Malaysia publishes Industry Code of Practice for noise exposure rules

“Industry Code of Practice (ICOP) for management of occupational noise exposure and hearing conservation 2019” was released in Malaysia on October 31, 2019. The ICOP is a legally binding document that provides details on the implementation of the “Occupational Safety and Health (Noise Exposure) Regulations 2019” (hereinafter referred to as the Regulations) promulgated in March 2019.

The original text of the ICOP can be downloaded from the following URL.
http://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/legislation/codes-of-practice/industrial-hygiene/3286-industry-code-of-practice-for-management-of-occupational-noise-exposure-and-hearing-conservation-2019/file

The legal document on the notification of approval of the ICOP is as follows.
http://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/factory-machinery/info-terkini/3328-notification-of-approval-of-icop-noise/file

FAQs on the ICOP has been released as follows.
http://www.dosh.gov.my/index.php/list-of-documents/info-terkini/3327-soalan-lazim-icop-dan-peraturan-peraturan-kkp-pendedahan-bising-2019/file

Identification of Excessive Noise

Under the provisions of the Regulations, employers shall assess and identify whether any of their employees are exposed to excessive noise. According to the ICOP, employers shall identify the noise in each area according to the nature of activities and work process, using the checklist provided in Appendix 1 of the ICOP. The checklist includes a total of 10 questions such as the following.

• Are your employees using noisy powered tools or machinery?
• Are there noises due to impacts or explosive sources?
• Are personal hearing protectors used for some work?

Noise Risk Assessment

If exposure to excessive noise is identified, the employer shall conduct noise risk assessment within one month of the identification. The employer shall appoint a “noise risk assessor (NRA)” who is registered with the authority to conduct the assessment. The objectives of the noise risk assessment are as follows.

• To identify all employees likely to be exposed to excessive noise
• To obtain information on noise sources and work practices that will help in the formulation of new measures that shall be taken to reduce noise
• To check the effectiveness of existing measures taken to reduce noise exposure
• To help in the selection of appropriate personal hearing protectors
• To demarcate hearing protection zones
• To determine the need for establishing and implementing hearing conservation program

Noise measurements shall be conducted using equipment that meets the requirements of IEC 61672-1, IEC 61252, and other relevant standards, and that has been inspected within 12 months by an accredited laboratory or manufacturer. The ICOP also specifies details for calibration of noise levels.

In conducting noise risk assessment, noise sources are first determined, and then noise mapping is done for each area. The mapping shall be color-coded according to the noise levels as follows.

The results of the final risk assessment shall be summarized in a report according to the items specified in Appendix 2 of the ICOP.