16th April 2015, the end of grace period for compliance to CLASS Regulations 2013.
Below is the notice by Director General of DOSH (Dept of Safety & Health). 
Malaysian health and safety legislation requires employers to have a health and safety program in their workplace. A written occupational health and safety policy helps promote an effective OHS program. Such a policy should reflect the special needs of your workplace and should be regularly reviewed and updated. This document will assist you in writing and applying a policy for your workplace. This policy communicates a commitment to health and safety. It should be signed by a top management or head of the company to further demonstrate the commitment to health and safety.
The Gage dictionary defines “policy” as “a plan of action; a course or method of action that has been deliberately chosen and that guides or influences future decisions.” By stating principles and rules, an occupational health and safety policy guides actions. A policy statement indicates the degree of an employer’s commitment to health and safety. The statement of the employers’ obligation should be more than an outline of legal duties.
There are many differences in form and content of corporate policies. Their style, however, is not as important as the clarity with which they identify functional responsibilities over authority.
To be effective, a policy must:
The policy statement should provide a clear indication of the company’s objectives and plans for occupational health and safety. The following issues should be covered in the statement:
The best policies are specific to a workplace and not borrowed from or written by outsiders. An employer may delegate the preparation of a policy to a staff member. However the written occupational health and safety policy statement is a pledge to employees and therefore the employer is mainly responsible for content. The safety policy should be dated and signed by the top management of workplace.
These are some of the major items to consider.
The following are questions that need to be considered for preparation of a policy:
No matter how well written, a policy is no more than empty words if a plan does not exist to put the policy into effect throughout the organization. The policy can only be put into effect where:
While the assignment of responsibilities must be a complete list customized to your type of work and organizational structure, avoid being too specific that it makes people become to legalistic in interpreting the policy. For example, do not list the specific type of personal protective equipment that must be worn by a employee – simply state that all employees must use the personal protective equipment specified by the employer and/or required by the nature of the work. This way you have flexibility to make changes as circumstances warrant.
Responsibility should be extended throughout the organizational structure to ensure policy objectives will become integrated into all activities. For example, a policy could specify:
Methods of establishing accountability should be designed to monitor the quality and adequacy of workplace procedures, including:
Part of a successful policy is ensuring that all employees are aware of it. If the workplace’s plan for implementing the policy is a good one, employees will be reminded in their day-to-day activities, in safety meetings, and during orientation and training.
A responsibility to adhere to the health and safety policy may be part of the employees’ job descriptions. Each employee, on commencing employment, may be given a copy of the policy and informed that it is a condition of employment to follow the policy.
The workplace can reinforce its commitment to the policy by posting signs at the workplace, by writing articles about the policy in company newsletters, by referring to it in job manuals and so forth.
Each workplace will undoubtedly have its own way of keeping its employees informed. The important thing is to have a plan and to follow through on it.
An effective policy for health & safety management must be:
Ways in which policy and responsibilities can be communicated include:
To implement a policy, health and safety activities must be identified and assigned. While each workplace will do this in its own way, there are some general issues which should be addressed:
Here is a sample of a series of questions that could be put in “Yes / No” checklist:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a condition affecting the hand and wrist. The carpal tunnel is a space in the wrist surrounded by wrist bones and by a rigid ligament that links the bones together (see Figure 1).
Through this small tunnel pass the flexing tendons of the fingers and thumb as well as the median nerve (see Figure 2). These tendons attach muscles to bones in the hand and transfer the movement of the fingers from muscles to bones. The median nerve carries signals from the brain to control the actions of the fingers and hand.
It also carries information about temperature, pain and touch from the hand to the brain, and controls the sweating of the hand.
The thumb, index, middle and ring fingers are under the control of the median nerve (see Figure 2).
In the carpal tunnel, the tendons of the fingers surround the median nerve. Swelling of the tendons reduces the space in the tunnel and squeezes the median nerve which is softer than the tendons. Pressure on this nerve can injure it.
Such injury results in sensations of numbness, tingling, pain, and clumsiness of the hand. This combination of symptoms is called carpal tunnel syndrome. People with carpal tunnel syndrome experience difficulty in performing tasks such as unscrewing bottle tops, fastening buttons, or turning keys.
Bending the wrist or moving the fingers brings muscles and tendons into action. For example, when a person bends a finger, the tendon moves about two inches. The tendons of the hand are encased in sheaths, or sleeves through which the tendons slide. The inner wall of the sheaths contains cells that produce a slippery fluid to lubricate the tendons. Lubrication is essential for the normal and smooth functioning of the tendons. With repetitive or excessive movement of the hand, the lubrication system may malfunction. It may not produce enough fluid or it may produce a fluid with poor lubricating qualities. Failure of the lubricating system creates friction between the tendon and its sheath causing inflammation and swelling of the tendon area. In turn, the swelling squeezes the median nerve in the wrist or carpal tunnel. Repeated episodes of inflammation cause fibrous tissue to form. The fibrous tissue thickens the tendon sheath, and hinders tendon movement.
Although we do not have reliable estimates of the number of cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, studies of specific occupations increasingly show that the disorder is fairly common. For example, 614 out of 982 supermarket checkers surveyed reported symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. In one electronic manufacturing plant with 700 employees, a review of workers’ compensation claims revealed a total of 52 cases of carpal tunnel syndrome over a five-year period. Out of a group of 788 meat handlers, 117 had surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome over a twelve-year period. A survey of 400 American hand surgeons reported that each surgeon performed an average of 65 operations for carpal tunnel syndrome per year. Carpal tunnel syndrome is more common in females. The estimated lifetime risk of developing this syndrome is about 10% of adults.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is particularly associated with certain tasks including:
Cashiers, hairdressers, or knitters or sewers are examples of people whose work-related tasks involve the repetitive wrist movements associated with carpal tunnel syndrome. Bakers who flex or extend the wrist while kneading dough, and people who flex the fingers and wrist in tasks such as milking cows, using a spray paint gun, and hand-weeding are other examples. Excessive use of vibrating hand tools may also cause carpal tunnel syndrome.
Some studies show that psychosocial factors (such as stress) can contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The following table lists the most common tasks and related occupations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
| Table 1 Job tasks and occupations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome |
|
|---|---|
| Job Tasks | Occupations |
| Grasping and tugging fabric, pulling cloth | Production sewer, tailor, garment worker/stitcher |
| Milking cows | Farmer |
| Handling objects on conveyor belts | Assembly-line worker |
| Pushing down ratchet, using screwdriver | Mechanic |
| Hand weeding | Gardener |
| Using spray gun | Painter |
| Keyboarding / mouse use | Office workers |
| Knitting | Homemaker |
| Scrubbing | Janitor |
| Playing stringed instruments with bow | Musician |
| Using laser scanner at checkout | Cashier |
| Keypunching, typing | Clerical worker |
| Cutting, de-boning | Butcher/poultry-processing worker |
| Assembling small parts | Electronic industry worker |
| Turning keys | Locksmith |
| Wearing poorly fitting gloves which apply external pressure | Agricultural worker, mechanic, factory worker |
| Pressing tool into palm | Painter, carpenter, stablehand |
| Pounding safety lever or stamping machine | Receipt processor |
| Using air-powered hand tools | Assembly worker |
Carpal tunnel syndrome is associated with several diseases and situations. They are:
All these diseases and situations increase the volume of the contents of the carpal tunnel, resulting in compression of the median nerve. Also some individual factors, such as the size and shape of the wrist and the shape of the median nerve, may contribute to the development of carpal tunnel syndrome.
The typical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are tingling of the thumb, and of the index, middle, and ring fingers, and night pain. The pain awakens the patient, but is often relieved by shaking, hanging, or massaging the hand. Pain may involve not only the hand, but also the arm and the shoulder. Numbness and loss of manual dexterity occur in more advanced cases. Weakness of the hand also occurs, causing difficulty with pinch and grasp. The person may drop objects or be unable to use keys or count change with the affected hand. The skin may dry because of reduced sweating.
People who suspect carpal tunnel syndrome often consult a doctor. The evaluation of occupational carpal tunnel syndrome includes identifying workplace risks. Evaluation begins with a discussion of the person’s employment and requires a detailed description of all the processes involved in a typical day’s work. It also requires consideration of the frequency, intensity, duration and regularity of each task performed at work. Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome is confirmed by performing certain tests to detect damage to the median nerve.
When symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome are mild or likely to be temporary, treatment includes rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, and a splint. Even if a patient wears a splint that has been prescribed, he or she should avoid the activities that caused or aggravate the injury. Where this is not possible, patients should wear the splint after work and particularly during sleeping hours.
Specific exercises supervised by a physical or occupational therapist and yoga can be beneficial.
Surgery may be necessary if the symptoms are severe and if the other measures do not provide any relief. Surgery should not be the first choice for treatment. Even after surgery, a number of patients may still have some problems. Weakness of grip in the operated hand persists in about 30 percent of cases.
Prevention of carpal tunnel syndrome may involve redesigning work stations, tools, or the job, and educating workers. Proper work station design reduces awkward wrist positions and minimizes the stressful effects of repetitive motions. Awkward positions can originate from unsuitable work station designs that do not take into account the size and proportions of the human body. Work stations should be adjustable and should accommodate a vast majority of people who work in that area.
Redesigning work methods is important. For example, using an adjustable fixture to hold an electrical housing, as Figure 3 shows, reduces wrist flexion.
(B)
Figure 3 – Examples of an adjustable fixture
(B) that reduces the wrist flexion shown in (A)
Redesigning tools is also important. One study in a poultry processing plant found that workers who used standard knives were prone to carpal tunnel syndrome. When the workers started using knives with a bent handle, they no longer needed to bend their wrists while cutting the meat (see Figure 4). This change significantly reduced the occurrence of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Good job design minimizes awkward wrist positions and tasks with repetitive motions. Job design includes the following:
Worker training should aim to reduce the number and types of awkward wrist postures and the number of repetitive motions. Informing workers about the risk factors that can contribute to carpal tunnel syndrome is important.
To limit the effects of a physically stressful job, employers should work closely with employees. This is achieved by implementing worker training and job rotation, and by matching employees to job assignments.
There is no one or single body position that is recommended for sitting. Every worker can sit comfortably by adjusting the angles of their hips, knees, ankles and elbows. The following are general recommendations. Occasional changes beyond given ranges are acceptable and sometimes beneficial.
A person is “alone” at work when they are on their own; when they cannot be seen or heard by another person.
It is important to consider all situations carefully. Working alone includes all employees who may go for a period of time where they do not have direct contact with a co-worker. For example, the receptionist in a large office building may be considered a “lone” worker. Alternatively, a construction worker who is doing work in a bathroom or other location that cannot be seen by co-workers may also be considered a lone worker. Other examples are gas station attendants, convenience store clerks, food outlet employees, taxi drivers, home care employees, social service workers, security guards or custodians.
While it is not always hazardous to work alone, it can be when other circumstances are present. Whether a situation is a high or low risk will depend on the location, type of work, interaction with the public, or the consequences of an emergency, accident, injury, etc. This wide variety of circumstances makes it important to assess each situation individually.
High risk activities can involve risks from a variety of sources such as those below:
Check the regulations in your area. Some jurisdictions have specific laws concerning working alone.
There are many steps that can be taken to help ensure the safety of the lone worker:
It is important that a check-in procedure be in place. Decide if a verbal check-in is adequate, or if the employee must be accounted for by a visual check. Make sure your plan is appropriate for both regular business hours as well as after main office hours.
For most lone workers, the telephone will be the main source of contact. If you work at a desk or station, have a telephone close by. If you are away from a main office or work station, the use of a cell phone is very helpful. If a cell phone is unreliable in your area, be sure to have alternative methods of communication available (such as use of public telephones, site visits or satellite technology).
When travelling out of the office, the main contact person should know the following details:
An example of a check-in procedure is:
The following are some points to consider. Each circumstance will be different, so be sure to adapt the questions to suit your situation.
Length of time the person will be working alone:
Communication:
Location of the work:
Type or nature of work:
Characteristics required by the individual who is working alone
Adapted from: Government of Western Australia, 2009 “Guidance Note: Working Alone”
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