Malaysian Chemical‐Safety Regulations (OSHA 1994)

OSHA 1994 & Overall Malaysian Chemical‐Safety Framework

• OSH Act 1994 (Act 514) – the umbrella law.
  • Sec $15(1)$: Employer/self-employed must, “so far as is practicable”, ensure safety, health & welfare of employees.
• Three principal chemical-safety subsidiary regulations (plus one Order):
  • Occupational Safety & Health (Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards) Regulations 1996 – “CIMAH 1996”.
  • Occupational Safety & Health (Classification, Labelling and Safety Data Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals) Regulations 2013 – “CLASS 2013”; repealed CPL 1997.
  • Occupational Safety & Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) Regulations 2000 – “USECHH 2000”.
  • Occupational Safety & Health (Prohibition of Use of Substances) Order 1999 – bans high-risk substances (e.g., 4-aminodiphenyl, benzene for cleaning).
• Other ministries/agencies & laws control specific streams (Customs Act 1967, Pesticides Act 1974, Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984, Environmental Quality Act 1974, Chemical Weapons Convention Act 2005, etc.).

Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards – CIMAH 1996

1. Rationale & Development

• Triggered by global catastrophes – Bhopal, Flixborough, Seveso, Pasadena – and local events (Bright Sparklers 1991, Petronas 2006, Kemaman 2018).
• Adopted the EU Seveso Directive; Britain’s 1984 Control of Industrial Major Hazards (CIMAH) became the model.
• Objectives:
  • Prevent major industrial accidents.
  • Limit consequences to people, property & environment.

2. Key Definitions (Reg 2–3)

• Industrial Activity = any operation in an industrial installation involving ≥1 hazardous substance, incl. on-site storage/transport.
• Major Accident = uncontrolled emission/fire/explosion causing serious danger/death/ environmental harm.
• Threshold Quantity (TQ) = amount in Schedule 2 triggering duties.
• Manufacturer = employer/occupier who controls the industrial activity.
• Competent Person = DG-approved individual who prepares safety reports/ERP.

3. Applicability (Part I)

• Excludes: nuclear/armed-forces installations; transport vessels; sites with $\le10\%$ of TQ.
• Director General (DG) may re-classify an installation MHI/NMHI irrespective of quantity.

4. Classification Logic

• Quantity of Hazardous Substances (QHS) vs TQ:
  • $\text{MHI}: QHS\ge TQ$
  • \text{NMHI}: 0.1\,TQ < QHS < TQ
  • $QHS\le0.1\,TQ$ → CIMAH not applicable (Part I exclusion).

5. Manufacturer Duties (simplified time-line)

EI = existing installation, NI = new installation, DD = DG decided

• Notify DG (Form Schedule 5) $1$ month before construction.
• Submit Safety Report & On-site ERP:
  • EI – within $6$ months of commencement of CIMAH.
  • NI – before start-up.
• Inform local authority (for off-site ERP) & the public (Schedule 3 info).
• Update reports every $3$ years and after modifications.
• Notify DG immediately after any major accident.

6. Regulatory Parts at a Glance

• Part II – Identification & Notification.
• Part III – Demonstration of Safe Operation (applies to NMHI).
• Part IV – Safety Report, On-/Off-Site ERP (MHI only).
• Part V – Accident Notification.
• Part VI – Penalties (up to $\text{RM}\,50{,}000$ &/or $2$ years).

7. Safety Report (core document)

• Four information blocks:
  (a) Hazardous substances data.
  (b) Installation description & maps.
  (c) Management system.
  (d) Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) – scenarios, frequency, consequence, $\text{risk}=f(p, C)$.
• Importance: sets prevention/control measures, defines events for ERP, guides DOSH inspection.

8. Emergency Response Planning (ERP) Obligations

• NMHI – keep updated on-site ERP; DG may request review.
• MHI – consult Competent Person; name responsible persons; submit ERP (Reg 18) & update (Reg 19).
  • Off-site ERP coordinated by local/port authority (Reg 21).
• ERP aims: minimise injury/property/environmental loss; ensure quick return to normal ops; fulfil legal duty.
• Two plan types:
  • On-site ERP – handles incidents without off-site impact.
  • Off-site ERP – covers community impacts; led by authority.

9. Indicative Thresholds (selected)

• Very Toxic $5\,\text{t}$, Toxic $10\,\text{t}$, Flammable Gas $50\,\text{t}$, Flammable Liquid $200\,\text{t}$, Explosive $10\,\text{t}$.
• Named substances: Chlorine $10\,\text{t}$, Ammonia $100\,\text{t}$, Methyl isocyanate $150\,\text{kg}$, Hydrogen $10\,\text{t}$.

Emergency Response Planning – Core Elements

• Plant Risk Evaluation (PHA).
• Organisation & response teams.
• Detailed operating manuals.
• Procedures & records.
• Emergency equipment/facilities & regular testing.
• Training, drills, review & audit.

Classification, Labelling & SDS – CLASS Regulations 2013

1. Background & Objective

• Gazetted $11/10/2013$; effective $12/10/2013$; empowers via OSHA §66(2)(a,c,k,u).
• Aligns Malaysia with GHS (3rd Rev Ed 2009).
• Goal: ensure suppliers provide adequate hazard info ➔ safer workplaces.

2. Scope & Exemptions

• Applies to hazardous chemicals “supplied for use at a place of work”.
• Exempts: radioactive material, pesticides, poisons for medical use, drugs, scheduled wastes, foodstuff, transport, bonded transit.
• “Chemical” = substance or mixture.

3. Supplier Categories & Core Responsibilities

• Principal Supplier (manufacturer, formulator, importer, recycler, reformulator): Classification, Packaging, Labelling, SDS, Inventory.
• Subsidiary Supplier (repacker, distributor, retailer): Labelling, SDS.
• Both must follow GHS rules.

4. Hazard Classification Framework (First Schedule)

• Physical, Health, Environmental classes with GHS categories.
• Example: Flammable Liquids Cat 1 – flash pt <23^\circ!\text{C} & initial boiling pt $\le35^\circ!\text{C}$.
• Record of classification kept per ICOP Part 2.

5. Packaging & Seal (Reg 6–7)

• No leakage; chemically compatible; resealable; initial tamper seal mandatory.
• Penalty: $\text{RM}\,10{,}000$ / $1$ year.

6. Labelling Rules (Reg 8–12)

• Mandatory label elements:
  • Product identifier.
  • Supplier ID.
  • Signal word (Danger/Warning).
  • Hazard statements.
  • GHS pictogram(s).
  • Precautionary statements.
• Size of label (Fourth Schedule): e.g., >500\,\text{L} → $148\times210\,\text{mm}$.
• Small containers $\le125\,\text{mL}$ – reduced info but must include “Read SDS before use”.
• Update label within $3$ months if classification becomes more severe.

7. Safety Data Sheet (Reg 13)

• $16$ sections (GHS template): Identification ➔ Hazard ➔ Composition ➔ … ➔ Other info.
• Must be in BM + English; update if new data or every $5$ years.
• Provide SDS with every supply & for mixtures above cut-off values (Fifth Schedule).

8. Inventory & Confidential Business Information

• Manufacturers/importers: submit annual inventory (≥$1$ tonne/y) by $31$ March.
• CBI – only name & composition may be masked; must still disclose to DG, OHD, or workers for health protection.

9. Enforcement

• Generic offence: fine ≤$\text{RM}\,10{,}000$ or ≤$1$ year; continuing offence $\text{RM}\,1{,}000$ per day.

Use & Standards of Exposure of CHH – USECHH 2000

1. Need & Philosophy

• No prior comprehensive control over industrial chemical use/exposure.
• Provides legal framework; establishes Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL); embeds risk-based approach.

2. Scope & Definitions

• Applies to all workplaces under OSHA where Chemicals Hazardous to Health (CHH) are used (production, processing, handling, storage, transport, disposal, treatment).
• CHH include:
  • PEL chemicals in Schedule I or II (≈$600$).
  • CPL-defined Very Toxic/Toxic/Corrosive/Harmful/Irritant & carcinogens, teratogens, mutagens.
  • Pesticides (Pesticides Act 1974).
  • Scheduled wastes (EQ Reg 1989).

3. Employer Duties Overview (Reg 4)

• Identify & register chemicals (Chemical Register).
• Ensure compliance with PEL (Ceiling, 8-h TWA, MEL).
  • $\text{MEL}=3\times\text{TWA}$; $15$-min reference.
• Conduct Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA) before work; review every $5$ years or upon change.
• Implement control measures using hierarchy: Elimination ➔ Substitution ➔ Enclosure/Isolation ➔ Process Modification ➔ Engineering Controls (LEV etc.) ➔ Safe Work Practices ➔ PPE.
• Label/re-label containers.
• Provide information, instruction & training (review 2-yearly).
• Monitor exposure (every $\le6$ months for Schedule II substances).
• Health surveillance (annual ≤$12$ months for Schedule II).
• Post warning signs; keep extensive records (≥$30$ years).
• Facilitate medical removal protection where necessary.

4. Chemical Health Risk Assessment (CHRA)

• Performed by registered Assessor; report within $1$ month; employer acts within $1$ month.
• Contents: hazard, exposure degree, risk ranking, existing controls, additional measures, monitoring & surveillance needs, training needs.

5. Engineering Controls & LEV

• LEV must be designed by Professional Engineer; inspected monthly, examined by Hygiene Technician annually; records required (design, test, maintenance).
• Commissioning test mandatory.

6. Monitoring & Surveillance Records

• Exposure monitoring records: representative personal samples kept ≥$30$ years.
• Health surveillance records: ≥$30$ years; employee access rights.

7. Penalties

• General: fine ≤$\text{RM}\,10{,}000$ or ≤$1$ year; continuing offence $\text{RM}\,1{,}000$ per day.

8. Supporting DOSH Guidelines

• Registration of Assessor/HT/OHD; CHRA Manual; Control of CHH; Storage; Medical Surveillance; LEV Design, Testing & Examination; PPE selection.

Schedules & Technical Quick Reference

CIMAH Schedule Highlights

• Schedule 1: Definitions (LD$50$, LC$50$, flammable categories).
• Schedule 2: Detailed named substances & categories (Groups 1–4).
• Schedule 3: Public-information items.
• Schedule 4: List of industrial installations (e.g., refineries, chemical plants).
• Schedule 5: Notification Form.
• Schedule 6: Safety Report contents.

CLASS Key Schedules

• 1st: Hazard classification, pictograms, signal words & statements.
• 2nd: GHS pictograms.
• 4th: Label dimensions.
• 5th: Cut-off concentrations triggering SDS duty.

USECHH Schedules

• Schedule I: PEL list with Ceiling & 8-h TWA values (e.g., $\text{Benzene} = 1\,\text{ppm TWA}$).
• Schedule II: Chemicals requiring medical surveillance (e.g., Asbestos, Lead, Benzene).
• Schedule III: Specific pesticide information.

Illustrative Equations & Metrics

• TWA Calculation: $\text{TWA}=\dfrac{\sum<em>{i=1}^{n} C</em>i t<em>i}{\sum</em>{i=1}^{n} t_i}$.
• MEL relationship: $\text{MEL}=3\,\times\,\text{TWA}$ (15-min reference).
• MHI classification rule: $QHS \ge TQ \;\Rightarrow\;\text{MHI}$.
• NMHI safe-operation duty: provide evidence (Reg 10) that $P(\text{accident}) \times C \le \text{acceptable risk}$.

Ethical & Practical Implications

• Community Right-To-Know vs Confidential Business Information balances safety & trade secrets.
• Alignment with GHS enhances international trade & worker protection.
• Robust ERPs & CHRAs not only comply legally but protect reputation & minimise economic loss.