Ketegasan haba dan hubungannya dengan perubahan fisiologi di kalangan pekerja lelaki kilang pembuatan komponen automatif, Shah Alam.

Satu kajian keratan rentas telah dijalankan untuk melihat kesan pendedahan haba ke atas perubahan fisiologi di kalangan pekerja lelaki sebuah kilang pembuatan komponen otomotif di Shah Alam, Selangor. Seramai 46 orang yang berkerja di bahagian foundri telah dipilih sebagai responden kajian. Pemboleh ubah yang dikaji adalah WBGT Dalaman, kadar haba metabolik, suhu teras badan, tekanan darah, denyutan nadi dan kadar denyutan nadi. Hasil kajian mendapati nilai min WBGT Dalaman di bahagian operasi foundri adalah sebanyak 28.96 0C. Pekerja foundri terdedah kepada haba semasa proses peleburan besi, proses memasukkan silika dah debu besi ke dalam acuan pembentukan, dan pembentukan teras. Purata masa pengukuran yang paling singkat adalah selama 2 jam dan 8 jam untuk keseluruhan tempoh pendedahan. Ujian Bonferroni menunjukkan terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan di antara suhu teras badan sebelum syif bermula dengan 2 jam selepas syif bermula (p = 0.05) dan di antara sebelum syif bermula dengan selepas tamat syif 8 jam bekerja (p < 0.001). Terdapat perkaitan yang lemah di antara suhu teras badan dengan kadar denyutan nadi sebelum syif bermula (r = 0.293, p = 0.048) dan di antara suhu teras badan dengan tekanan darah sistolik selepas tamat syif 8 jam bekerja (r = 0.309, p =0.036). Kadar denyutan nadi responden adalah berada di antara julat 51 hingga 98 denyutan perminit, menunjukkan tidak terdapat tuntutan aktiviti kerja yang berlebihan ke atas fisiologi. Min suhu teras badan (36.37 ± 0.53 0C) dan kadar denyutan nadi (74.50 ± 10.10 per minit) selepas tamat syif 8 jam menunjukkan pekerja mempunyai kawalan tubuh badan yang baik terhadap pendedahan haba. Tiga daripada empat seksyen kerja yang dikaji mempunyai bacaan WBGT Dalaman melebihi 28 0C (ACGIH TLV). Pekerja terdedah kepada tegasan haba yang sederhana sepanjang kajian ini berlangsung, walaubagaimanapun, suhu teras badan, kadar denyutan nadi dan tekanan darah masih tidak mencapai tahap tegangan kepada fisiologi

Assessment on physiological effects of heat stress among palm oil mill in tropical climate condition

Background: Palm oil industry contributes majority revenue for manufacturing industry in Malaysia. The process in palm oil mill involves lot of steam consumption and high pressure to maintain good quality of palm oil. In palm oil mill, the workers handle machine directly and consequently exposed to high temperature due to steam which contribute to heat stress. A preliminary study aimed to determine the prevalence of heat stress among palm oil mill workers that involved measurement of heat exposure in working environment and physiological measurement. Objective: This paper is briefly determine the assessment on physiological effects of heat stress among palm oil mill workers in tropical climate condition. Results: The result indicates most of the work unit in palm oil mill exceeded the TLV permitted. However, the physiological of the workers shows the result within considerable values. Conclusion: The workers are exposed to extreme heat, but the evidence indicate that the physiological parameters is not affected drastically indicating adaptive and acclimatize at the level of heat. Therefore, there are need new heat stress index to predicting an accurate heat stress index for acclimatize workers in tropical climate condition

Behaviour based safety approach and factors affecting unsafe behaviour in construction sector: a review

Objective: Construction sector is a critical sector due to high accidents and fatality rates, while unsafe behaviours like hu- man errors and inappropriate operations has been reported as the main cause of accidents. The purpose of this review is to explore the factors influencing unsafe behaviour and to introduce the Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) approach for accident prevention triggered by those unsafe behaviours. Method: This paper reviews several relevant studies on unsafe behaviour and Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) approach in the construction sector. Resources for this review are obtained from several online databases where studies are categorized based on their findings. Findings: The factors behind accidents and unsafe behaviour can be categorized into 8 main categories; Individual Factors, Site condition, Work group, Contractor, Supervision, Project Management, Organization, and Society. Daily observations, workgroups focus and use participative goals with multiple feedback mechanisms are the ideal components of an effective Behaviour Based Safety (BBS). Conclusion: The review provides a link between unsafe behaviour and Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) approach as an ef- fective process in changing the behaviour of workers in the construction sector

Hazard and risk analysis of different sterilizer technology in palm oil mills

Background: This study is conducted to assess the hazard and risk of different sterilizer technology. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the hazards posed by each sterilizer and their risk analysis. Results: The results highlighted that the highest percentage of hazards; Horizontal Sterilizer in Felcra Nasaruddin (25%), in Felda Sungai Tengi (27.5%). Vertical Sterilizer (19.2%), Compact Modular Continuous (CMC) (15%) and continuous sterilizer (CS) (13.3%). In terms of risk, majority of sterilizers have low risk rating, followed by medium and high risk categories the lowest. Conclusion: Based on the HIRARC assessment done, CS is generally the safer technology in term of hazards followed by CMC, vertical and horizontal sterilizer. Majority of the hazard falls into low risk, and then followed in the second place which was medium, and less hazards were grouped into high risk

Determinants of certified motorcycle helmet use among postal delivery riders at rural areas in Peninsular Malaysia

This study aims to identify the determinants of certified helmet use among postal delivery riders (PDRs) in rural areas of Peninsular Malaysia. A cross-sectional study was done among 269 PDRs from 50 postal distribution centres (DC) nationwide. Data collection was achieved through observation of the helmets and a questionnaire.The quality of the motorcycle helmets was determined by the presence of the certification label issued by the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia (SIRIM). The response rate was 99.3%. The odds of full-shell helmets having the SIRIM label were 37.1 times more than that of the half-shell helmets. The odds of non-purchased helmets having the SIRIM label were 14.9 times more than that of the purchased helmets. The odds of expensive helmets having the SIRIM label were 4.4 times more than that for cheaper motorcycle helmets.The odds of helmets owned by riders without a previous crash history having the SIRIM label were 1.9 times more than helmets owned by riders with a crash history. Full-shell helmets with SIRIM standard certification, non-pur-chased helmets, helmet price of US$11.00 or more, and motorcycle riders without any previous crash history were determinants that contributed towards the use of a certified motorcycle helmet. Multiple logistic regression indicated that two variables significantly predicted the use of a certified motorcycle helmet among PDRs–helmet type and cost. An employer that provides the employees with full-shell motorcycle helmets with SIRIM standard certification label that costs at least US$11.00 and hiring motorcycle riders without any previous crash history gives a higher chance of compliance with standard certified motorcycle helmet usag

The effect of hand arm vibration symptoms among palm oil harvester with the usage of cantas machine in Selangor

A cross sectional study was conducted to determine the effect of hand arm vibration symptoms on ‘Cantas’ machine among palm oil harvester in Selangor.Questionnaire survey is use as strategy of enquiry for achieving the objectives. A vibration analyser HVM 100 attached to a tri-accelerometer was used.The vibration level for working hours is 2.30 m/s2and is deemed safe as specified in ISO 5349-1. The prevalence of hand-arm vibration syndrome(HAVS)based on reported symptoms through questionnaires was 39.4%. None of them reported persistence in the symptoms. The ergonomics risk factor mean score was 2.93 out of 4. The issues on ergonomic design was weight, maintenance, portability, ease of usage and efficiency. In conclusion, regular screening for early signs of vibration-related damage is needed as an important part of preventing the aggravation of health problems. The workers also gained awareness regarding vibration exposure and safe working procedure on using Cantas machine

How safe are standard certified motorcycle safety helmets? Malaysian postal delivery riders scenario

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the proportion of motorcycle safety helmets (MSHs) used by postal delivery riders (PDRs) that comply with the Standards and Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia’s (SIRIM) MSH standard guidelines and identify factors that contribute toward compliance of used MSHs with the standards. Methods: The presence of SIRIM certification label, the status of MSH, type of chinstrap, MSH crash history, and duration of MSH use were observed. The dependent variable was the results of the SIRIM testing procedures (SIRIM tests). MSHs that passed the SIRIM tests were considered “standard certified” MSHs. Results: The odds of the complimentary MSHs passing all of the SIRIM tests were 3.7 times the odds of the self-purchased MSHs passing the tests. The odds of MSHs with the SIRIM certification label passing all of the SIRIM tests were 24.2 times the odds of MSHs without the SIRIM certification label, and the odds of MSHs used <3 years passing the SIRIM tests were 3.75 times the odds of the MSHs used ≥3.8 years. Conclusion: PDRs provided with complimentary MSHs with the SIRIM certification label by the employer for their daily delivery routines and duration of MSH used for less than 3 years were found to be safe MSHs for male occupational riders in Malaysia

Association of risk factors with musculoskeletal disorders among male commercial bus drivers in Malaysia

A national study in Malaysia was conducted with the main objective being to determine the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and the association between risk factors and MSDs among Malaysian bus drivers. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,181 male commercial bus drivers in Malaysia using questionnaires to determine demographic, working characteristics and a translated Nordic questionnaire to determine MSD complaints. A Human Vibration Meter was used to measure whole body vibration (WBV) exposure, and postural analysis was used to evaluate awkward working posture. To assess psychological factors, the validated Profile of Mood States (POMS) was used. The overall prevalence of MSD was 81.8% and, by body parts, low back pain was reported to be the highest complaint of lifetime MSD (58.5%) compared to other body parts. The levels of WBV acceleration magnitude A(8) exceed the European Union Directive (0.54 m/s2 root-mean-square [r.m.s.] acceleration), and only 1.2% of the bus drivers adopt more than 40% of awkward postures while driving. Logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, income, education level, and work activities, revealed that factors such as lack of seat adjustability, uncomfortable seat, seat's material, seat contour and design, WBV exposure, smoking, frequency of daily trips, duration of daily driving, prolonged sitting, working part time, and psychological factors (namely, feeling stress, feeling worried, feeling fatigued) were important risk factors of MSDs among Malaysian bus drivers. As a conclusion, bus drivers are exposed to a combination of risk factors that may lead to an increased risk of developing MSDs

The bahasa Melayu version of cornell musculoskeletal discomfort questionnaire (CMDQ): reliability and validity study in Malaysia

BACKGROUND: The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) was developed to assess the level of musculoskeletal discomfort among office workers related to their ergonomic situation. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this initial study is to analyze the validity and dependability of the Malay translation of the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire. METHODS: The questionnaire was self-administered two times, with an interval of two weeks in order to evaluate the accuracy of the original findings with a retest. The study involved 115 participants. RESULTS: The range of Cronbach Alpha coefficient showed a considerable consistency of the items for each sub-scale (Cronbach’s a > 0.95). The range of Kappa coefficients was between (ICC = 0.690–0.949, p < 0.001), (ICC = 0.801–0.979, p < 0.001) and (ICC = 0.778–0.944, p < 0.001) for frequency, severity and interference scales. CONCLUSIONS: This research, introduced the Malay-language version of the CMDQ (CMDQ-M) as the first formal validation of the CMDQ, and confirmed a high reliability and validity for the evaluation of musculoskeletal discomfort among the study population

Intensive resistance exercise and circadian salivary testosterone concentrations among young male recreational lifters

Strength and morphological adaptations to resistance exercise are mediated in part by anabolic hormones such as testosterone, yet the time course of variability in circadian hormone concentrations is not well characterized. This study, investigated how the circadian rhythm of salivary testosterone is altered by resistance exercise in young men. Twenty healthy young male recreational lifters (age, 18.0 ± 1.3 years) with 2 years of experience in weightlifting were recruited. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, and subjects were randomly assigned to either the resistance exercise group (n = 10), who completed a series of resistance exercise (3 times a week, in the afternoon, 6-7 repetitions, at 85% of 1 repetition maximum for 3 weeks), or a control group (n = 10), who did not exercise during the 3 weeks. Before and after the study, an unstimulated saliva sample (2 ml) was taken every 2 hours for a maximum of 16 hours during each day. A significant decrease was observed in the resistance exercise (44.2%, p = 0.001) and control group (46.1%, p = 0.001) for salivary testosterone at each time point compared with baseline (p = 0.001). There was also no significant difference between the exercise and resting conditions in both groups for salivary testosterone (p > 0.05), except a significantly higher increase by 38.4% vs. -0.02% (p = 0.001), at 1730 hours during exercise sessions in the resistance exercise group compared with the control group. Resistance exercise has no noteworthy effect on circadian secretion of salivary testosterone throughout the 16 waking hours. These results indicate that athletes can undertake resistance exercise in either the morning or afternoon with the knowledge that a similar testosterone response can be expected regardless of the time of day