BLOG 2: WEB BASED OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH

Occupational safety and health is emphasizes about the protecting the safety, health and welfare of people engaged in work or employment  Nowadays, most of organisations are concerning and serving to promote occupational safety and health at work. For example, Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) under Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia.

THE FUNCTION OF DOSH

1.      To study and review the policies and legislation of occupational safety and health.

2.      To conduct research and technical analysis on issues related to occupational safety and health at the workplace.

3.      To carry out promotional and publicity programs to employers, workers and the general public to foster and increase the awareness of occupational safety and health.

4.      To become a secretariat for the National Council regarding occupational safety and health.

Regarding to construction area, there are some digital tools that used to managing the safety. For example database, virtual reality (VR), geographical information system (GIS), 4D CAD, sensing and warning technologies. All these technologies are widely applied for hazard prevention and safe project delivery. For online databases are usually used in assessing competence of different stakeholders. Furthermore, virtual reality technology makes it easier to identify, analyse, coordinate, and communicate the product design in order to improve decision making and final product. VR and database technologies can assist users in identifying potential the construction risks contained in the design at the construction stage. Besides, the use of 4D CAD has significant potential for the construction industry. It is because 4D technology enables planners to predict potential problems at the construction stage whereas the use of 4D CAD allows considerable savings to be made on construction projects by identifying problems prior to construction and avoiding re-work during the project. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and BIM have also become used in conjunction with 4D CAD to better understand construction safety issues by considering environment impact and design information. Furthermore, technological advances in information, sensing, visualization, and spatial temporal analysis technologies are enabling new forms of spatial awareness of construction job site conditions.

Next point that I want to highlight is computer-related ergonomic problems. There are some instructions for avoiding cumulative motion disorders.

1.      Employees should take a 3–5 minute break from working at the computer every 20–40 minutes, and use the time for other tasks.

2.      Design maximum flexibility and adaptability into the workstation. Don’t stay in one position for long periods.

3.      Reduce glare with devices such as shades over windows and recessed or indirect lighting.

4.      Give workers a complete replacement vision exam to ensure properly corrected vision for reduced visual strain.

5.      Allow for positioning wrists at the same level as the elbow.

6.      Put the screen at or just below eye level, at a distance of 18
to 30 inches from the eyes.

7.      Let the wrists rest lightly on a pad for support.

8.      Put the feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.

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REFERENCES

1. Dr. Nur Naha, web based occupational safety & health Slides. ppt,  23 October 2008
2. http://www.dosh.gov.my
3. http://www.niosh.com.my/en/