11. Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Composite Industry

This book chapter reviews the issues of occupational safety and health administration in the composites industry in three countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. In the United States, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971 under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. It was the Department of United States of Labour agency that enforced the law and standards and responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions and environments for the workers of both genders. In 1802, Sir Robert Peel introduced the first piece of Occupational Safety and Health legislation in the United Kingdom, The Health and Morals of Apprentices Act. The historical aims of OSH have been mostly safety matters, measurement problems, enhancing difficulty between well-being and health, and associated financial costs. In Malaysia, The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA) was developed due to increased concern in enormous movement and transformation from year to year and was well-established in Feb 1994 in Malaysia. For further understanding, this paper discusses Occupational Safety and Health management in those countries. Based on the literature, different countries have different management systems in terms of administration. Besides, this paper also confers about the safety and health legislation that has been practiced in these three countries. The United States was concerned with protecting the workers from hazardous materials and chemicals, improving workplace performance, reducing workplace injuries and death, providing adequate information, and training to all employees especially those who engage in hazardous and dangerous works. In Malaysia, the purpose of the bureau is to encourage employers and workers to practise effective safety and health measures at the geographic point. This paper also proposes the safety and health management of composite industries in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Malaysia. Effective safety will solely be achieved once there is proper management of interaction between technological systems and other people.