Ergonomics in the workplace is a subject with many dimensions to consider, such as physical

health, preexisting conditions and workplace dynamics. Even the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) reverted from a controversial 2000 ergonomic ruling (or standard) to more
general guidelines for employers. While OSHA has crafted individual, industry-specific plans,
ergonomics affects all workers.
Related Searches:
OSHA Fall Protection
OSHA Guidelines

1.
o

History
Ergonomics is defined as "the science of adapting the job and/or the equipment
and the human to each other for optimal safety and productivity." In other words, ergonomics
aims to prevent injury to employees by minimizing physical stressors in the workplace. Potential
ergonomic stressors can be improper posture, excessive force, cold, vibrations, low lighting, high
noise, contact stress and repetitive motion.

Significance
o

In 2000, OSHA documented 600,000 workers with ergonomic-related

musculoskeletal disorders that caused lost work time. Nearly half of these were back injuries.
Damages to the spine, fingers, wrists, neck or arms are common musculoskeletal disorders.
These can range from mild to excruciatingly painful, even life-altering conditions.

Effects
o

Typically, these ergonomic injuries do not happen in a single incident. The vast
majorities of musculoskeletal disorders are cumulative and result from chronic exposure or
"action triggers." These action triggers fall into general groupings: repetition, force, vibration
(especially in cold climates) or posture. Contact stress, the fifth category, is a condition arising
from sustained force against body parts from an object, such as using the hand to pound objects.

Features
o

Though ergonomic factors are present in all workplaces, not all musculoskeletal
disorders are work-related. This is part of what makes it difficult to apply the ergonomic
guidelines. In its ergonomic frequently asked questions, OSHA admits that assessing hazards is
difficult. An employee can be exposed to action triggers on and off the job.

Types
o

Over the years, OSHA has been carefully constructing industry-specific

guidelines. Industries with high rates of musculoskeletal disorders---such as shipyards, poultry
processing plants, retail grocery stores and nursing homes---have recently received ergonomic
guides by OSHA. Nursing homes, for instance, have been advised to reduce the lifting of
residents by employees. With a vast variety of workplaces, OSHA is hard-pressed to address
each situation individually. Employers should review current guidelines and assess their own risk
accordingly. (Full industry specific guidelines are linked below.)

Prevention/Solution
o

Analyze your company with an eye to ergonomics and consider possible

solutions. Examine employees' posture at desks. Are there continual repetitive motions such as
high-speed typing? Allowing employees to take breaks or shift to other tasks periodically could
reduce hazards. Look for areas of high noise, cold temperatures, excessive vibrations or heavy
lifting. Review accident records for incidents involving ergonomics, such as back injuries. Train
employees in ergonomic-related safety. Offer lifting instruction.

Considerations
o

Though no ergonomic law exists, employers under the General Duty Clause are
obligated to provide a working environment free of recognized hazards. Therefore, citations can
be delivered if a known hazard such as an ergonomic risk is present.

OSHA Ergonomics Training

Print this article

Ergonomic device to reduce repetitive stress

injury.
Ergonomics is the science of designing a workplace to maximize worker's safety and well-being
and prevent injury, particularly repetitive stress injury, according to Occupational Safety and
Health Administration. Training is vital in implementing effective ergonomics in the workplace.
Additional areas of ergonomic study include: anthropometry, the science of measuring the human
body; macroergonomics, studying the organization, culture, history and work goals of business
environments; and physiology, the study of how human organisms function.

1.
o

OSHA Mission Statement

OSHA is focused on ways of implementing ergonomics training and assistance in
the both workers and employers. The goal is to prevent or reduce the risk of ergonomic injuries
or illness whenever possible in the workplace. OSHA recognizes that training is necessary to
accomplish this in all industries, and offers such training.

Training Goals
o

OSHA states that the goals of the training that it offers include: decreasing or
eliminating ergonomic hazards in the workplace, reducing illnesses and injuries, encouraging
innovation with regard to using ergonomics, increasing flexibility in terms of worker output and
helping employers and employees to work together on ergonomic issues. One such issue is
reducing musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs.

Musculoskeletal Disorders
o

Musculoskeletal disorders is an area which OSHA considers to be responsible for

a significant degree of workplace injuries. OSHA training is focusing creating training to address
musculoskeletal disorders or MSDs. One part of OSHA's continuing development and training
plans centers on working to help immigrant workers. According to OSHA, many of these workers
are employed in industries that have a higher incidence of MSDs.

OSHA Course Example

o

An example of an OSHA-offered course in ergonomics is Course 2250,

Principles of Ergonomics Applied to Work-Related Musculoskeletal and Nerve Disorders. This
course is available at all OSHA Training Institutes (OTI) and OTI Education Centers. This course
offers training that covers physiology, anthropometry, risk factors that include vibration, repetition
movement, lifting, range of temperature and the handling of materials.

OTI Education Centers

o

OSHA provides information and materials on ergonomic development and

training on its main website. Information is also provided via regular updates in OSHA's Job
Safety and Health Quarterly. Training materials can also be easily accessed online, as well as at
OSHA training centers, or OTI Education Centers. There are 12 OTI Education Centers located
around the country. Ergonomics training, including materials, scheduled sessions and training
are available at all OTI Education Centers. A Training Center can be located through the OSHA
website on Ergonomics Trainings.

Workplace Assistance
o

According to OSHA, in addition to training, assistance is also offered to workers

and businesses to aid in addressing ergonomics issues and decrease potential for injury in all
industries. OSHA also offers advice and training on methods of developing effective ergonomics
programs within industries and states are encouraged to develop their own programs.

State Standards
o

According to Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, all
individual states are encouraged to develop training and enforce standards of occupational
safety and health, including ergonomics training. State plans and programs are submitted to

OSHA. These state-based programs and training offerings can be found on the State
Occupational Safety and Health Plans subsection of the OSHA website.

Ergonomics is the study of body positioning while performing work duties. Proper
ergonomics support the back and prevent strains and other injuries. For example, adjusting the
position of a computer keyboard can prevent carpal tunnel syndrome for the user. The
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a multi-faceted approach to reducing
musculo-skeletal disorders due to poor workplace ergonomics. Ergonomic requirements have
been developed for a few specific industries, but they can be adapted to nearly all work
environments.

Employee Involvement

The involvement of employees, and the strong support of managers, is a critical

component in the development of OSHA's ergonomics requirements. Employees have the most
accurate insight into workplace ergonomics issues and can identify risks and solutions.
Managers should respond to any ergonomics issues presented by their employees. According to
OSHA, employees respond better to changes when they are involved in the process.

Hazard Recognition

Employers should regularly review work sites for potential ergonomics issues. They
should also do their own research into workplace hazards. Analyzing injury records and workers'
compensation benefit records is a good place to begin. Surveys and interviews are additional
tools employers can use to identify ergonomic problems. Among the factors that lead to injuries
are force, repetition, and awkward and prolonged static postures. Force is defined as the amount
of physical effort required to perform a task or to maintain control of equipment or tools.
Repetition is defined as performing the same motion or series of motions frequently for an
extended period of time. Awkward and prolonged static postures are defined as positions that
place stress on the body, such as repeated or prolonged reaching above shoulder height,
bending forward or to the side, twisting, kneeling and squatting. Cold temperatures and
employee behavior may contribute to these risks.

Training

OSHA requires all employees to receive job-specific training on ergonomics issues.

Effective training includes the proper use of equipment and tools, proper work practices and
positions, awareness of tasks that may lead to pain or injury and recognition of musculo-skeletal
disorders.

Solutions

Changes to equipment, work practices and procedures may be necessary to promote

good ergonomics. These changes may also increase productivity because they eliminate
unnecessary movement and reduce heavy manual work. For example, lighting should be
positioned directly over a work area to eliminate eye-strain risks. Solutions should be evaluated
for effectiveness and refined as necessary. Evaluations may include review of new injury reports,
communication with employees and employee performance measurements.

Function

OSHA introduced guidelines on ergonomic computer workstations to reduce the

incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, such as carpal tunnel syndrome and
shoulder tendinitis. Such disorders represent the largest job-related injury and illness problem in
the United States, costing companies more than $15 billion a year in workers' compensation and
leaving many workers temporarily or permanently disabled. The OSHA ergonomics guidelines
are intended to raise awareness of these problems, as well as the often easy and inexpensive
posture, workstation and environment adjustments that can avert them.

Posture

OSHA standards outline the best way to set up a computer workstation to maintain
neutral body positioning, which OSHA defines as "a comfortable working posture in which your
joints are naturally aligned." For example, arrange your workstation so that you are sitting with
hands, wrists and forearms straight, in line and roughly parallel to the floor to reduce physical
stress and strain. Change your working posture often throughout the day by adjusting your chair,
stretching or taking walks.

Workstation Components

OSHA also specifies proper arrangement of computer workstation components and

accessories to allow for a comfortable, neutral working position. For example, place the monitor
20 to 40 inches from your eyes to avoid awkward positions that can strain the neck, back and
eyes. Use a mouse pad with a wrist or palm rest to maintain neutral wrist positioning. Similar
standards exist for proper ergonomics of keyboards, document holders, desks, chairs and
telephones.

Work Environment

According to OSHA, the right work environment lighting, ventilation and humidity can
maximize user comfort and productivity and prevent injury. Use window blinds or drapes to
reduce glare or bright light around your screen to prevent eye strain and support neutral body
posture. Add task lighting to illuminate writing and reading surfaces. Also, avoid placing desks
and chairs directly above or below air conditioning vents to increase comfort and prevent overly
dry eyes.

Warning

Small problems related to improper workstation ergonomics can develop into serious
injuries, especially if workers ignore or fail to address early warning signs. Learn about the signs
and symptoms that can indicate a workstation-related musculoskeletal disorder and the steps
you can take to prevent them in the first place. If you do begin to have discomfort that could be
computer workstation-related, don't wait; seek a medical evaluation.

What is Ergonomics?
86
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Are you fed up of working on broken chairs and improperly organized computer workstations? Yes,
then this article is for you. Read this. Do you know if you have found that your workstation at your
workplace is not properly organized, you can talk to your employer and insurance company and can
get ergonomic evaluation of your workstation completed and modify your workstation according to
your needs and comfort. Now read what is ergonomics definition. According to me from what I have
understood, ergonomics is defined as a body of knowledge about human abilities, limitations, and
characteristics that are relevant to the design. The ergonomic design is the application of this
knowledge for the design of tools, systems, machines, tasks, jobs and safe environments that are
comfortable and provide effective use of human power without exploiting them. The term Ergonomics
is obtained from Greek word ergos, which means work, and nomos, which means natural law or
knowledge or study. Ergonomics has two main branches: One branch of ergonomics concerns to
industrial ergonomics and occupational biomechanics, which focuses on the physical aspects of labor
and human capabilities such as force, repetitions, and posture, and other branch of ergonomics
concerns to a second discipline which is sometimes referred as "human factors", which is oriented to
the psychological aspects of work and the mental workload and decision making process. The scope
of ergonomics is very broad and it falls within various professions and academic careers such as
engineering, physical therapy, industrial hygiene, occupational therapy, nursing, chiropractics,
occupational medicine, and sometimes specialty ergonomics. Also, the ergonomics training is
provided through courses, seminars, and conferences to many students around the world.

See all 6 photos

Use of ergonomics to improve condition of employees at workplace.

General objectives of ergonomics

The following points are among the general objectives of ergonomics and help employers and
organizations and industries in:
1.

Reduction of occupational injuries and illnesses.

2.

Decreasing the disability costs for workers.

3.

Increasing productivity.

4.

Improving the quality of work.

5.

Lowering absenteeism.

6.

Applying existing rules.

7.

Decreasing the loss of raw material.

The methods by which we obtain general objectives of ergonomics are:

1.

Analysis and appreciation of risks in the workplace.

2.

Identification and quantification of risk conditions in the workplace.

3.

Recommendation of engineering and administrative controls to reduce risk conditions that are
identified.

4.

Through providing education to supervisors and workers about the hazardous conditions at
workplace and providing workplace safety.

Most occupational injuries are a result of using poor ergonomics at work. You need a workstation modification.

What is industrial ergonomics?

The industrial ergonomics is not so new field of knowledge that is involved in the production field and
is relatively new in many developing countries again due to the little knowledge of ergonomics and its
implementation, but industrial ergonomics has been developed and applied in some large corporate in
different developed countries of the world and has been becoming successful to meet its goals. Also,
knowledge of industrial ergonomics is being spread all over the world through conferences on
ergonomics, meetings, and ergonomics courses that are in high demand nowadays.

Use of industrial ergonomics has not only benefited employees or workers but has also benefited several organizations,
especially industries which required manual labor in the world.

As it is really difficult to give full details of ergonomics in such a short time and space, I hope this
article will help answer some of your questions on ergonomics and stimulate interest in ergonomics.

Applying health work solutions and ergonomics can help prevent many occupational injuries from happening in the
future because prevention is the best cure.

This was a general overview of ergonomics, which I have described above. In my upcoming hubs, I
will discuss about overview of ergonomic practice and method and techniques in ergonomics applied
to provide benefits to the employees and supervisors. Also, I will discuss how applying ergonomics to
the workforce in any organization or industry can help in reduction of occupational injuries or illnesses
to the employees, decrease the disability costs for workers, and lowering absenteeism thereby
increasing productivity and quality of work done resulting in improved quality of life for all workers and
the company itself.

Desk ergonomics

According to the Polish Ergonomics Society, the term "Ergonomics" was originally coined by
Wojiech Jastrzebowski, a polish educator and scientist almost one hundred and fifty years ago.
The term "Ergonomics" comes from the Greek root words, "ergos", meaning, "work", and
"nomos", meaning "laws", -the laws of work. Today, the term "ergonomics" is becoming more and
more common, there are "ergonomic chairs", "ergonomic pens" and "ergonomic toothbrushes";
basically everything these days is "Ergonomically designed". In more practical terms, the concept
of ergonomics has come to mean finding ways to "work smarter-not harder" and "Fit the work to
the worker." In other words, "ergonomics" is the study of the physical and cognitive demands of
work to ensure a safe and productive workplace.

Ergonomics is designing and improving the workplace, workstation, tools, equipment, and
procedures of work in order to limit fatigue discomfort and injuries, while efficiently achieving
personal and organizational goals. Ergonomics is improving the design of jobs and workstations
that have unsafe qualities or have caused injury. Ergonomics is also defined as controlling errors,
wasted motions, tools, material damage and quality. NIOSH (National Institute of Occupational
Safety and Health) defines Ergonomics as "the discipline that strives to develop and assemble
information on people's capacities and capabilities for use in designing jobs, products,
workplaces and equipment."

Health Ergonomics is based on the science of human physiology, pathology and its relationship
to work. The healthcare professional already has the knowledge base and training in human
physiology and the mechanisms of injury, required to decrease the incidence and severity of
injuries in the workplace. This knowledge and experience base can also be used to optimize
work capacity of both healthy and injured workers. Health Ergonomic Specialists use this
knowledge of the relationship between human physiology, pathology and work to safely match
the work demands to the capacity of the worker.

All of these definitions concede that Ergonomics is a multidisciplinary science that encompasses
concepts of physics, work physiology, anthropometry, biomechanics, human factors engineering
and work organization factors. The practice of Health Ergonomics is the application of the
science of ergonomics and the sciences of human physiology and pathology, to the design and
evaluation of work and work capacity. Thus ensuring that the work tasks, machines, tools and
environments used for work are safe, healthful and effective for human use.

Ergonomic Objectives
How does the ergonomics process or program, work in the workplace? A successful ergonomics
program utilizes the skills of many disciplines, including engineering, psychology, medical, safety,
management and the employees or associates. The team works together to identify the problem,
prioritize the problem, evaluate the cause or reason for the problem and decide the best mode of
action to take to remedy the problem. Once these questions have been identified and evaluated,
ergonomic change methods can be implemented.

Today, the practice of ergonomics has two primary objectives to enhancing workplace health,
safety, and work design issues. These are to 1) Enhance performance and productivity and 2)
Prevent fatigue and injury.

In order to obtain these objectives, changes need to be made to the worker-job interface. The
four basic methods of change implementation, or work modification, used to improve or modify
the workplace are 1) Change the work process, 2) Change the work environment, 3) Change the
work management, and 4) Change the tools.

Ultimately, there is a hierarchy of preferred means of change in the work place. In order of
preference, the first means of change or work modification is through engineering controls.
Engineering controls involve changing or substituting the work process or work environment. An
example of engineering controls would be to change the actual product or materials, or the size
or shape or weight of the equipment used to perform the work. The second change method is
administrative controls that change the way the work is managed. This can mean changing the
work environment or the management of the work. Examples of administrative controls are:
adding job rotation, changing rest work cycles or changing the order or time of exposure to the
work tasks. The last method of control that should be implemented is the use of personal
protective equipment (PPE). PPE is used as a last line of defense and only as a barrier between
the worker and a particular work hazard. Examples of PPEs in ergonomics include: use of gloves
or protective gear, safety goggles, gel inserts for shock absorbance or steel toes boots. In some
cases, more than one of these means may be used to solve an ergonomic challenge.

Successful ergonomic programs are an ongoing process. Risk must be quantified or assessed,
high risk or problem areas must be identified, and changes implemented through a process of
decision-making. Follow up, after the work modifications have been implemented, is an essential
component of a successful program to re-measure risk, ensure that the modifications are
appropriate and safely adhered to, and determine if further intervention is required.

SUMMARY
The term "ergonomics" has several definitions, but is most commonly referred to as the study of
work. The ergonomics process has evolved over the last few hundred years to a multidisciplinary
science that encompasses concepts from physics, work physiology, anthropometry,
biomechanics, human factors engineering and work organization factors.

Health Ergonomics is based on the science of human anatomy, physiology, pathology and how
the human body responds to work. This knowledge and experience base, of understanding how
the body responds and adapts to work load optimizes the assessment of work capacity of both

healthy and injured workers. The healthcare practitioner can successfully apply the concepts of
health ergonomics to effectively optimize human performance, reduce human error and fatigue
and minimize musculosketetal injuries or CTDs.

The objective is to improve the efficiency of operation by taking into account a typical person's size,
strength, speed, visual acuity, and physiological stresses, such as fatigue, speed of decision making,
and demands on memory and perception. Applications range from the design of work areas (including
office furniture, automobile interiors, and aircraft cockpits) to the disposition of switches and gauges
on the control panels of machinery to determining the size, shape, and layout of keys on computer
terminals and character height, color, and clarity on video displays.

OSHA's plan has two main points. The first is to develop a

series of task-specificguidelines for different work
environments, particularly for industries with highrates of
injury. The second is to craft an increased enforcement
plan, which willcreate ergonomic inspection teams to crack
down on companies that do not provide ahealthy workplace.

The safety program includes establishing a national advisory

committee forergonomics. It also calls for further research
on musculoskeletal disorders such asback, neck, and
shoulder strains. OSHA is also promoting programs that will
provideergonomics training and materials in Spanish and
other languages, Hensley says.

The revisions have been in the works since March 2001,

when Congress repealedOSHA'sprevious ergonomics ruling,
created under the Clinton administration. Thebusiness
communi
tycriticized that setof compliance standards as a "very
heavy-handed, onerous approach that would have tried to
impose a one-size-fits-allsolution," Hensley says.

Hensley says that because the Clinton administration's

strict ergonomics standardwas "soundly defeated" in
Congress, OSHA is taking a more logical approach
toensuring workplace safety.

Book Description
Learn why ergonomics is a business solution and not a business
problem The ErgonomicsEdge Improving Safety, Quality, and
Productivity Dan MacLeod It is time for ergonomicsto be seen in
its true light. Too often, the subject of ergonomics appears to
becomplicated, expensive, and a burden on industry. It has gained
visibility because of heftyregulatory fines and product liability law-suits.
As a result, many managers consider ergonomics to be just
another business headache. In The Ergonomics Edge,
DanMacLeod demonstrates why ergonomics is really good news for
managers, revealing howit can actually be a formidable weapon in a
companys quest to gain competitiveadvantage. MacLeod is one
of the leading practitioners of workplace ergonomics in theU.S.,

and has successfully applied ergonomics in many manufacturing and

serviceindustries. He shows how improving the user-friendliness
of both the workplace and acompanys end-product can lead to
reduced workers comp, turnover, absenteeism, andother cost
savings. Moreover, he reveals how ergonomics can lead to higher
earningsthrough greater worker productivity and increased
sales. Highly illustrated and written ina conversational style,
The Ergonomics Edge provides a non-technical approach
designedto demystify this subject that many find daunting. Section 1
presents basic ergonomicprinciples and discusses how these serve to
enhance the functioning of any business, andgoes on to show how
businesses can respond to new and impending OSHA and
ANSIstandards in a way that promotes efficient business operation.
Section 2 explores anumber of specific issues, offering insight into:

Ergonomics as an aspect of your firms Total Quality Management

effort

The causes and costs of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and how
these may be prevented

The role of ergonomics in improving quality, productivity, and work

organization

The capacity of ergonomics to address vital human resource issues

such as todaysaging work force and the rights of employees with
disabilities
Section 3 offers numerous case studies of practical applications of
ergonomic solutions.In addition, it outlines the elements of an
effective workplace ergonomics program, withcoverage of key
issues such as organization, training, communication, job analysis
and job improvements, medical management, and program
monitoring. The Ergonomics Edgeis the first working resource to
offer convincing evidence that ergonomics can be ablessing and not a
burden to U.S. business. This book will be indispensable in
helpingyour firm meet its long-range strategic goals. In addition,
it will be important reading for ergonomists, industrial hygienists,

physical therapists, and other safety and medicalprofessionals, to help

everyone make the case for ergonomics.
F
rom the Back Cover
Learn why ergonomics is a business solution and not a business
problem The ErgonomicsEdge Improving Safety, Quality, and
Productivity Dan MacLeod It is time for ergonomicsto be seen in
its true light. Too often, the subject of ergonomics appears to
becomplicated, expensive, and a burden on industry. It has gained
visibility because of hefty
regulatory fines and product liability law-suits. As a result, many
managers consider ergonomics to be just another business
headache. In The Ergonomics Edge, DanMacLeod demonstrates
why ergonomics is really good news for managers, revealing howit can
actually be a formidable weapon in a companys quest to gain
competitiveadvantage. MacLeod is one of the leading
practitioners of workplace ergonomics in theU.S., and has
successfully applied ergonomics in many manufacturing and
serviceindustries. He shows how improving the user-friendliness
of both the workplace and acompanys end-product can lead to
reduced workers comp, turnover, absenteeism, andother cost
savings. Moreover, he reveals how ergonomics can lead to higher
earningsthrough greater worker productivity and increased
sales. Highly illustrated and written ina conversational style,
The Ergonomics Edge provides a non-technical approach
designedto demystify this subject that many find daunting. Section 1
presents basic ergonomicprinciples and discusses how these serve to
enhance the functioning of any business, andgoes on to show how
businesses can respond to new and impending OSHA and
ANSIstandards in a way that promotes efficient business operation.
Section 2 explores anumber of specific issues, offering insight into:

Ergonomics as an aspect of your firms Total Quality Management

effort

The causes and costs of cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) and how
these may be prevented

The role of ergonomics in improving quality, productivity, and work

organization

The capacity of ergonomics to address vital human resource issues

such as todaysaging work force and the rights of employees with
disabilities
Section 3 offers numerous case studies of practical applications of
ergonomic solutions.In addition, it outlines the elements of an
effective workplace ergonomics program, withcoverage of key
issues such as organization, training, communication, job analysis
and job improvements, medical management, and program
monitoring. The Ergonomics Edgeis the first working resource to
offer convincing evidence that ergonomics can be ablessing and not a
burden to U.S. business. This book will be indispensable in
helpingyour firm meet its long-range strategic goals. In addition,
it will be important reading for ergonomists, industrial hygienists,
physical therapists, and other safety and medicalprofessionals, to help
everyone make the case for ergonomics.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act is an Act which

provides the legislative framework to secure the safety, health
and welfare among all Malaysian workforces and to protect
others against risks to safety or health in connection with the
activities
of
persons
at
work.
This Act was gazette on 24th February 1994 and was cited as
the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. This Act is a
practical tool superimposed on existing safety and health
legislation.

The aims of this Act are to:

secure the safety, health and welfare of persons at work
against risks to safety or health arising out of the activities
of persons at work
protect person at a place of work other than persons at
work against risks to safety or health arising out of the
activities of persons at work
promote an occupational environment for persons at work
which is adapted to their physiological and psychological
needs
provide the means whereby the associated occupational
safety and health legislation may be progressively replaced
by a system of regulations and approved industry codes of
practice operating in combination with the provisions of
this Act designed to maintain or improve the standards of
safety and health.
The provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994
are based on the self-regulation scheme. Its primary
responsibility is to ensure safety and health of work lies with
those who create the risks and those who work with the risks.
Through self-regulating scheme that is designed to suit the
particular industry or organization, this Act also aims to
establish effective safety and health organization and
performance.
The concept of self-regulation encourages cooperation,
consultation and participation of employees and management in
efforts to upgrade the standards of safety and health at the
workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 is enforced by the
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), a
government department under the Ministry of Human Resources
Malaysia.

Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will

ensure through enforcement and promotional works that
employers, self-employed persons, manufacturers, designers,
importers, suppliers and employees always practice safe and
health work culture, and always comply with existing
legislation,
guidelines
and
codes
of
practice.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will also
formulate and review legislation, policies, guidelines and codes
of practice pertaining to occupational safety, health and
welfare as a basis in ensuring safety and health at work.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is also
the secretariat to National Council for Occupational Safety and
Health, a council established under section 8 of the
Occupational
Safety
and
Health
Act
1994.
The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health shall
have power to do all things expedient or reasonably necessary
for or incidental to the carrying out of the objects of this Act.

Objectives of Act are:

for securing the safety, health and welfare of persons at work;
protect persons at a place of work other than employees;
promote a suitable environment for persons at work;
enable previous legislation to be replaced by regulations and approved industry codes of practice
operating in combination with the OSH Act 1994
2. Duties of employers and self-employed persons to their employees
ensure, so far as is practicable, the safety, health and welfare at work of all his employees;
the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work to ensure safety and without risks to
health;
make arrangements for safety and absence of risk to health in the use of plant and substances;
provide information, instructions, training and supervision to ensure safety and health;
maintenance of place of work and working environment to ensure safety and without risk to health
3. An employer must prepare a written safety policy, keep it updated as and when required, and it to
the notice of his
employees
4. Duties of employers and self-employed persons to persons other than their employees:

conduct his activities, so far as is practicable, that others are not exposed to risks of their safety and
health;
provide information on safety and health to those who may be affected by his activities
5. Duties of designers, manufacturers and suppliers:
that the plant is designed and constructed to be safe and without risk to health when properly used;
carry out testing and examination as may be necessary required by design;
make available adequate information for the user including condition of use regarding its safety and
risks to health;
duty of the person who design and manufacture the plant to carry out any research to minimise risk
to safety and health in the use of the plant;
it is the duty of the person who erects or installs the plant to ensure that nothing in the way in which
it is installed makes it unsafe or risk to health when properly used
6. Duties of formulators, manufacturers, importers and suppliers of substances for use at work:
ensures that the substance is safe and without risks to health when properly used;
carry out testing and examination to conform to above;
provide adequate information in connection with the safety and health risk of the substance;
duty of the person who manufacture or supply to carry out research to eliminate or minimise risk to
safety or health on the use of the substance
7. Penalty for non compliance of item 5 and 6 above is RM20k and jail term not exceeding 2 years or
both
8. Duties of employees:
take reasonable care of his own safety and health and others that may be affected by his actions;
cooperate with his employer to comply by the Act and its regulations;
wear or use protective equipment provided by the employer;
comply with instructions instituted by the employer on occupational safety and health
9. Penalty for contravening the provisions is a fine of RM1k and jail term not exceeding 3 months or
both
10. Person who intentionally, recklessly or negligently interferes with or misuses anything provided or
done in the interest of safety, health and welfare in pursuance of this Act shall be guilty of an offence
who can be fined RM20k and jail term not exceeding 2 years or both
11. No employer shall levy on his employee any actions done in pursuance of this Act or its
regulations
12. An employee cannot be penalised if he makes a compliant on a matter he considers not safe,
becomes a member of a safety and health committee or exercises his functions as a member in the
committee
13. The minister has the authority to make regulations requiring medical surveillance for employees in
certain industries
14. Notification of accidents, dangerous occurrence, occupational poisoning and occupational
diseases:
an employer must notify the nearest DOSH office of any such incidences or if such incidences are
likely to occur;
a registered medical practitioner or medical officer who attended to a patient whom he believes is
suffering for a occupational disease listed in the Third schedule of the Factories and Machinery Act

1967 must report to the matter to the DG

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH ACT 1994 (OSHA)

Objectives
Understand the self-regulatory concept
Explain the requirements and provisions under the Act
Comply to the duties and responsibilities of the employers, self-employed persons, manufacturers, designers
and supplies
Confirm to the duties and responsibilities of employees
Implement safety and health organisations, notifications of accidents, dangerous occurence, poisoning and
diseases
Understand the liability for offences

Course Outline
Historical perspective of OSH Legislation
Important OSH Definitions
General duties of employers and self-employed persons
General duties of employees
Safety and health organisations
Notification of accidents, dangerous occurence, occupational poisoning and occupational diseases and inquiry
Liability for offences
Regulations

Target Audience
Human resource managers, safety and health supervisors, safety and health committee members, safety and
health practitioner.