ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2012/2013
Topics for Individual Assignment 1 [2%]
Video Viewing of “One Night in Bhopal”
The Bhopal disaster or Bhopal gas tragedy was an industrial disaster that took place at a
Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal, India. On 3 December 1984,
the plant released 42 tonnes of toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas, exposing more than
500,000 people to toxic gases. The first official immediate death toll was 2,259. A more
probable figure is that 8,000 died within two weeks, and it is estimated that an additional
8,000 have since died from gas-related diseases.
Video could be assessed from the following url:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJg19W8x_Ls
Please answer the following questions and submit by the 4th week of this semester.
QUIZ
1.
When did the disaster in Bhopal, India take place?
Midnight 2-3 1984. On a clear night, with little wind and no rain expected, the worst
nightmare was unleashed on the unsuspecting people of Bhopal. Workers, on the night
shift in the plant detected a faint smell of boiled cabbage (associated with MIC), but they
ignored it. What they did not know was that shoddy maintenance and poor safety
precautions had meant that water was leaking into tank 410, carrying 40 tons of MIC,
and a violent reaction was about to take place. When a few workers dared to venture
out towards that tank, they felt the rumble under their feet and in a few moments, the
tank burst out of its concrete casing and exploded, sending a deadly cloud of MIC into
the air. The prevailing wind at ground level sent the cloud swirling across the
surrounding slums and into the city of Bhopal.
2.
What kind of product was manufactured by the Union Carbide plant in Bhopal,
India?
3.
Pesticides. There is an interesting history behind the setting up of the plant, and it is
intricately linked to the 'Green Revolution' that was underway in India in the 70s. The
increasing emphasis using high-yield varieties of seeds and chemical fertilzers and
pesticides, to ensure self-sufficiency in grain meant that India became a huge consumer
of these products, leading to a severe shortage within the country itself. Foreign
multinationals, such as Union Carbide, saw the massive potential to sell such pesticides
and fertilizers to the country's 300 million or so farmers. One of these products was the
'miracle' pesticide 'Sevin' which, while not being as polluting as DDT, was equally
effective against numerous kinds of pests, and hence was in great demand in many Third
World countries at that time, India being no exception. In the government of the day as
well, Union Carbide's proposal to build the plant at Bhopal was welcomed and
permission granted readily. Bhopal was chosen primarily because of its central location,
good access to resources and easy comminications with the rest of India.
4.
Which poisonous gas, which ultimately leaked and caused the Bhopal tragedy,
was one of the ingredients of Sevin?
Methyl Isocyanate, or MIC as it is better known, is a deadly gas, because in the presence
of water vapour, it becomes volatile and breaks down into hydrogen cyanide, with
deadly effects on plant and animal life. What is even more dangerous is that, being a
heavy gas, it travels at ground level, making it more likely that it will be inhaled by
people caught unawares. Once inhaled, it wreaks havoc with the respiratory system: the
lungs start filling up with liquid and the person suffocates with a burning sensation in the
throat. It also leads to blindness and affects plant life as well. The only way one could
protect against MIC was to have a piece of wet cloth over one's nose and mouth and run
as if the very hounds of hell were snapping at one's heels.
5.
This was the first time that an accident had occured in a Union carbide plant
manufacturing Sevin. True or False?
False. In the Indian plant itself, one of the workers, Ranjit Singh, had died in 1981 of
exposure to MIC when a few drops of it fell on his clothing and he removed his safety
mask a little too early. Compensation was paid, the event was hushed up and there was
little to indicate that this was more than an isolated aberration. However, in the 80s the
plant started running at a loss due to diminishng demand for Sevin and hence was
forced to cut back on costs. Unfortunately, the person responsible for cutting costs did
not know the first thing about chemicals and ended up getting rid of all the safety
mechanisms, including the all important flare to burn off any escaping MIC in case of a
leak. Between 1981 and 1984, six such leaks were documented, but did not lead to any
deaths, according to a subsequent report by the Madhya Pradesh government. In the
American plant manufacturing 'Sevin' as well, over 28 such leaks were documented, but
the information wasn't released for the fear of causing an uproar in the local
community. The Bhopal plant, in 1984, had ceased to conform to any international
safety standards and Indian standards being non-existent, it continued to cut back on
safety.
6.
Once the Bhopal tragedy occurred, what did the Union Carbide Corporation blame
it on?
All of the above. Instead of accepting responsibility and seeking to compensate the
victims, UCC tried to pass the buck to everybody else and kept pushing responsibility
away, in a bid to maintain a 'clean' image among its customers. It first blamed the Indian
government for not having proper regulatory mechanisms, then blamed the employees
of UCIL for not having taken proper care, and when these two did not work, it came up a
mysterious sabotage theory, which to this day it sticks to, yet does not name any
employee who allegedly committed this sabotage.
7.
How many people have been convicted and imprisoned in connection with the
Bhopal Tragedy?
Sadly, NO ONE has been convicted of any offence in this case., and he was detained in
India for a brief while, no proceedings have taken place and it was only recently that he
was traced by Greenpeace and an extradition request has been made. In fact, when the
final settlement came out, all criminal proceedings were quashed as a result of the
settlement, but a later Supreme Court judgement overturned that aspect of the
settlement and allowed the criminal cases to continue. Even on the Indian side, no one
has been prosecuted for an act so grossly negligent, resulting in so many people's
deaths.
8.
Who was Warren Anderson?
Warren Anderson, then CEO of UCC
Note: Answers are in the Module
ASSIGNMENT EOH3202 OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 2012/2013
Topics for Individual Assignment 2 [9%]
Instruction: Answer all questions below. Submit your answers by the end of week 8.
1. Describe the 4 objectives of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 Malaysia.
Page 45
1. Secure safety, health & welfare of workers
2. Protect other persons at place of work (visitor, etc.)
3. Promote occupational environment adapted to physiological & psychological need
4. Provide system that is flexible to cater rapid change
2. Compare and describe the differences between the Occupational Safety and Health
Act 1994 and the Factory and Machinery Act 1967.
Page 44
3. Use and Standard of Exposure to Chemicals Hazardous to Health Regulations 2000
requires workers being exposed to solvents to undergo medical surveillance at regular
intervals. True/False
True – Page 121 and 122
4. What are the main functions of Department of Occupational Safety and Health,
Malaysia?
Page 29
5. Please explain particle size fractions of dust.
Page 

Particle size fraction
I. Inhalable fraction
- Mass fraction of total airborne particles inhaled through the nose/mouth
II. Thoracic fraction
- Mass fraction of inhaled particles penetrating the respiratory systems beyond
the larynx
III. Respirable fraction
- Mass fraction of inhaled particles penetrating to the uncilliated airways of the
lungs
6. Please explain the aerodynamic behavior of particles in airstream and particle
deposition in human lung system.
Page 85
Inhalation: very significant route
I. 50 mikrometer AED will be filtered at the nose
II. 7 – 20 mikrometer AED: deposited at the nasopharynx
III. 5 – 7 mikrometer AED: deposited at tracheo-bronchial air ways
IV. 0.5 – 5 mikrometere AED: alveolar region
7. Explain the noise regulation being used in Malaysia.
Page 27, 41, 42, 43
FM (Noise Exposure) (1969).
Example 3: Noise Exposure Regulation 1989
• Standard:
– Action level: 85 dB (A)
– PEL
• Continuous >90 dB
• Intermittent at any one time – 115 dB
• Impulsive – 140 dB
• Control measures
– Engineering and administrative
– Training, warning signs
– Hearing protection devices
• Exposure monitoring
– Audiometric test
• Conducted by a competent person
• Standard technique
• Frequency: yearly, or 2 yearly
8. Please describe the steps to control dust exposure in a construction site.
1. Local Exhaust
a. Local exhaust ventilation at the point of high dust
production
b. Combine with hood be an effective control
c. Operation requirement – high suction pressure
2. General Ventilation system with dilution
a. When source of dust generation is numerous and widely
distributed
b. Exhausting air from plant and add with air from
window and outside
3. Recirculate the air from the dust
a. Recirculate the air from the dust collector
4. Moisture control
a. Using wet drilling and grinding can reduce up to 75%
dust generated
5. Respirator
a. Can be used as primary or secondary protection
9. Please explain the roles of professionals in the field of occupational health.
Page 12
The roles of professionals are as follows:
t might harm health through sound control measures
workers
and management
10. Define the term ergonomic hazard.
Page 103
Ergonomics is derived from the Greek language.
Ergon means work and Nomos means laws, so ergonomics means work laws.
11. List four acts that are enforced by the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.
OSH Act 1994
FM Act 1967
Employees’ Social Security Act 1969
Workmen’s Compensation Act 1952
12. Define radiation. Discuss two types of radiation by giving appropriate examples.
13. Alpha radiation cannot travel far through air. How far does it go? What material will
absorb alpha radiation? State two safety precautions for handling radioactive sources.




A heavy atom with positive charge – nucleus ejects 2 protons and 2 neutrons
Release by elements such as uranium and thorium, polonium
Able to penetrate skin surface and can be stopped by a piece of paper
If it is taken by the body through inhalation, food or drinks, body tissues will be
directly exposed
 Can travel for only a few centimeters
14. Discuss how Malaysian workers are compensated for occupational injuries.
Page 215
Schemes under the SOCSO
15. Explain 3 major incidents which occurred globally and in Malaysia that lead to the
establishment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
Bhopal, Chernobyl and Sungai Buloh all explained with brief points