OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (KAS3501) SEMESTER 6 2014/2015

Date of presentation : 6th May 2015

GROUP 16 Member’s name :1) Muhammad Naqqis Solihin bin Zainudin UK299302) Fong Xiao Qi UK295303) Sharifah Nur Fatin Radhiah binti Syed Rahillah UK299174) Marlia Fattin Artiqah binti Ghazali UK298705) Nurul Hakiemah binti Ishak UK29524

I.AIR AND BREATHING

What is it ?• Breathing is the process that moves air in and

out of the lungs, or oxygen through other breathing organs such as gills.

• For organisms with lungs, breathing is also called ventilation, which includes both inhalation & exhalation.

How do chemicals enter the body???• In order for a chemical to become hazardous to a

person's health, it must first contact or enter the body and the chemical must have some biological effect on the body.

• There are 4 major routes:1. Inhalation (breathing)2. Skin contact3. Digestive system (ingestion or eating)4. injection• Breathing of contaminated air is the most common

way that workplace chemicals enter the body.

• Some acids, caustics or organic chemicals, when inhaled in sizable amounts, can cause serious & irreparable "burn" damage to the mouth, nose, trachea, bronchi & lungs.

What are examples of chemicals that may be inhaled??? (especially

in industry)•Gases and vapours•Mists•Dusts, fumes, smokes

Gases and vapours

Vapours produced from the process of evaporation

Organic solvents, such as toluene, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) or alcohols, generally evaporate more rapidly

Mists• In some instances, an industrial process

might produce tiny liquid droplets that are able to float in the air

• Examples include acid mists from electroplating, oil mists from cutting and grinding, or paint spray mists from painting operations

Dusts, fumes, smokes• Dusts are solid particles often generated by some mechanical

or abrasive activity. They are usually heavy enough to settle slowly to the ground

• Fumes are very tiny solid particles which can remain airborne that are formed when a heated metal has evaporated in the air and then condensed back to a solid form. This occurs in welding operations

• Smoke is carbon or soot from burning. Smoke particles can settle or remain airborne depending on their size.

CAN REFER TO…..

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT 1974(ACT 127)REGULATIONS,RULES, and ORDERS• Environmental Quality (Clean Air)

Regulations 1978

II. RESPIRATORY HAZARDS

RESPIRATORY HAZARD• include airborne contaminants such as biological

contaminants, dusts, mists, fumes, and gases, or oxygen-deficient atmospheres.

• Air contaminants can exist in several forms that are dependent on their identity, how the exposure is generated, and its physical form or state of matter.

• These include particulates, gases and vapors.Note that more than one respiratory hazard can be

present at the same timeBreathing in hazardous substances can cause ill health.

In some cases it can lead to early death.

• Hazardous substances can be present in the workplace in different physical states, including:

I. Gases such as chlorine and ammonia II. Liquids such as solvents, petrols and paints III. Solids and dusts such as slate, powdered chemicals, flour, cement

dust, silica and wood dust IV. Solids that produce dangerous gases with moisture (e.g. cyanide,

phosphide) or that give off vapours (e.g. phenol, metaldehyde, naphthalene, iodine)

V. Fumes arising from welding, soldering and burning metals VI. Fibres such as asbestos, glass wool, rockwool and refractory

ceramic fibres VII. Mists and sprays such as battery acid mist from re-charging or

from tasks such as paint spraying VIII. Vapours generated by petrol, solvents, thinners or products like

paints and varnishes.

How to Assess Employees’Exposure to Respiratory

Hazards• Many accidents or illnesses can occur when

an employee exposure assessment is not performed.

• For this reason, it is crucial to identify carefully all the respiratory hazards in a workplace and to measure or to estimate workers’ exposures to these hazards.

Options for Obtaining Expert AdviceAs a small-business employer, you must be informed about the respiratory hazards in the workplace and their health effects so that you can select the right respirators and ensure that they are used properly. You must know the limitations of the respirators and their maintenance requirements. In many cases, gathering this information presents technical demands that exceed the capabilities of small businesses; however, you have several options for obtaining expert advice. You may consider:

i. Training one of your staff members to become a safety and health expert

ii. Requesting an evaluation by your workers’ compensation carrieriii. Calling the Cal/OSHA Consultation Service for assistanceiv. Consulting with an industrial hygienist or safety professional to

assist with setting up your program

Factors in Assessing Respiratory Hazards

The safety and health professional with whom you consult will have to assess several factors before you can select the appropriate respiratory protection. He or she must:

I. Identify the respiratory hazards to which your employees are exposed.II. Determine the state and the physical form of the chemicals. Are they

solids, liquids, or gases? Do the liquids and solids give off vapors, or do they form dusts or mists? Does an oxygen deficient atmosphere exist in your workplace, or are any combination of these hazards present?

III. Evaluate the extent of the hazards from chemicals that may be present. Are employees working in conditions that exceed or fall below acceptable exposure limits? How many employees are exposed?

IV. Determine the kinds of adverse health effects that result from the products or materials used.

Controlling Hazards

• After elimination and substitution, well designed and maintained engineering controls are the preferred methods of controlling worker exposure to hazardous contaminants in the air.

• These control methods include:i. mechanical ventilationii. enclosure or isolation of the process or work equipmentiii. proper control and use of process equipment.iv. process modifications including substitution of less

hazardous materials where possible.

• Administrative controls may be used in addition to engineering controls.

• Administrative controls limit workers' exposures by scheduling reduced work times in contaminant areas or by implementing other such work rules.

• These control measures have many limitations because the hazard is not removed.

• Administrative controls are not generally favoured because they can be difficult to implement, maintain and are not reliable.

III. Type of respiratory protective equipment

Respiratory Protective Equipment

• RPE (respirators and breathing apparatus) are used in many workplaces to protect workers when working with hazardous substances, such as gases, solvents, powdered chemicals and sprays.

• RPE comes with various forms of facepiece, such as helmets, visors, hoods or masks.

Masks • Masks are tight fitting facepieces. • They rely on having a good seal with the wearer’s

face. • To ensure a good seal, the size and shape of the

mask must be matched to the wearer’s face. • There should not be any facial hair in the face seal

region and the masks must be worn as recommended by the manufacturer.

• Masks will require facepiece fit testing for each wearer when selected for the first time to ensure that they are suitable.

Hoods, helmets, visors and blouses • They are loose fitting facepieces. • They are suitable for those who wear glasses,

have facial hair or facial markings (e.g. deep scars) in the face seal region.

• These facepieces rely on an adequate flow of clean air being delivered to them to prevent contaminant leaking in.

• They are only used on fan-powered respirators and air-fed breathing apparatus.

visors Hoods

helmets

blouses

RPE is divided into 2 main types:1. Respirators (filtering devices): • Use filters to remove contaminants in the workplace

air. • Filter selection and use requires due care and

attention to ensure the safety of wearers. • Respirators should never be used in situations with

reduced oxygen levels. • There are 2 main types :i. Non-powered respirators – rely on the wearer’s

breathing to draw air through the filterii. Powered respirators – use a motor to pass air through

the filter to give a supply of clean air to the wearer

2. Breathing apparatus (BA):• Needs a supply of air from a clean source

(e.g. an air cylinder or air compressor). • BA may be used in situations with reduced

oxygen levels.

When can use RPE?

• The law requires employers to prevent or control the exposure of employees and others (e.g. sub-contractors) to hazardous substances at work.

• Exposure should be controlled by practicable measures, with RPE used as a last resort - when inhalation exposure risk remains after you have put in place other reasonable controls.

• It may also be used as additional protection in case other control measures fail to operate.

Why is RPE a last choice for protection?

RPE can only protect the wearer. Control measures such as automation, enclosure or extraction of hazardous substances can protect everyone working in the area.

Other drawbacks of RPE:• RPE is intrusive, so not many people would want to wear it for any

length of time • It can be uncomfortable to wear • It can give a sense of false protection, especially when not worn in

accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction • It may interfere with communication and vision • It can interfere with the wearer’s personal freedom such as wanting to

have a goatee beard or to come to work with stubble • It can be expensive in the long run when compared to simple, common

sense control measures • It can cause disturbance to make-up, jewelry and hair style.

IV. Respirator selection

When should a respirator be used?

• Respirators should not be the first choice for respiratory protection in workplaces.

• They should only be used:1. when following the "hierarchy of control" is not

possible (elimination, substitution, engineering or administrative controls)

2. while engineering controls are being installed or repaired

3. when emergencies or other temporary situations arise (e.g., maintenance operations)

Things that should know before choose a respirator?

• Employers should have a written respirator program that describes the proper procedures for selecting and operating respiratory protective equipment.

• describe how to wear and look after the respirator.

• A respiratory protection program includes :1. hazard identification & control2. exposure assessment3. respirator selection4. respirator fit-testing5. training program6. inspection & record keeping7. cleaning & sanitizing respirators8. repairing & maintaining respirators9. proper storage of respirators10. health surveillance11. standard operating procedures (available in written form)12. program evaluation

Different classes of respirators• The 2 main types are :1. air-purifying respirators (APRs)

2. supplied-air respirators (SARs)

Air-purifying respirators (APRs)

• Remove contaminants in the air that you breathe by filtering out particulates (e.g., dusts, metal fumes, mists, etc.).

• Other APRs purify air by adsorbing gases or vapours on adsorbent (adsorbing material) in a cartridge or cannister.

• They are tight-fitting and are available in several forms:1. mouth bit respirator 2. quarter-mask 3. half-face mask 4. full facepiece

Supplied-air respirators (SARs)

• Supply clean air from a compressed air tank or through an air line. This air is not from the work room area.

• Supplied-air respirators may have either tight-fitting or loose-fitting respiratory inlets.

Types

• half face pieces • full face pieces

Tight-fitting respiratory

inlets

• hoods / helmets (cover the head & neck)

• loose-fitting face pieces with rubber / fabric side shields.

Loose-fitting respiratory

inlets

How do you select the right respirator?

• Before the proper respirator can be selected for a job, be sure you have already:

1. identified the respiratory hazard.2. evaluated the hazard. 3. considered whether engineering controls are

feasible.

V. Air pollution

Introduction• The term “air quality” means the state of the air around

us. Good air quality refers to clean, clear, unpolluted air. • Clean air is essential to maintaining the delicate balance

of life on this planet — not just for humans, but wildlife, vegetation, water and soil.

• Poor air quality is a result of a number of factors, including emissions from various sources, both natural and “human-caused.” Poor air quality occurs when pollutants reach high enough concentrations to endanger human health and/or the environment.

• Our everyday choices, such as driving cars and burning wood, can have a significant impact on air quality.

Purposes

• code of practice is to provide guidance on improving the indoor air quality (IAQ) and to set minimum standard for selected parameters that will avoid discomfort and/or adverse health effect among employees and other occupants of an indoor or enclosed environment served by a mechanical ventilating and air conditioning (MVAC) system including air cooled split unit.

• It is one of the general duties as prescribed under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 [Act 514] for the employer and an occupier (including building owner and building management) to provide a safe workplace to their employees or other person than his employees (occupant).

Complaint procedure

• The building owner or building management shall establish a procedure to deal with complaint from employer and occupants related to signs and symptoms perceived to be due to indoor air quality.

• Upon receiving a complaint, the building owner or building management shall ensure that an investigation is conducted to ascertain the cause of the complaint, and a report prepared, without delay.

Establishment of complaint

A. procedures for receiving and dealing with complaintsB. a description of the process or processes for response

to a complaint;C. regular reviews of complaints by the occupant;D. identification of individuals responsible for

administering the complaint process;E. procedures for communicating any remedial action to

the complainant; andF. follow-up procedures to ensure that the remedial

action recommended, if any, has been taken.

Investigating the problem

A. complaints are received;B. the occupancy in the space exceeds the

recommended number of occupancy in the original design; or

C. renovations are made that involve significant changes to the ventilation system e.g. a room without supply or return air.

References1) http://apims.doe.gov.my/apims/Guidelines%20for%20the

%20Protection%20of%20Employees%20Against%20the%20Effects%20of%20Haze%20at%20Workplaces.pdf

2) http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/chemicals/how_chem.html3) http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/work-equipment/rpe4) https://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3079.pdf5) http://www.hse.gov.uk/respiratory-protective-equipment/types-

rpe.htm6) https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3079/osha3079.html7) http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/ppe/respslct.html8) https://www.google.com/url?

sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CB4QFjAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dir.ca.gov%2Fdosh%2Fdosh_publications%2Frespiratory.pdf&ei=ifVAVYzgC4u2uQSe3IE4&usg=AFQjCNE80kBfCA1bRQ0VudCKMafLlVTGTQ

Thank You!!!