The present study was carried out to determine the concentrations of selected metal elements (lead, copper, manganese, zinc and iron) in 51 samples of commercial drinking water and tap water available in Malaysia. The results indicated that low metal elements were found in the studied water samples. Lead, manganese, zinc and iron were not detected in some of the studied samples, except copper. The concentrations of the metal elements in the studied samples were well below the maximum permitted concentrations as recommended. Therefore these drinking water are safe for consumption and do not pose adverse effect to the health of consumers due to metal toxicity.
Construction industry is one of the major contributors towards Malaysian economy and socio-economy. It is an important
industry gearing Malaysia towards developed nation status. However, fatalities in this industry are a crucial problem. Number of
fatalities in this industry is the highest compare to other industries registered in Malaysia. The contributing factors can be separated
into immediate (human and worksite elements) and underlying (management and external). Occupational safety and health (OSH)
management is a challenge in the construction industry due to its hazardous nature. A framework of construction OSH management
consisting of policy, process, personnel and incentive elements were tested. 13 respondents from 13 residential projects comprising of
high-rise and low-rise in Pulau Pinang were interviewed. It was found that the immediate factors are being more recognized by the
respondents compare to the underlying factors. Human element is perceived as the most significant contributor, while the external
element is the least significant. In terms of construction OSH management, process and personnel elements are the most significant in
developing an effective OSH management programme.
The construction industry is one of the largest sectors in Malaysia. This industry has become one of the main contributors
for national economic development and consistently contributes 3% to 5% to the national Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This
sector has also opened up job opportunities for various levels of employment. High demands and rapid urbanization offer huge
opportunities for registered contractors. Despite contributing in enhancing national economics, this sector has been regarded as one
of the most dangerous and hazardous workplaces due to the type of nature and the job activities at construction sites. According to
the International Labour Organization (ILO), 2.3 million fatalities related to occupational accidents and illnesses are estimated to
occur each year. Furthermore, 4 percent of world GDP is estimated to be lost due to occupational accidents and illnesses. The number
of fatality accidents in the construction industry was the highest with 652 cases of non-permanent disability (NPD) and permanent
disability (PD) accidents in the period 2007 to 2015, equivalent to 72.44 cases per year and representing 48.77% of the construction
industry. The huge gap between the number of accidents reported to SOCSO and DOSH becomes a major concern due to a rising
number of underreported cases of fatalities and injury in the construction sector, especially those involving foreign labour. The margin
between accidents reported to SOCSO and DOSH is 97.49%. Regards to rapid developments, safety measures to improve performance
management of OSH should be emphasized to reduce losses of life, property and productivity.
Batting velocity is an important component for successful hitting. Previous research has shown that batting velocity is influenced by increased muscular strength. Resistance training is broadly applied by strength and conditioning coaches to increase strength. However, recently, Whole-Body Electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) has been proven to be able to increase muscular strength in high performance athletes. This study aimed to examine the effects of eight weeks of dynamic WB-EMS training on muscular strength and batting velocity among female collegiate softball players. Forty softball players were randomly assigned to two groups: DS-EMS (n = 20) and DS (n = 20). Both groups performed 100 basic dry swings per session using a standard bat. Additionally, DS-EMS group performed whole body electromyostimulation after the dry swing training. The training program was conducted three times a week and all participants were tested before (baseline) and after (week-8) the training programs. Both groups showed statistically significant increases in predicted 1RM torso rotational strength (p ≤ 0.01) and batting velocity (p ≤ 0.01) after 8 weeks of training. The WB-EMS group showed significant increase in predicted 1RM bench press, and predicted 1RM squat (p ≤ 0.01). The WB-EMS group showed greater increases (p ≤ 0.01) in batting velocity compared to control group. These data indicate that an 8-week of dry swing training supplemented by dynamic WB-EMS sessions may significantly increase strength and batting velocity among female collegiate softball players.