IEM PI Section B-Question 6

IEM Professional Interview

Section B - Questions on Regulation s on Professional Conduct

Question No. 6:

 

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.)

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 rectification 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 colleagues and staffs.

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.

Miscellaneous response plan

As per earlier sub-chapter, the stop and problem rectification work are not deterrents 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.