Safety system for child pillion riders of underbone motorcycles in Malaysia

Objective: Motorcycles are a common mode of transport for most Malaysians. Underbone motorcycles are one of the most common types of motorcycle used in Malaysia due to their affordable price and ease of use, especially in heavy traffic in the major cities. In Malaysia, it is common to see a young or child pillion rider clinging on to an adult at the front of the motorcycle. One of the main issues facing young pillion riders is that their safety is often not taken into account when they are riding on a motorcycle. This article reviews the legally available systems in child safety for underbone motorcycles in Malaysia while putting forth the need for a safety system for child pillion riders. Method: Various databases were searched for underbone motorcycle safety systems, related legislation, motorcycle accident data, and types of injuries and these were reviewed to put forth the need for a new safety system. Results: In motorcycle-related accidents, children usually sustain lower limb injuries, which could temporarily or permanently inhibit the child's movements. Accident statistics in Malaysia, especially those involving motorcycles, reflect a pressing need for a reduction in the number of accidents. In Malaysia, the legislation does not go beyond the mandatory use of safety helmets for young pillion users. There is a pressing need for another safety system or mechanism(s) for young pillion riders of underbone motorcycles. Enforcement of laws to enforce the usage of passive safety systems such as helmets and protective gear is difficult in underdeveloped and developing countries. Conclusion: The intervention of new technology is inevitable. Therefore, this article highlights the need for a new safety backrest system for child pillion riders to ensure their safety

Non-compliance of Malaysia motor vehicles (safety seatbelts) Rules 1978

Background: Seat belts have been proven as one of the most successful means of preventing or reducing injuries to occupants of cars during an accident. This paper examines the reasons behind the non-compliance of the seat belt law in Malaysia and suggests possible measures to get the percentage of seat belt usage up higher. Methods: Various databases of articles were searched for seat belt usage in Malaysia, related legislation, related accident data, type of injuries and reviewed to put forth the need for a new measure to increase the usage of seat belts in Malaysia. Results: In various studies carried out previously, car occupants (driver and front passenger) used the seat belts mainly with the knowledge that seat belts prevents injuries, the fear of being fined by the authorities, comfortability of the seat belt, speed of travel, trip purpose and driving location. However, when these factors are removed, seat belts usage starts becoming lax. Other reasons were driving short distance (known location), forgetfulness and were in a hurry. Conclusion: Enforcement of seat belt usage by either the Police or Road Transport Department is only a short term solution. The relevant agencies are urged to consider making compulsory for all car makers in Malaysia to enable a system where the car would not be able to start without the seat belt being fixed first for the driver and passenger and to make auto seat belt fixing enabled in the car when the driver and or passenger enters the car

A need for new accident theories in Malaysia?

Workplace accident is a big challenges for a safety professional. Workplace accidents may lead from minor to serious effects to both employees and employers alike. Accident is an unexpected and undesirable event, especially those resulting in damage, harm or unforeseen incidents. This paper also discussed all available accident theories that are commonly used in workplace as fundamental to mitigating accident. Throughout this paper, the author justified that a new or updated accident theory is needed in Malaysia. The author stated that current accident theories are based on different environments and are different in terms physical of the employee who involved in the accident. This author also stated that technology changes is also another factor which can be supporting the new or updated accident theory needed in Malaysia

Potential safety risks in schools: ensuring the safety of our precious ones

The school has become an inextricable part of the modern society throughout the world and especially in Malaysia. During the weekdays, schools are typically a hive of activities where the adults (teachers and other workers) and children (students) interact with each other daily. Schools often maintain a low-risk level of safety and health. Schools have potential variety of risk and hazards (physical and social) that can negatively affect the wellbeing and health of the people. The Malaysian Department of Safety and Health (DOSH) have issued the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) for identifying the risk elements during usual and special operations and to predict the likelihood and severity in workplaces. This study was carried out to identify all the factors and hazards that may cause harm to occupant of a selected school in the state of Selangor, Malaysia. An assessment was carried out to consider the chances of that harm befalling anyone in the circumstances of a particular case and the possible severity of the outcome to enable school administrators to plan, introduce, and monitor preventive measures to ensure that the risks are adequately controlled at all times. The HIRARC assessment on the selected school identified that physical hazard has the highest frequency, followed by ergonomic, biological, chemical, and psychosocial hazards. The kitchen, science laboratory, and toilet are the areas that have higher potential for accident to happen. Although in terms of risk, most of the hazards are categorized under medium followed by low risk, but none of hazards are categorized under the high-risk group. There is a critical need to ensure that the school environment is constantly kept safe and healthy to ensure that the process of lifelong building of knowledge and practices can be sustained for the future of the nation

Discomfort, fatigue and work-related musculoskeletal disorders associated with prolonged standing among Malaysian manufacturing workers: A mini review

Prolonged standing is one of the crucial occupational risk factors that contributes to discomfort, fatigue, and in the long-term can cause work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) among workers. The objective of this article is to disseminate information about the effect of prolonged standing, which can cause muscle discomfort, fatigue, and WMSDs. Prolonged standing without sufficient rest can lead to muscle discomfort, and eventually to fatigue, especially in the back and lower extremities of a worker’s body. Prolonged standing without any form of intervention could lead to musculoskeletal disorders among workers. This review shows that the level of body comfort among workers in Malaysia is inadequate due to several factors of which prolonged standing is one. Therefore, ergonomic interventions are crucial to ensure the safety, welfare, and health of workers in the workplace

Needlestick and sharp injuries among health care workers in Saudi hospitals: a review

This paper explains Needlestick and Sharp Injuries among Healthcare Workers in Saudi Hospitals. Presently there are number of factors that are responsible for health care workers injuries. Lack of secure environment and ignorance to safety measures can lead to injuries due to Needlestick and Sharp objects. There is a significant need of providing better working environment for health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Following daily practices and World Health Organization’s measures for taking the preventive steps for these injuries is necessary. Trying to avoid utilizing needles whenever secure and efficient substitutes are present, providing needle containers, avoiding re-capping and wearing gloves on both hands are some of the measures that could be taken to make sure these problems do not recur

Conceptual framework for the design of a child motorcycle safety seat

Motorcycles are a common mode of transport in Malaysia where families with children can be common seen riding together. However a child riding pillion on underbone motorcycles are not safely protected from falling down from the motorcycle apart from holding onto the adult in front. The current feature in an underbone motorcycle seat does not provide or lack the necessary protection for the child pillion riders. The current seat requires a systematic framework in order to design and develop a safety motorcycle backrest seat for Malaysian child pillion riders of underbone type motorcycles. Therefore the main objective of this paper is to propose a conceptual framework to showcase the conceptual design and development of a child friendly motorcycle seat. In order to design and develop our safety motorcycle backrest seat for child pillion riders, a leading International Automotive Consultancy’s (IAC) New Product Introduction (NPI) process and subsequent IAC Design & Development Process was adopted and adapted to be able to properly design, develop, test and produce a robust prototype seat. The main IAC NPI will be abbreviated from the kick off until the prototype release milestone. The IAC NPI is then divided to 4 main phases starting from the initiating five concepts and choosing the best concept; designing and developing the chosen concept; building the first prototype test the design; validating the design and releasing the final prototype

Ergonomic interventions: comparisons between footrest and anti-fatigue mat in reducing lower leg muscle discomforts during prolonged standing

Ergonomics is a science focusing on the study of human fit, decreasing human fatigue and discomfort through the design of new product. Prevention related to workers injury and illness such as muscle discomfort is part of the main goals in ergonomics interventions. Thus, this present study investigates the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions such as footrest and floor conditions in reducing workers lower leg muscle discomforts during prolonged standing. The main objective of this study was to determine and compare the lower leg muscles discomfort (exertion percentage (%)) of Gastrocnemius and Tibialis Anterior among the respondents using the two ergonomic interventions (footrest and anti-fatigue mat). About 60 healthy subjects were recruited to stand for 2 hours (120 minutes) while using the two interventions in different session with one week interval between each test session. During standing, lower leg muscle discomfort of Gastrocnemius and Tibialis Anterior muscles were continuously monitored. Changes in lower leg muscle discomforts over standing time were measured using the surface Electromyography (sEMG). In this study, the sEMG readings showed that the percentage of exertion (%) were increasing with time (within 120 minutes) on muscles for both legs with the usage of the interventions (footrest and anti-fatigue mat). However, the percentage of exertion (%) from the sEMG readings were lower compared to previous studies. The independent t-test was used to find the mean changes on exertion percentage (%) between each muscles of both legs for the two interventions. Results found that there were significant exertion percentage at certain time with 15 minutes time period within the 120 minutes standing. This study showed that the ergonomic interventions (anti-fatigue mat and footrest) gives a low number of exertion percentage (%), showing a reduced muscle discomfort to the lower leg muscles compared to previous studies and interventions. In comparisons with footrest, this study showed that anti-fatigue mat is more applicable for the assembly workers in the industrial factory. The data produced by the comparisons between the two interventions can be useful especially to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia (DOSH) in enhancing the safety and wellbeing of industrial workers in Malaysia

Likert scale vs. visual analogue scale on vehicle seat discomfort questionnaire: a review

Discomfort measurement has usually been attempted by asking the participants to rate the scale of their discomfort which commonly termed as a subjective scale. Various studies had conducted the discomfort level on vehicle seat by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Likert scale. VAS is a tool that use to measure a discomfort or characteristics in range across a continuum of values. Meanwhile, Likert-scale is a tool consist of items that require respondents to rate their degrees of comfort or discomfort with various declarative statements. Thus, the purpose of this study is to review, discuss and compare between the VAS and Likert scale used on the development and assessment of sitting discomfort survey in seat vehicles. The literature on various topics related to questionnaire development on discomfort in seat vehicle were collected from electronic databases. Four high-quality studies were eligible and met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, there is no evidence and conclusion that neither visual analogue scale nor Likert scale are better to one another. Therefore, it can be concluded that either of this scale still applicable for the ergonomic research application as both of this scale have their own pros and cons

Respiratory effects of exposure to high levels of particulate among Malaysian traffic police

Introduction: Malaysian traffic police are always working on the public roads to alleviate traffic congestion and therefore exposed them to the polluted air every day. In particular, polluted air containing PM2.5 is dangerous to their respiratory health as they can penetrate deep into the lungs, leading to bronchitis, lung cancer and many more. Hence, this research examined the relationship of personal exposure level to PM2.5 with respiratory symptoms among traffic policemen in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru. Methods: 134 participants among traffic policemen were agreed to participate in this study. They were requested to complete a questionnaire regarding the sociodemographic back-ground and respiratory health information. The questionnaire was adopted from International Union Against Tuberculosis Lung Diseases (1986). Personal exposure level of PM2.5 was measured using an air pump with 5.0μm pore size PVC filter. Results: The mean exposure level of PM2.5 among traffic policemen was 28.69 μg/m3. It was found that some of them possess respiratory symptoms (Coughing 33.6%, Phlegm 25.4%, Wheezing 14.9% and Shortness of breath 32.1%). There was significant association detected at p-value < 0.05 in coughing. Despite, there was no significant association in other symptoms such as phlegm, wheezing and shortness of breath. Conclusions: Traffic police were exposed to a relatively high level of PM2.5 (12.4 μg/m3 to 55.3 μg/m3) and showed symptoms of respiratory effects. Therefore, recognition of the risks connected with occupational lung disease and exposure monitoring must be a high priority. This baseline data can serve as a reference to the top management of traffic police officers in order to develop an occupational safety and health guideline for police officers as required by Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA, Act 514 1994)