pesticides to undergo medical surveillance at regular

    intervals. True/False

    Answer.

    True

    6. Using the hierarchy of control concept, explain how a safety and health manager couldmanage psychosocial hazard related at the workplace.

    Answer :

    Psychosocial hazard is linked to work related stress, such as burn out or tiredness,

    depression, mental disorder, behavioural health which later could lead to three majors

    diseases like masculoskeletal disorder, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

    Below is the diagram that shows the hierarchy of control concept.

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    (5) provision of a clubhouse by the organization can help reduce work stress where

    employees can spend time after work and involve in activities such as music listening,

    karaoke or mingling with colleagues.

    (6) provision of a gymnasium will encourage employees to keep themselves fit.

    (7) employees involvement activities such as formation of safety committees and

    management leadership actions help support the recognition and control of psychosocial

    hazards.

    (8) Implement, monitor, review and evaluate the effectiveness of plans.

    (9) encouraging and motivating employees for work/life balance

    (10) flexible work practices

    7. Give examples of personal protective equipment suitable to protect workers fromexposure to chemicals in a chemical manufacturing factory.

    Answer.

    (1) chemical protective clothing to protect the skin from chemical spillage.

    (2) wearing impervious gloves made from butyl rubber.

    (3) wearing boots

    (4) wearing face mask.

    (5) wearing goggles

    8. Why personal protective equipment is considered as a last resort for use in thehierarchy of control to protect workers from hazardous substances?

    Answer :

    Personal Protective Equipment has a serious limitation that it does not eliminate the

    hazard at source and may result in employees being exposed to the hazards if the

    equipment fails. PPE does not reduce the workplace hazard nor does it guarantee

    permanent or total protection for the wearer. Any item of PPE imposes a barrier between

    the wearer/user and the working environment. This can create additional strains on the

    wearer; impair their ability to carry out their work and create significant levels of

    discomfort. Any of these can discourage wearers from using PPE correctly, therefore

    placing them at risk of injury, ill-health or, under extreme circumstances, death.

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    9. List the effects of chronic pesticide poisoning. Describe briefly each type of effect.Answer :

    (1) Chronic poisoning is the poisoning which occurs as a result of repeated, small, non-

    lethal doses over a long period of time. Many symptoms may appear, such as

    nervousness, slowed reflexes, irritability, or a general decline in health. Some test

    animals are unable to reproduce normally after repeated exposure to pesticides.

    Examples of chronic poisoning effects may include:

    Carcinogenicity--ability to produce cancer or to assist carcinogenic chemicals. Mutagenicity--ability to cause genetic changes. Teratogenicity--ability to cause birth defects. Oncogenicity--ability to induce tumor growth (not necessarily cancers). Liver damage--death of liver cells, jaundice (yellowing of the skin), fibrosis and

    cirrhosis. Reproductive disorders--such as reduced sperm count, sterility, and miscarriage. Nerve damage--including accumulative effects on cholinesterase depression associated

    with organophosphate insecticides. Allergenic sensitization--development of allergies to pesticides or chemicals used in

    formulation of pesticides.

    10.Define occupational stress and list common occupational stressors. List the diseasesassociated with occupational stress and as a manager of human resource, please describe

    the management of occupational stress.

    Answer :

    Occupational stress is stress involving work. Stress is defined in terms of its physical

    and physiological effects on a person, and can be a mental, physical or emotional strain.

    It can also be a tension or a situation or factor that can cause stress. Occupational stress

    can occur when there is a discrepancy between the demands of the

    environment/workplace and an individuals ability to carry out and complete these

    demands.

    Answer :

    List of occupational stressor (shown as below) :

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    Categories of JobStressors

    Examples of Sources of Stress

    Factors unique to thejob

    workload (overload and underload)pace / variety / meaningfulness of workautonomy (e.g., the ability to make your own decisions aboutour own job or about specific tasks)shiftwork / hours of work

    skills / abilities do not match job demandslack of training and/or preparation (technical and social)lack of appreciation

    physical environment (noise, air quality, etc)isolation at the workplace (emotional or working alone)

    Role in theorganization

    role conflict (conflicting job demands, multiplesupervisors/managers)role ambiguity (lack of clarity about responsibilities,

    expectations, etc)level of responsibility

    Career development under/over-promotionjob security (fear of redundancy either from economy, or a lackof tasks or work to do)

    career development opportunitiesoverall job satisfaction

    Relationships at work

    (Interpersonal)

    supervisors (conflicts or lack of support)

    coworkers (conflicts or lack of support)subordinates

    threat of violence, harassment, etc (threats to personal safety)lack of trustlack of systems in workplace available to report and deal withunacceptable behaviour

    Organizationalstructure/climate

    participation (or non-participation) in decision-makingmanagement stylecommunication patterns (poor communication / information flow)lack of systems in workplace available to respond to concerns

    not engaging employees when undergoing organizational change

    lack of perceived fairness (who gets what when, and theprocesses through which decisions are made). Feelings ofunfairness magnify the effects of perceived stress on health.

    Work-Life Balance role/responsibility conflictsfamily exposed to work-related hazards

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    Diseases associated with occupational stress

    (1) poor mental health

    (2) stress disorder

    (3) anxiety

    (4) neurotic disorder

    (5) depression

    (6) fatigue or tiredness

    (7) aggression

    (8) memory problems

    Management of occupational health :

    Job design is an important factor. Good job design accommodates an employee's

    mental and physical abilities. In general, the following job design guidelines will helpminimize or control workplace stress:

    the job should be reasonably demanding (but not based on "sheerendurance") and provide the employee with at least a minimum of variety in jobtasks

    o the employee should be able to learn on the job and be allowed to continue tolearn as their career progresses the job should comprise some area of decision-making that the individual cancall his or her own. there should be some degree of social support and recognition in theworkplace the employee should feel that the job leads to some sort of desirable future

    11.Describe the group of workers at risk for biological hazard exposure. Elaborate on theclassification of infective microorganism by risk group.

    12.Describe 2 models to explain the cause of occupational stress.

    13.Define and describe Material Safety Data Sheet or Chemical Safety Data Sheet.14.Describe the different work compensation scheme available in Malaysia for private

    employees, civil servants and foreign workers.

    15.Define biological monitoring. Describe the role of biological monitoring and describehow biological monitoring is done.

    16.Please define what sexual harassment is and please describe the different forms of sexualharassment that might occur at the workplace.

    17.What are the potential hazards of working underwater?

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    18.What should be included in Medical Emergency Response Plan? What are the elementsof Emergency Response Plan?

    19.What is the required number of first aider in a workplace? What is the content of a FirstAid Box?

    20.What is the definition of risk communication and what are the 3 goals of riskcommunication?


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