Various types of Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OSH-MS) exist in the market. Basically, these systems have similar basic principles and even elements. However, the importance of these elements in terms of successful management of OSH differs according to the end-user. OSH Practitioners with different roles and responsibilities have different views on which element or elements contribute significantly to the overall success of OSH management. There are no standardization in terms quantifying the elements that qualifies an OSH-MS. A study was carried out to quantify the implementation of an OSH-MS through the determination of weighing factors for the different elements in an OSH-MS. Respondents for this study comprised of top safety and health management, safety and health officers (SHO) / radiation protection officers (RPO), DOSH officers, auditors and consultants who are very familiar with OSH-MS. Sample of this study was based on purposive sampling due to strict criteria and prerequisites to be met. Questionnaires were distributed to the identified organizations and personnel. Results from this study established that, auditor has the highest level of understanding of OSH-MS compared with top safety and health management, SHO / RPO, DOSH officers and OSH consultants. Among all the elements in the OSH-MS studied for their levels of importance in terms of the overall success of implementing an OSH-MS, OSH policy is the most critical element, followed by hazard identification, risk assessment and control, employee participation, responsibility and accountability and competence and training. The weighing factor for these top 5 elements are OSH policy (0.36); hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control (0.25); employee participation (0.15); responsibility and accountability (0.14); and competence and training (0.10). Application of the weighing factors of these elements allows the quantification of audit status (Audit Score) based on the equation: audit score = 0.36 [OSH Policy] + 0.25 [Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control] + 0.15 [Employee Participation] + 0.14 [Responsibility and Accountability] + 0.10 [Competence and Training]. Minimum tolerable target for each element of an OSH-MS was also determined. The minimum tolerable frequency of OSH policy is reviewed by top management is yearly; the minimum tolerable frequency of risk management is reviewed is yearly; the minimum tolerable percentage of employees who should be made known on relevant legal and other requirements is ≥90%; the minimum tolerable percentage of OSH objectives and programme(s) achieved / implemented is between 80 – 89%; the minimum tolerable percentage of money budgeted for OSH in a year compared to organization revenue is between 1 – 5%; the minimum tolerable number of hours for each employee needed to be trained on OSH per year is between 30 – 39 hours; the minimum tolerable percentage of employees who should be communicated on matters related to OSH is ≥90%; the minimum tolerable percentage of employees participation and involvement in hazard identification, risk assessment and determining controls is ≥90%; the minimum tolerable percentage of employees who should be involved in establishing OSH documents is
In Malaysia, mineral processing plant is one of the Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) processing industries controlled by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) through the enforcement of Atomic Energy Licensing Act 1984 (Act 304). The activities generated waste which is called as TENORM wastes. TENORM wastes are mainly found in thorium hydroxide from the processing of xenotime and monazite, and iron oxide and red gypsum from the processing of ilmenite. Other TENORM wastes are scales and sludge from the oil and gas industries, tin slag produced from the smelting of tin, and ilmenite, zircon,
and monazite produced from the processing of tin tailing (amang). The environmental and radiological monitoring program is needed to ensure that the TENORM wastes did not caused any contamination to the environment. The wastes vary in the types of samples, parameters of analysis as well as the frequency of monitoring based on license’s conditions issued by the AELB. The main objective of this study is to assess the suitability of license’s condition and the monitoring program required in oil and gas, and mineral processing
industries. Study was done by assessing the data submitted to the AELB in order to comply with the licensing requirement. This study had found out that there are a few of license’s conditions that need to be reviewed accordingly based on the processing activity.
Safety Intervention Need Analysis System (SINAS) is a web-based safety management program that aspires the identification for the need of construction safety intervention. It can be accessed through the website www.sinas.org. This first phase of SINAS project development only focus on safe design intervention. SINAS was created to provide assistance for safety practitioners in identifying the need of safe design intervention. This was put forward through the investigations of construction accidents that relate to design. The SINAS process of need analysis are carved up to six steps i.e. user information, accident details, accident evaluation, result of the need analysis, construction design intervention and safety intervention need analysis report. At the end of the process, Safety Intervention Need Analysis Report will be generated. This report is an essential document to proof the need of safe design intervention. Additionally, SINAS also offers recommendations for construction designers and professionals on suitable safe design intervention to prevent construction accidents and minimises construction risks.
To quantify the effectiveness of deuterons and helium particles at low doses, the inactivation rate in
vitro for V79 cells has been extracted from radiobiological published data. The Physical parameters
characteristics of these charged particles such as the linear energy transfer, the restricted linear
energy transfer, the linear primary ionization and the mean free path are determined. The
relationship between the inactivation rate and the physical parameters for deuterons and heluim-3
particles has been established in this research. This approach enables in getting the distinctive
biological response in terms of varies physical quality parameters. The best statistical regression
fittings are formulated for each correlation.
At present, soil and mineral based building material such as bricks are one of the main components in building construction in Malaysia. This building material is a direct source of radiation exposure since it contains naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM). In this study, clay brick samples used were obtained from 7 factories in Selangor and Johore, Malaysia. The activity concentrations of 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K in these samples of clay bricks were determined using a comparative method and was analysed using gamma spectrometry with HPGe detector. The mean values of activity concentrations for 226 Ra, 232 Th and 40 K were found to be in the range of 39.04 ± 0.88 Bqkg-1 - 73.61 ± 5.32 Bqkg-1, 43.38 ± 2.60 Bqkg-1 - 73.45 ± 1.51 Bqkg-1, and 381.54 ± 11.39 Bqkg-1 - 699.63 ± 15.82 Bqkg-1, respectively. The radiation hazard of NORM in the samples was estimated by calculating the radium equivalent activity (Raeq), external hazard index (Hex) and internal hazard index (Hin). Radium equivalent activity (Raeq) determined was in the range of 151.90 Bqkg-1 - 194.22 Bqkg-1 which is lower than the limit of 370 Bqkg-1 (equivalent to 1.5 mSvyr-1 ) recommended in the NEA-OECD report in 1979, whereas external hazard index (Hex) and internal hazard index (Hin) were between 0.20 – 0.26 and 0.52 - 0.71 respectively. The annual effective dose rate exposure to a dweller received from the clay bricks was calculated to be in the range of 0.35 ± 0.18 mSvy-1 - 0.43 ± 0.09 mSvy-1.
Work shift has been shown to correlate with accident rates. Understanding of such correlation is pertinent especially among emergency response personnel since the decisions that they make determines not only the outcome of their responses but also the risks of accidents to themselves. A questionnaire data derived study used together with a semi quantitative risk analysis method was adopted to estimate the levels of accident risks between firefighters working on two work shifts. Two hundred and forty eight Malaysia’s Fire and Rescue Department firemen from 24 fire stations working on shifts were selected as respondents. The accident rate among firefighters in year 2006 was 52.8 %. Results showed that the Accident Risk Index (ARI) among firefighters working the 24 hours shift was higher (ARI = 3.14) compared with those in the 12 hours shift (ARI = 2.98). However, there were no significant difference in overall severity of the accidents between the two shifts (p>0.05). The difference in risk levels was attributed to the difference in the likelihood of accident occurrence.
Concentrations of Natural Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) and terrestrial gamma radiation have been shown to be associated with certain lithology and soil types. An attempt was made to statistically predict and validate environmental gamma radiation dose rates based on limited number of actual field measurements using sodium iodide (NaI(Tl)) detector. Statistical analysis including the correlations between the actual and predicted dose were made based on 32 different lithology and soil type combinations. Results of field measurements, have shown that more than 50% of the predicted data were not significantly different from the actual measured data. The interpolation method in GIS was used to produce an isodose map based on the prediction equation. A correlation of multiple regression on the predicted versus lithology and soils dose rates gave relationships of DP = 0.35 DL + 0.82 DS – 0.02, r2 = 0.736. A predicted isodose map was subsequently plotted base on 4 dose rates classes, ranging from 0.1 – 0.3 μSvhr-1.
The concentrations of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) and their corresponding terrestrial gamma radiation have been shown to be associated with certain lithology and soil types. A possible relationships among gamma radiation levels, and the lithology and soil types make it possible to predict ionizing radiation level of an area that cannot be directly measured. A study was carried out to statistically predict and validate environmental gamma radiation dose rates based on actual field measurements using a sodium iodide detector. Results obtained showed that the predicted dose rate (Dp) may be determined using a multiple correlation regression equation, Dp = 0.35DL + 0.82 Ds – 0.02, that integrates dose rates contributed by different lithological structures (DL) and soil types (Ds). Statistical analysis on 32 different lithology and soil type combinations showed that more than 50% of the predicted data were not significantly different from the data measured in the field. A predicted isodose map was subsequently plotted base on 4 dose rate classes ranging from 0.1 – 0.3 μSv h-1.
Selain daripada batu-batu kecil, batu kerikil dan pasir, simen merupakan salah satu bahan penting untuk membina bangunan. Simen diperbuat daripada campuran batuan dan tanah dan diketahui secara semulajadinya mengandungi radionuklid tabii. Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan aras keradioaktifan tabii serta menilai hazard sinaran yang berpunca daripada radionulid tabii di dalam simen Portland di Malaysia. Sampel simen Portland diperolehi dari kilang pengeluar simen atau dibeli di pasaran tempatan. Kepekatan radionuklid tabii bagi 226Ra (siri 238U), 232Th dan 40K ditentukan dengan menggunakan spektrometri sinar gama. Hasil kajian mendapati julat kepekatan aktiviti bagi 226Ra (siri 238U), 232Th dan 40K masing-masing adalah 7.76 – 82.91 Bq kg-1, 9.79 – 49.37 Bq kg-1 dan 81.89 – 377.10 Bq kg-1. Purata nilai kesetaraan radium berada dalam julat 35.36 ± 0.60 hingga 135.94 ± 15.27 Bq kg-1 manakala julat purata bagi dos setara tahunan dan indeks hazard dalaman adalah masing-masing ialah 80 ± 2 hingga 300 ± 30 μSv tahun-1 dan 0.12 ± 0.00 hingga 0.56 ± 0.07.
Penggunaan bahan binaan yang mengandungi bahan radioaktif tabii (NORM) yang tinggi boleh meningkatkan kadar dos dedahan kepada penghuni di dalam sesebuah bangunan. Kebimbangan terhadap impak radiologi kepada penghuni menyebabkan perlunya dilakukan penilaian hazard radiologi yang berpunca daripada bahan binaan. Sehubungan itu, objektif kajian ini adalah untuk menentukan aras keradioaktifan tabii dalam bahan binaan di Malaysia serta menilai risiko radiologi yang diterima oleh penghuninya. Sebanyak 46 sampel pasir, 43 sampel kerikil dan 13 sampel simen Portland telah dianalisis menggunakan sistem spektrometri sinar gama. Hasil kajian mendapati kepekatan aktiviti bagi ketiga-tiga sampel bahan binaan berada pada julat 4.4 Bq kg-1 hingga 354.9 Bq kg-1, 2.4 Bq kg-1 hingga 263.9 Bq kg-1 dan 15.1 Bq kg-1 hingga 1931.7 Bq kg-1 bagi masing-masing 226Ra, 232Th dan 40K. Pengiraan kadar dos dedahan dalam bangunan mendapati semua sampel menghasilkan dos di bawah nilai 1500 μSv tahun-1, iaitu jumlah had dos yang disyorkan bagi bahan binaan. Hasil analisis ke atas nilai indeks aras perwakilan sinar gama, indeks hazard luaran dan indeks hazard dalaman mendapati sebahagian sampel memberikan bacaan melebihi nilai satu, iaitu had yang ditetapkan bagi bahan binaan. Penilaian risiko radiologi kepada penghuni dengan menggunakan kod komputer Resrad-Build mendapati kadar dos dedahan yang berpunca daripada simen Portland, pasir dan batu kerikil meningkat pada setiap tahun sepanjang tempoh 50 tahun.