NIOSH Safety and Health Officer (SHO) - Occupational Health (Malaysia) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

TWA formula

Time-weighted average concentration for an 8-hour workday: sum of (concentration × time) divided by 8 hours, compared with the occupational exposure limit.

STEL

Short-term exposure limit: the maximum concentration to which workers can be exposed for a continuous 15-minute period, not to be exceeded more than four times per day.

Ceiling limit

The concentration of a hazardous substance that must never be exceeded at any time during the work shift, regardless of duration.

Biological monitoring

Measurement of a chemical or its metabolite in biological samples (blood, urine, breath) to assess internal dose and compare with biological exposure indices.

Silicosis

Pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of respirable crystalline silica, leading to lung fibrosis; common in construction, mining, and foundry work.

Noise-induced hearing loss

Irreversible hearing loss from prolonged exposure to high noise levels, typically starting as a dip at 4000 Hz on audiometry and progressing with continued exposure.

WBGT

Wet bulb globe temperature: an index combining dry bulb, natural wet bulb, and globe temperature to assess heat stress; used with ACGIH TLVs for work-rest regimens.

Occupational asthma

Asthma caused or aggravated by workplace exposure to allergens or irritants, often showing improvement away from work and worsening on return.

Hierarchy of controls

Ranking of risk control measures from most to least effective: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment.

Risk matrix

A tool that rates risk as the product of likelihood and severity, typically using a 5×5 grid to prioritise hazards for control.

JSA

Job safety analysis: a systematic process of breaking a task into steps, identifying hazards in each step, and determining control measures.

HAZOP

Hazard and operability study: a structured team-based technique using guide words to identify deviations from design intent in process plants.

Confined space

An enclosed or partially enclosed space with limited entry and exit, not designed for continuous occupancy, and with potential for hazardous atmosphere or engulfment.

LOTO

Lockout/tagout: a procedure to isolate and secure energy sources before maintenance, preventing accidental start-up or release of stored energy.

ALARP

As low as reasonably practicable: the principle that residual risk should be reduced until further control is grossly disproportionate to the benefit.

Machine guarding

Physical barriers or devices that prevent access to dangerous moving parts of machinery, including fixed guards, interlocks, and presence-sensing devices.

Fire triangle

The three elements needed for combustion: fuel, oxygen, and heat (ignition source); removing any one element extinguishes the fire.

Incident investigation

A systematic process to determine the root causes of an incident, identify corrective actions, and prevent recurrence, beyond immediate causation.

OSH Act 1994

Malaysia's principal occupational safety and health legislation (Act 514), imposing general duties on employers, employees, and others to ensure safety and health at work.

Section 15 OSH Act

General duty of employers to ensure, so far as is practicable, the safety, health, and welfare of employees and others affected by their work activities.

Section 24 OSH Act

General duty of employees to take reasonable care for their own safety and health and that of others, and to cooperate with the employer's OSH measures.

Safety and Health Committee

A committee required under the OSH (Safety and Health Committee) Regulations 1996 for workplaces with 40 or more employees, to review OSH matters and promote safety.

USECHH 2000

Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000, requiring chemical register, SDS, risk assessment, exposure monitoring, and health surveillance.

DOSH

Department of Occupational Safety and Health, the Malaysian government agency responsible for enforcing OSH legislation and promoting workplace safety and health.

Factories and Machinery Act 1967

Malaysian legislation (Act 139) regulating factory registration, machinery safety, pressure vessels, and hoists, administered by DOSH.

NADOPOD 2004

Occupational Safety and Health (Notification of Accident, Dangerous Occurrence, Occupational Poisoning and Occupational Disease) Regulations 2004, requiring reporting of workplace incidents to DOSH.

Noise Exposure Regulations 2019

Malaysian regulations setting an action level of 80 dBA and exposure limit of 85 dBA (8-hour TWA), requiring noise risk assessment and hearing conservation programmes.

Employment Act 1955

Malaysian law governing employment terms including working hours, rest days, leave, and maternity protection, relevant to worker welfare but not primarily OSH.

PDCA cycle

Plan-Do-Check-Act: a continual improvement cycle used in OSH management systems to plan, implement, evaluate, and improve safety performance.

ISO 45001

International standard for occupational health and safety management systems, requiring leadership, worker participation, risk-based thinking, and continual improvement.

LTIFR

Lost time injury frequency rate: (number of lost time injuries × 1,000,000) divided by total hours worked, a key OSH performance indicator.

Management review

Top management's periodic evaluation of OSH performance, audit results, incidents, and legal compliance to identify opportunities for improvement.