Essay 6 : Health, Safety & Environment

You are an engineer and it is known that your project activities/ plant production had cause an
adverse health, safety and/ or environmental (HSE) impact. To improve the HSE quality, you have to
cease your project activities/ production for a period, resulting in the inability to meet the schedule
and targets. How would you handle in a situation where there is a conflict between the IEM
Regulations on Professional Conduct and commercial consideration?

(The following write-up was prepared (written) by Mr. BAY prior to his sitting for PI on Feb 2014. It is
shared here for reference of other candidates.)

According to IEM regulation on professional conduct, members shall ensure that his works and
products constitute no danger, cause no health issues and no damage to the environment. All
economic activities and development will only become sustainable if people are healthy, work places
are safe and environment is clean. If my project activities or plant production had cause an adverse
health, safety or environmental (HSE) impact, I will report, discuss and advise employer for
stipulated period for repair and correction works. In the same time, I will catch up schedule of
project activities and production after repair works with all relevant associates. To settle the HSE
matters, we plan and arrange in advance plans to recover business and project activities or
production back to tracks.

 Occupational, Safety and Health Act 1994 is the law to govern the safety and health.
 Environmental Quality Act 1974 is the law to govern environmental matters.
 Factories and Machinery Act 1967 is the law to govern the safe use of machine during work
and after installation for tenant use.
 If offended, fines and imprisonment could be imposed.
 Stop work at early stage when problems are identified, rather than waiting until serious
damage take place, could maintain good corporate image and make the business
sustainable.
 For construction industry, one guilty contractor with occurrence of bad HSE incidents would
not be welcomed by client and could be blacklisted from future bidding of projects.

 The stop work period provide full access of all relevant personnel and measurement to
repair and rectify the problems.
 If it is the machine problem, the machine shall be repaired and replaced.
 If it is the work place, which are messing and could cause safety concern because of
negligence, the place shall be cleaned and arranged in order.
  If it is the work process could cause the HSE matters, the expert and relevant personnel shall
modified the work flow with involvement and briefing to all staffs.
 If it is the competency of the staffs, training shall be provided. For instance, mining industry
could catch worldwide attention because HSE matters once occur are often serious and
accompanied with loss of lives.
 It is unavoidable that no production during the period until full strengthening of the
underground access rather than permanent closure issued by authority.

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 The stop and problem rectification work is to ensure sustainability and to achieve goals,
which is including the project schedule.

 Planning and schedule can cover all aspects after the completion of repair works.

 The planning can cover order and delivery of materials, sourcing for suitable tools, machines
and technology to carry work in an efficient and speedy ways, training of staffs to be more
skilful and employment of additional manpower.

 In addition, the current encountered difficulties can be informed to and discussed with
clients. This is to show our sincerity and commitment to them for quality excellence and to
safeguard their interest too.

 Benefit of all parties will be affected if HSE matters are not taken as priority

Introduction

According to IEM regulation on professional conduct, members shall ensure that his works and
products constitute no danger, cause no health issues and no damage to the environment. When
there is conflict of interest between his own and others especially the community, his shall uphold
the benefit of the community and his duty to them must prevail.

In addition, it is responsibility of all humans to not polluting the environment, not initiating
irresponsible actions that will jeopardize others and own good health and safety. All economic
activities and development will only become sustainable if people are healthy, work places are safe
and environment is clean.
Like sickness, prevention is better than cure. If the sickness has unfortunately arisen upon us, we
shall open to medical examination and accept the cure.

If my project activities or plant production had cause an adverse health, safety or environmental
(HSE) impact, I will report, discuss and advise employer for stipulated period for repair and
correction works. If it is deemed necessary, due to benefits of workers and public from HSE aspects, I
will recommend too about ceasing of project activities and production though that may resulting in
the inability to meet the schedule and targets.

In the same time, I will quickly kick off the repair and rectification works, along with contingency plan
such business response plan to catch up schedule of project activities and production after repair
works with all relevant associates.

The prime action is definitely to settle the HSE matters. While in the same time, we plan and arrange
in advance plans to recover business and project activities or production back to tracks once the HSE
matters are settled.

Stop work

Occupational, Safety and Health Act 1994 is the law to govern the safety and health at work places
while Environmental Quality Act 1974 is the law to govern environmental matters in Malaysia. For
construction and manufacturing industries, which often involve the use of heavy machine and
equipment, Factories and Machinery Act 1967 is the law to govern the safe use of machine during
work and after installation for tenant use.

Under the acts, both employer and employee have obligation to ensure safety and health at
workplaces and not causing environmental problems. If offended, fines and imprisonment could be
imposed.

Nowadays, many companies have their own HSE policy too, which could be more stringent because
industry oriented requirement such as oil and gas industry. By adhering to company HSE policy, it is
sometimes abide by the laws. In addition, the self-voluntary stop work is not merely obligation to
laws; it is indeed our commitment to HSE and sustainability of project activities and business. Stop
work at early stage when problems are identified, rather than waiting until serious damage take
place, could maintain good corporate image and make the business sustainable.
For construction industry, one errant contractor with occurrence of bad HSE incidents would not be
welcomed by client and could be blacklisted from future bidding of projects.

Repair/ rectify the problem within schedule

The stop work period provide full access of all relevant personnel and measurement to repair and
rectify the problems.

The cause of problem and remedy methods, should have already identified prior to or immediate to
be identified after stop work initiated. If it is the machine problem, the machine shall be repaired
and replaced. If it is the work place, which are messing and could cause safety concern because of
negligence, the place shall be cleaned and arranged in order. If it is the work process could cause the
HSE matters, the expert and relevant personnel shall modified the work flow with involvement and
briefing to all staffs. If it is the competency of the staffs, training shall be provided.

For instance, mining industry could catch worldwide attention because HSE matters once occur are
often serious and accompanied with loss of lives. If it is noticed that there is uncomfortable signs
about the tunnel access and its underground structures, the stop work is inarguably the best option
to uphold safety of the workers. It is unavoidable that no production during the period until full
strengthening of the underground access rather than permanent closure issued by authority.

Various response plan

As per earlier sub-chapter, the stop and problem rectification work are not discouragement to
business growing or achievement of business target but to ensure sustainability and to achieve
goals, which is including the project schedule.

During the stop work and repair work period, planning and schedule to catch the project and
production activities can be carried out, which can cover all aspects after the completion of repair
works. The planning can cover order and delivery of materials, sourcing for suitable tools, machines
and technology to carry work in an efficient and speedy ways, training of staffs to be more skilful and
employment of additional manpower.
In addition, the current encountered difficulties can be informed to and discussed with clients. This is
to show our sincerity and commitment to them for quality excellence and to safeguard their interest
too. Benefit of all parties will be affected if HSE matters are not taken as priority. Rational clients
may provide extension of time for completion too.

Car manufacturers such as Toyota and Honda have shown to the world of their commitment and
responsibility to users of their cars. They recall back their products and rectify them. Such actions do
not hurt their business but indeed helping to boost to higher level of consumer confidence. This is
definitely good example to all players of other industries too.

Conclusion

In other words, efforts and incorporation of HSE concern into project activities and production are
not merely obligation to laws but also aligning to sustainability of commercial interest and
consideration. For my project activities and production, if HSE matters are affected, I will definitely
rectify the matters first and follow up with response plan to catch up the schedule for the project
activities and production.

Question 4

Introduction

IEM regulations of professional conduct are written rules and principles for members to conduct
themselves in ethical and morale manner when discharging their duties and carrying their works.
The regulations and rules are written in broad and general terms and cover all eventualities.

The regulations, basically, require members to uphold the dignity of the profession, be honest and
fair to all parties, ensure works constitute no danger, do not jeopardize the benefits of his fellow
engineers, etc.
By memorizing this set of regulations and rules, though cannot ensure professionalism of an
engineer, these rules are introduction and basic qualifying requirement and essential guidelines that
all members must remember. After memorizing and understand them with heart, the following
aspects are also much desired to attain professionalism of the engineers.

Self-awareness and agreement to the importance of stipulated rules and regulations

Laws, regulations and rules are being introduced, developed, improved and enforced when society
was forming and growing. In other words, civilisation was created with co-existence of rules and
regulations. The rules and regulations are reference of accepted conducts for own comfort from all
aspects and not jeopardizing the same of others. All members in the community will live in harmony
situation and to make progress with healthy and positive competition ways when there are orders
and everyone adhered to them.

For one to adhere to rules and regulations, his agreement and understanding to the rules is
important. Then, he will only pledge to follow the rules.

For instance, some of the IEM regulations of professional conduct prohibit members from using self-
laudatory works in advertisement or do not maliciously injure the reputation and prospect of other
engineers.

In my opinions, engineering works are application of science knowledge to improve living standard
of human. Engineers are those involved with the roles. This kind of roles are informative and
implementation patterns and not adjective and praising ways. It is important so that we can perform
our duties with real understanding and attending to engineering problems sincerely. We do not say
or make public perceive that we could perform something extraordinary or can do much better or no
one else could able to do similar. This rule is essential to avoid wrong perception from the public and
to show our sincerity to contribute to the community while taking care of our business prospects.

Engineers shall not injure other engineer both from words and any kind of unethical methods too.
Should they want to compete, they compete with their skill and expertise to strive for valued
engineering design and front end engineering design. With such healthy competition, both will
further improve their own competence, benefiting themselves and the nation.

Practise/ Self-discipline to follow rules

Upon one agrees and understands the rules and regulations are for all members to conduct
themselves in an order and ethical ways, which will eventually strengthen the attractiveness of the
profession as a rewarding career; one will follow and practise the rules and regulations.

Continuing Professional Development

Competence is important for advancement of oneself and for the industry as a whole. Though one’s
practises to-date provide safe and reliable works, technology are becoming more modern compared
20 to 30 years ago. Engineers, in old days, strive for safe, reliable works and meet schedule. For
nowadays, in addition to safe, reliable and within schedule, the clients, industry players and public
are also demanding for valued engineering design, front end engineering design (FEED), Green
buildings and etc.

In other words, the industry is becoming more demanding. We need to cope with latest
development of technology, new knowledge and open to its application. By continuing study and
develop our competence, only can we keep our pace to provide excellent services to clients and
public from all aspect such as safety, reliability, valued for money works, contemporary design and
not jeopardizing the environment.

By continuing professional development, we enhance our competence and compete confidently to

secure jobs and maintain business prospects. By becoming more competent, we could achieve
professionalism and do not need unethical approaches.

Whistle blowers/ Enforcer such as Board of Engineers, Malaysia

There are sometimes some “bad apples”. Therefore, there must be an enforcement system in place.
“Bad apples” are like small moles, but catch most attention and could be a crisis once appear and
not be removed.

In Malaysia, Board of Engineers (BEM) is the regulatory body to register and deregister engineers.
There are also mechanism and reasons, stipulated inside Registration of Engineers Act 1967 (Act
138) (REA), how an unethical offences that can lead to suspension or cancellation of registration of
an engineer.
However, BEM does not able to play her roles and responsibilities unless there are whistle blowers
and the similar mechanism within Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM). By adhering to IEM rules
and regulations, we could abide by most of the regulations by BEM and REA which both are
reference for engineers to maintain professionalism.

Promoter of good practices and network among members such as Institution of Engineers, Malaysia

Interaction among engineers is important. Via interaction, people with similar abilities,
qualifications, background and job nature can become peers among themselves to move to ethical
direction. They could learn, share ideas, monitor and motivate each other.

By becoming members of Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM), we can enhance our competence
by participating talks, seminar organised by IEM and share ideas and experience among members.
By becoming IEM members, we promise to abide by IEM rules and regulations. If any of the
members breach the rules, he shall feel shame and will not earn the respect of others.

Guidance/ Mentor system

Young engineers are drivers of the industry and profession in future. It is relatively easy for them to
acquire academic qualification and technical expertise under supervision of a registered professional
engineer. However, both academic and technical skills are not total for professionalism.
Professionalism shall include ethical behaviour too.

Hence, it is of paramount important that supervisor to monitor and guide their trainee the ethical
practices when handling project and bear in mind his obligation to his clients and duties to public
and environment at large.

Conclusion

Regurgitating IEM regulations on professional conduct is basic qualifying requirement to attain

professionalism. In addition to that, members shall have strong agreement to the rules and
regulation, feel proud and honour to follow the rules. It is because their pledges to follow the rules
are to maintain the sustainability of the profession and make the career to continue to be rewarding
and respectable ones.