SYNOPSIS

Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), agency under the Ministry of Human Resources is the authority responsible for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) aspects in the workplaces. Legislation of IAQ since early 2005 when DOSH launched a Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality (2005), which primarily aimed to ensure that employers work voluntarily in assessing risks of IAQ in the workplace. In August 2010, DOSH introduced an extensive legislation known as Industry Code of Practice on Indoor Air Quality 2010 (ICOP). This ICOP has been drawn up to ensure employees and occupants are protected from poor indoor air quality that could adversely affect their health and well-being, and thereby reduce their productivity. It is the general duties of employers and self-employed persons to their employees as stipulated under Section 15 of Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA) while Section 17 of OSHA stipulated that it is also the general duties of employers and self-employed persons to persons other than their employees.

The ICOP also emphasize on the duties of an occupier of a place of work to persons other than his employees stipulated in Section 18 of OSHA. An occupier is a person who has the management or control of the place of work. This duty is owed to persons who are not his employees but go to their premises to carry out work. Compliance to this Industry Code of Practice can be used as evidence of good practice in a court.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Mohd Norhisyam bin Omar is a factory and machinery inspector from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and currently he is seconded with National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He graduated from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia with B. Eng in Mechanical Engineering and Master of Industrial Safety Mgmt. from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. He is an active committee member represents DOSH and NACWC in various areas of chemical management, indoor air quality, chemical weapons convention, chemical exposure monitoring, etc. He gained his experience in various workplace inspection and investigation including chemical incident, indoor air quality, chemical hazards communication, chemical plants, monitoring and assessment. He also a Professional Technologist from Malaysia Board of Technologists, Full-Member in Malaysian Industrial Hygiene Association and a member in National Scientific Advisory Board of CWC Malaysia.