It is the first of its kind here to be registered and approved by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).
“With this facility, we can now go to industrial sites to carry out hearing-impairment tests. Hearing loss affects a worker’s ability to hear warning sounds and causes loss of concentration which can lead to industrial accidents,” Global Green OSH Services Sdn Bhd managing director Steven Wong said.
Basically, the objective is to help private and public sector industrial ventures comply with the Occupational Safety & Health Act 1994 and Factories and Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulations 1989. The ventures include palm oil mills, wood-based industries, oil and gas industries, chemical and petro-chemical industry, power plant, electronic-based industry, airport and port facilities, shipyards and offshore rigs.
Wong explained that under the Act, employers were required to provide a working system and environment “that is safe and without risks to the health of their employees.”
“Specifically, the Regulations (Factories and Machinery — Noise Exposure 1989), make it mandatory for employers to establish and maintain audiometric testing programmes for all employees exposed to a noise level at or above 85 decibels dB(A). Prolonged exposure to this can cause hearing loss or impairment to the workers,” he told TheSundayPost.
In most industries, he said, long exposure to excessive noise, if not carefully controlled, could damage a worker’s hearing.
He pointed that of the occupational health defects reported to the Social Security Organisation of Malaysia (Socso), loss of hearing due to exposure to continuous excessive high noise levels was one of the most common and this had quite a serious impact on Socso compensation.
“We start the mobile service to enable more workers to go for the test and comply with the legal requirements. Audiometric evaluation is essential to the success of the hearing conservation programme (HCP) as it’s the only way to determine whether noise-induced hearing loss is being prevented.”
According to Wong, very often, industrial workers will not notice the change caused by noise-induced hearing loss as it happens gradually and is not accompanied by immediate pain.
“Most workers are aware that exposing their sense of hearing to noise levels about 85 dBA for even a few minutes may in-duce temporary deafness.
“Audiometric testing helps employers initiate protective measures such providing adequate hearing protective devices to shield workers from further hearing loss.
“Therefore, it’s crucial for industry operators to establish and maintain the audiometric testing programme by allocating sufficient resources or funds to carry out audiometric evaluation for their workers at determined frequency or intervals under the Regulations.”
He said it was both inconvenient and costly for industry opera-tors to arrange for their workers to have audiometric testing in the cities or towns, adding that it was even worse if the industries were located in the rural areas.
However, he added, with the new mobile audiometric testing booth, unnecessary interruption to operations could be avoided as testing was done on site, hence reducing not only operational but also administrative costs.
Screening needed
Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist Dr Lee Siew Ching said if the noise level were over 85 dB, hearing screening had to be done, and depending on the noise level and a few other criteria, annual screening may also be necessary.
“The workers may already have hearing impairment due to other diseases — so we don’t want their condition to be further aggravated by occupation-related hearing loss.
“For those with noise exposure between 85 dB and below two, yearly screening is sufficient – that’s basic procedure. Employees should be well protected under the law and it’s about time we take this seriously,” he said.
Global Green OSH Services, set up in 1996, and located at Block D, Floor 2, 4049, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi, Parkcity Commerce Square, Phase 5, Bintulu, has two sets of audiometric booths mounted inside its mobile vehicle, and a team of trained technicians and occupational health doctor (OHD) and is now ready to serve industry operators statewide.
Meanwhile, Wong explained that legally, within six months after starting work, employees had to undergo audiometric testing for early detection, and monitoring would continue.
“One guy came to see me and said we should make this service a bit faster because he had been suffering from hearing impairment for 10 years. For him, it’s already too late.”
Sabah has two mobile units, the peninsula has over 50 but Sarawak has only one.
In Sarawak, the measuring instrument is placed at fixed location – in a clinic for example — and it cannot moved around, so the workers have to go to the clinic to be tested.
“Sometimes, the doctor is very busy and has no time to attend to the workers. Only five or six tests can be carried out per day. Occasionally, you have to make an appointment with the clinic.
“But with the mobile unit, we can go to the site — workers just have to come out of the factory to get tested. All it takes is 10 to 20 minutes per person. We have been receiving calls from the industry people and will be in full swing next year,” Wong said.
According to him, some of the workers still miss the test even though it is a legal requirement.
“It’s the responsibility of employers to send their workers for test — early detection is important. It benefits employers not only in terms of costs but also productivity. If the workers’ hearing is all right, they can hear noises better, find it easy to communicate with each other and there will be fewer accidents on site.
“Moreover, the workers know their employers are concerned about their safety and this can translate into improved productivity and product quality.”
Bosses’ responsibility
Wong also stressed the importance for employers to ensure their workers could still enjoy life without any hearing problems after they retired, saying it was their responsibility to fight for their workers’ safety.
“Normally, at a palm oil mill, when an assessment is made, I can say 80 per cent of the noise exceeds the legal level because heavy machines that produce loud noises are used. Other areas audited are airports and ports. If the noise level exceeds the allowed level, employers must come with HCP to protect their workers.
“Working in a very noisy place, people tend to suffer from concentration lapses and irritation — some go home all stressed out and all these can cause adverse health effects such as cardio-vascular diseases, and lead to industry accidents. Employers must take noise pollution seriously and protect their workers from it.
“Hearing impairment is a silent killer — when you notice it, it may already be too late. The damage is permanent — no cure for it. It’s the right time for us to come up with the mobile audiometric testing vehicle to help people avoid hearing impairment and Socso reduce compensation from hearing loss.”
Global Green OSH Services executive director Billy Wong said the company was acting as “the middleman” to bridge the gap between industrial players and the government in enforcing regulations.
“Basically, we provide all range of services vis-a-vis the legal requirements of these three bodies — Department of Environment (DOE), Natural Resource Environment Board (NREB) and DOSH.
“With increasing demand and ever stringent laws, our job is to make it easier for our clients to comply with the legal requirements. They don’t have to send their workers to the city be-cause we go to their premises to check their workers. This will minimise their operational costs and avoid interruption to their operations,” he added.
Pau Choon Hock, a company executive director, said their two mobile units could check 50 to 60 people per day.
“This is more convenient for the employers as well as the employees,” he added.
Source: www.TheBorneoPost.com
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