Background: Metallic dust is a heterogeneous substance with respiratory sensitizing properties. Its long term exposure adversely affected lung function, thus may cause acute or chronic respiratory diseases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a steel factory in Terengganu, Malaysia to assess the metal dust exposure and its relationship to lung function values among 184 workers. Metal dust concentrations values (Co, Cr, and Ni) for each worker were collected using air personal sampling. Lung function values (FEV₁, FVC, and %FEV₁/FVC) were determined using spirometer. Results: Exposure to cobalt and chromium were 1–3 times higher than permissible exposure limit (PEL) while nickel was not exceeding the PEL. Cumulative of chromium was the predictor to all lung function values (FEV₁, FVC, and %FEV₁/FVC). Frequency of using mask was positively associated with FVC (Adj b = 0.263, P = 0.011) while past respiratory illnesses were negatively associated with %FEV₁/FVC (Adj b = –1.452, P = 0.026). Only few workers (36.4%) were found to wear their masks all times during the working hours. Conclusions: There was an exposure-response relationship of cumulative metal dust exposure with the deterioration of lung function values. Improvement of control measures as well as proper and efficient use or personal protection equipment while at work could help to protect the respiratory health of workers.

Confined space workers do a wide range of tasks, many of which have a significant risk of hazardous exposure. Hence, a reliable and valid questionnaire is important in assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of workers in this field. The present study was conducted to develop and validate a questionnaire that could assess the KAP for safe working in a confined space. The questionnaire went through a development and validation process. The development stage consisted of a literature review, expert’s opinion, and evaluation by experts in the field via cognitive debriefing. The validation stage encompassed exploratory and confirmatory parts to investigate the psychometric properties of the questionnaire. A total of 350 participants were recruited among confined space workers from two oil and gas companies in Malaysia. The two-parameter logistic item response theory (2-PL IRT) analysis was used for the knowledge section. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were used in the attitude and practice sections of the validation stage. The development stage resulted in 30 items for knowledge, attitude, and practice sections. Items in the knowledge section showed an acceptable difficulty and discrimination, as noted during the 2-PL IRT analysis. The EFA resulted in a one-factor model for attitude and practice sections, and contained 18 items, with factor loading > 0.4. The Cronbach’s alpha was 0.804 and 0.917 for attitude and practice sections, respectively. The CFA for attitude and practice sections indicated a good model fitness (Raykov’s rho = 0.814 and 0.912, respectively). All items indicated good reliability and valid psychometrics for determining KAP on safe working in a confined space.

Employee performance in terms of knowledge of job scope, safe working practices, and safety-related attitude at work are used to measure an organization’s success in managing employee welfare and safety to prevent workplace injury and death. This study aims to determine the level of knowledge, attitude, and practice on safe working in confined space among water services workers. A cross-sectional study involving a randomly selected 207 water services workers working in a confined space was performed in the central region of Malaysia. The assessment was performed using a validated Malay self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test and Logistic regression were used for data analyses. The study’s participants were all men, with a mean (SD) age of 35.2 (8.83) years. The average working duration was 10.8 years. Overall, 67.1% of participants had good knowledge, while 65.7% had a positive attitude. The majority of the workers (60.4%) were found to follow safe working practices. Regression analysis revealed that significant predictors for knowledge were age [Adjusted odds ratio (Adj. OR) 2.793; 95% CI: 1.310, 5.955; p = 0.008] and attitude (Adj. OR 2.127; 95% CI: 1.011, 4.526; p = 0.048). Attitude was influenced by marital status (Adj. OR 4.126; 95% CI: 2.079, 8.186; p < 0.001) and knowledge level (Adj. OR 2.224; 95% CI: 1.025, 4.824; p = 0.043). A positive attitude was the sole predictor influencing the safe practice (Adj. OR; 1.878; 95% CI: 1.041, 3.388; p = 0.036). In conclusion, the workers’ levels of knowledge, attitudes, and practices were relatively satisfactory. Extensive investment in workplace safety and health programs, appropriate training, growth opportunities, and effective employee performance evaluation methodologies may assist workers in performing at their best.

BACKGROUND: Steel manufacturing produces dust, fumes, and pollutant gases that may give adverse health effects to the respiratory function of workers. Improper occupational hygiene practice in the workplace will affect both workers wellbeing and productivity. OBJECTIVE: To assess the level of particulate matter [(PM _2.5 , PM ₁₀ , and Total Particulate Matter (TPM)], and trace metal dust concentrations in different sections of a steel plant and compare with the occupational exposure values. METHODS: The work environmental parameters of the particulate matters were evaluated using Indoor Air Quality, while metal dust concentrations were measured using portable personal air sampler. A total of 184 personal samples were randomly collected from workers in three major sections; steel making plant, direct reduced plant, and support group. Trace metal dust concentrations were subjected to wet mineral acid mixture digestion and analysed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). RESULTS: The overall average PM _2.5 concentration observed was varied according to the section: steel making plant was 0.18 mg/m ³ , direct reduced iron plant was 0.05 mg/m ³ , and support plant was 0.05 mg/m ³ . Average PM 10 concentration in steel making shop (SMS) plant, direct reduced (DR) plant, and support plant were 0.70 mg/m ³ , 0.84 mg/m ³ , and 0.58 mg/m ³ , respectively. The average TWA ₈ of trace metal dusts (cobalt and chromium) in all the sections exceeded 1 to 3 times the ACGIH prescribed values, OSHA PELs, NIOSH RELs as well as USECHH OSHA, whereas TWA ₈ concentration of nickel for each section did not exceed the occupational exposure values. CONCLUSIONS: The average PM _2.5 , PM ₁₀ and TPM did not exceed the prescribed values, while average trace metal dust concentration TWA ₈ for cobalt and chromium in all plants exceeded occupational exposure prescribed values. However, the nickel found did not exceed the prescribed values in all the plants except for NIOSH RELs.

Prolonged or intense exposure to heat can lead to a range of health effects. This study evaluated environmental heat exposure, heat-related symptoms, and acute physiological changes among 39 farmers in Kelantan, Malaysia. During the end of the monsoon season in February to Mac 2019, wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) was collected in the farm environment to assess heat exposure. Blood pressure, heart rate, and body core temperature were measured pre-, mid and post-shift to measure the physiological response of farmers towards environmental heat. Sociodemographic, occupational information and heat-related symptoms that subjects had experienced were gathered using a questionnaire. The WBGT outdoor showed a high risk for heat stress and strain (> 28.0 ^oC) based on the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygiene (ACGIH) threshold limit values (TLVs). More than half (50%) of farmers reported heat-related symptoms including fatigue, lethargy, dizziness, rashes, and cramps. Significant physiological changes including heart rate, body temperature, and systolic blood pressure occurred across the work shift (p 0.05) was found between the Acute Health Symptoms score (AHSS) with associated factors, thus no statistical model was further developed. In conclusion, farmers experienced significant psychological changes across the work shift. Preventive and control measures for heat stress are needed to reduce the risk of heat strain.

The garment manufacturing industry is a labor-intensive work that is often considered a safe working place. A significant physical and health risks associated with this industry, such as Musculoskeletal Disorders. These risks can accumulate over time and lead to serious health problems. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the ergonomic risk and symptoms of MSDs among 154 workers. Symptoms of MSDs were assessed using the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire and the ergonomic risks were assessed using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA). The ergonomic risks were 49.3% high, 48.0% medium and 2.6% low. Wrist was the worst affected body region, while the predominant body regions for symptoms of MSDs were the right shoulder, neck, left shoulder, and lower back. The highest risk factors for MSDs were prolonged working in the same position and doing repetitive movements of the arms and hands. There was a significant correlation between the RULA score and the symptoms score of MSDs at each body region (p0.01). In addition, a significant association was found between demographic factors (years of employment, marital status, and age) with scores of several body regions (lower back, hip/buttocks, right and left knee) (p0.05). In conclusion, significant ergonomic risks and MSDs among garments were found among garment workers. Therefore, control measures should be taken by the administration to minimize the risks of MSDs.