“Take Steps To Ensure Safety Of Workers In Confined Space”
26 March 2001
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Mon. - The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health today expressed its concern over the alarming increase of workers being killed in confined space.
In the first two months of this year alone, eight such cases were reported.
NIOSH chairman Datuk Lee Lam Thye said that measures had to be taken to improve the situation. "What is important is that we identify the causes and hazards present during the job and try to reduce, if not eliminate, them."
In 1998, there were 1,195 confined space accidents of which 122 workers suffered permanent disabilities and seven others killed compared to 1,365 cases in 1997, which recorded 49 permanent disability cases and six fatalities.
Confined spaces mean "a space having relatively small volume with unfavourable natural ventilation and one into which infrequent or irregular entry is made for maintenance, repair and/or cleaning". These would include silos, tanks, vats, reaction vessels, ship compartments, sludge pits and boilers.
Lee said the most effective way to combat the problem was by increasing the awareness among the workers. Towards this end, he said, NIOSH had been organising specific in-house programmes.
In 1999 and 2000, he said, a total of 147 people were trained in confined space safety, adding that in-house courses were planned for this year with some 25 participants in each course.
"The courses will touch on hazard identification, hazard control, standby person, monitoring, permit system, sign posting, ventilation, lighting, rescue and emergency equipment and rescue procedures," he added.
In commending Lee for highlighting the issue, Malaysian Trades Union Congress secretary-general G. Rajasekaran said they were also concerned over the alarming increase and were taking measures to overcome it by introducing a three-year specific programme on occupational safety and health.
He said MTUC would be setting up a special department on OSH on Wednesday. "We will be recruiting additional manpower for the department to concentrate on OSH in the construction and electronics industries, including emphasis on confined space jobs," he added.
Source: New Straits Times
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