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INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of Textiles Industry In Malaysia

The textiles and textile products industry in Malaysia comprises four sub-sectors, namely primary textiles which cover activities such as polymerisation, spinning, weaving, knitting and wet processing; made-up garments; made-up textiles; and textile accessories. The growth of Malaysia's textiles and apparel industry !"#s when the country embarked on export-oriented accelerated in the early

industrialisation. $ue to the intensified global competition, Malaysia textile manufacturers are moving up the value chain by diversifying into the production of higher value-added textiles, implementing automation and computerised manufacturing, processes, seeking business collaboration with foreign companies to ac%uire new technologies and undertaking research and development activities to develop new processes, new applications and value-added products. The industry currently employs more than &',### workers. (n )# , the industry was the #th largest export earner, contributing approximately were .M #.' billion while imports amounted to

).*+ to Malaysia,s total exports of manufactured goods. -xports of textiles and textile products for the year )# .M&.& billion. The main export items were yarn, woven fabrics and apparels and imports were mostly yarn and woven fabrics. Malaysia,s apparel manufacturers continue to maintain an excellent reputation for %uality to meet high standards set by international brands owner such as /ike, 0didas, $1/2, 0nn Taylor, 0rmani, Talbots and Tommy 3ilfiger.

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Co!"any O#er#ie$ 1

Max%Textile Cor"oration &M' (dn B)d, formerly 4hibing (ndustries 5dn 6hd, originated from 6atu 7ahat, 8ohor, the capital of textile in Malaysia, was established by Mr 4hua 9ai 3uik since the !':. ;irstly as an sole proprietor company, Mr 4hua 9ai 3uik officially incorporated 4hibing (ndustries 5dn 6hd in !!#, and then slowly established itself as a %uality player of T shirt manufacturer and T shirt supplier in manufacturing %uality garments and apparel products of T shirt Malaysia. Throughout the years of !!#s, 4hibing (ndustries 5dn 6hd was one of

leading <-M manufacturers for local fashion brands including 6.=.M. -%uipment, 5nails <riginal, 0ntioni, and 6ody >loves. 5ince year )###, the company beginning to expand its <-M product range to sportswear and golf apparels, and have produced for international names such as 9otto, 1appa, 7>0 Tour and 4ross4reek. The 6atu 7ahat factory currently has the capability to produce up to ?#, ### pieces of apparels every month with the potential of increasing another *#:#+ should there be a surge of demand for our products. @e currently employ :' full time personnel in both our "!)#sf factory, and ? in the sales office in 1uala 9umpur A7uchongB respectively. The company also consists of &#+ of 6umiputras employees, serving at various positions. 6eing in the business for more than )# years, the company is manufacturing superior products at a reasonable cost without compromising on %uality. The company is well positioned to manufacture high value added garments that re%uire stringent %uality control, high skill and productive level in Malaysia and at the same time can service the customers that re%uire simple style, basic items at competitive prices. The company firmly believe in honing the skills of its most valuable asset, its staff, by regularly sending them for training to improve their skills. Through human resource development, the company is not only able to produce high %uality products but also able to provide excellent service through efficient distribution and strong customer relationship.

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Co!"any +ision

In line with Malaysias vision to become an industrialized nation by the year of 2020, Maxtex has prepared itself to meet new challenges to be faced by the textile and garment industry !owever, Max"#extile $orporations innovative approach to combine new"age fashionable product design, creative mar%eting strategies and ability to manufacture superior &uality products, continues to offer a bright future for the company

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-ocations of Manufacturing .lant

'ddress( 11, 11', 12, 12', )alan *epayang, #aman +ira, ,-000 .atu /ahat, )ohor, Malaysia #el ( 01023 " 4-- ,,52 6ax ( 01023 " 4-2 2--1

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1a6ards 2nd Risks In Textiles (ector

The textiles sector contains many haCards and risks to workers, ranging from exposure to noise and dangerous substances, to manual handling and working with dangerous machinery. -ach processing stage D from the production of materials to the manufacturing, finishing, colouring and packaging Dposes risks for workers, and some of these are particularly dangerous for women,s health. This short document cannot cover all the haCards and risks in all the parts of the textiles sector, but highlights some of the key issues, particularly to women workers, and how worker safety and health can be managed. . 0our &,' ("ecific 1ealt) .ro7le!s T)roug) Task 2nalysis -xposure to chemical agents. -xposure to dusts and fibres. -xposure to biological agents. 0ccidents in the textiles sector.

/x"osure To C)e!ical 2gents Many different groups of chemical substances are used in the textiles sector,including dyes, solvents, optical brighteners, crease-resistance agents, flameretardants, heavy metals, pesticides, and antimicrobic agents. They are used in dyeing, printing, finishing, bleaching, washing, dry cleaning, weaving slashingEsiCing, and spinning. .espiratory and skin sensitisers can be found in the textiles industry, for example textiles fibres, reactive dyes, synthetic fibres, and formaldehyde. The textile industry has been evaluated as a sector with an increased carcinogenic risk. 5everal studies have showed an increased risk of nasal, laryngeal and bladder cancer in women.

/x"osure To Dusts 2nd 0i7res

The exposure of workers to dusts from material such as silk, cotton, wool, flax, hemp, sisal, and Fute can occur during weaving, spinning, cutting, ginning, and packaging. $ivision of tasks along gender lines may mean that women are exposed to organic dusts more than men, with respiratory diseases being diagnosed more often in women than men. -xposure to fibres and yarns may cause nasal or bladder cancer. /x"osure To Biological 2gents (n some activities, such as carding and willowing, workers may be exposed to biological agents such as anthrax, clostridium tetani Athe causative agent for tetanusB, and coxiella burnetti Awhich causes G feverB. -xposure to biological agents can result in allergies and respiratory disorders. 2ccidents In t)e Textiles (ector The textiles sector has many haCards that can cause inFury to workers, from transport in the workplace Alift truckB, dangerous large work e%uipment and plant, to the risk of slips from a wet working environment. @orkers being struck by obFects, such as moving machinery parts and vehicles are a significant cause of inFury in the sector. There also exists the risks of fire and explosions, for example from heating plants used for vapour generation. .1 -egislation To encourage investments in the textiles and textile products industry, several textile productsEactivities the have been gaCetted as promoted productsEactivities under 0llowance. 7romotion of (nvestment 0ct, !'& and could be

considered for tax incentives in the form of 7ioneer 5tatus or (nvestment Tax

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Risk 2ssess!ent (te" 7y (te"

The legal re%uirement for risk evaluation or assessment applies to all employers. The process for carrying out a risk assessment can be broken down into a series of stepsH (te" 1 % Identifying )a6ards and t)ose at risk 9ooking for those things at work that have the potential to cause harm, and identifying workers who may be exposed to the haCards. =sing workers, knowledge helps to ensure haCards are spotted and workable solutions implemented. 4onsultation encourages workers to commit themselves to health and safety procedures and improvements. 0 risk assessment should cover all workers regardless of whether they are employed on long- or shortterm contracts. @here there are persons employed by another organisation on site, there is a duty on the two employers to cooperate and safeguard the health and safety of workers. .isk assessment should take account of differences in workers, such as by gender, age, or disability. ;or example, older employees may learn differently than a younger worker, and also have different concepts of risk due to a lack of experience. $ifferent prevention measures may be re%uire for these worker groups. @ork, its organisation and the e%uipment used should be adapted to the worker, not the other way around. @orkers with disabilities should be considered specifically in the risk assessment process. ;or example, people with disabilities may be subFected to bullying, which can lead to work-related stress. 4onsultation with workers with disabilities is vital to ensure a risk assessment is appropriate.

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% /#aluating 2nd .rioritising Risks

-valuate how likely it is that the haCard will lead to harm or inFury, and how severe that inFury is likely to be. 4onsider what control measures are in place and whether they are sufficient. (t is essential that the work to be done to 1

eliminate or prevent risks is prioritised. The focus for cost-effective and sustainable risk management should be on collective protection and preventative measures. (te" * % Deciding On .re#enti#e 2ction (dentifying the appropriate measures to eliminate or control the risks. 9ist the preventive measures needed in order of priority, then take action, involving the workers and their representatives in the process. Targeting the underlying problems is the most cost-effective method of risk management. (te" , % Taking 2ction .isk assessment is the first step to successful risk management. 7ut in place the preventive and protective measures through a prioritisation plan Amost probably all the problems cannot be resolved immediatelyB and specify who does what and when, when a task is to be completed, and the means allocated to implement the measures. (nterventions should be agreed with the workforce, either directly or through worker safety representatives. The agreed solutions should be carefullyimplemented, monitored and evaluated. The information arising from the risk assessment must be shared with the appropriate persons. 0ction should be supported by appropriate training. (te" 8 Monitoring 2nd Re#ie$ing The assessment should be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure it remains up to date. (t has to be revised whenever significant changes occur in the organisation or as a result of the findings of an accident or Inear missJ investigation.

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C)ecklist 9 2 (i!"le Tool 0or Risk 2ssess!ent

4hecklists can be useful tools as part of the risk assessment process, when they can be used to identify haCards. They can also be used in monitoring the performance of control measures. The checklist below cannot cover all 2

haCards and risks, and readers are recommended to identify other relevant tools on the web pages of national safety and health authorities and inspectorates. -xamplesH C)ecklist of 1a6ards In Textiles Mechanical Hazards (s work e%uipment and machinery regularly checked to ensure that it works properly and that the guards and other protective measures are in good condition and operating correctlyK 0re there machines with unprotected or unguarded moving partsK 0re the emergency stops on the work e%uipment and machinery accessible and workingK 0re there machines where an unprotected or unintentional start-up is possibleK Noise And Vibration 0re there workers exposed to noise which is so loud that they have to shout to communicate with a person standing #.?- metre awayK 0re there noise sources which are not dampened, enclosed effectively or placed in a separate roomK (s there a lack of noise screens between sources of noise and work areasK 0re there workers who do not use ear-protectors, even when the noise level is highK 0re workers carrying out tasks that expose them to vibration - either of their hands and arms, or their whole bodyK $o pregnant women use vibrating tools or machines; for example, during cutting or sewingK $oes the employer purchase the lowest-noise machines availableK $oes the employer purchase the lowest-vibration machinery availableK Re!ark s 5e s No

Chemical Hazards $o workers use haCardous chemicals; for example, those classified ,

as toxic, harmful, corrosive, irritant, sensitising, carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproductionK $o workers use haCardous chemicals if material safety data sheets are not suppliedK $o workers work with haCardous chemicals even if a set of safety instructions for use has not been drawn upK 4an haCardous chemicals be substituted for ones less haCardousK 0re new workers told of the risks from the dangerous substances in the workplaceK 0re workers aware of the dangers posed by the chemicals they are usingK $o employees work with carcinogenic or mutagenic substancesK $o pregnant or breastfeeding women work with carcinogenic or mutagenic substances; for example, arsenic compounds, dimethyl sulphate, carbon disulphide, ethylene oxide, epichlorhydrine or formaldehydeK 0re workers exposed to organic dusts; for example wool, cotton or yarnsK 0re there workstations without appropriate collective preventive e%uipment, such as local exhaust ventilationK 0re there workers who do not use personal protective e%uipment, such as gloves, goggles, face shields or respirators, even if this is re%uiredK 0re there workers using haCardous chemicals who have not been trained in their use and handlingK Fire Hazards 0re fire precautions in place, operational, and accessibleK $o workers use oxidising, or flammable materials, such as sometimes found in paints, adhesives and solventsK 0re oxidising or flammable substances or preparations stored in unventilated roomsK 0re there any sources of ignition; for example, open fire, electrical e%uipment, electrostatic charges or high temperatureK

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1/2-T1 .ROB-/M( <ccupational safety and health should be managed in a gender sensitive way, being aware that there may be differences in the exposure of women to risks compared to men. >ender sensitive interventions should be participatory, involving the workers concerned, and based on an examination of the real work situation. There has to be a real commitment from management to take safety and health and gender issues seriously, and no assumptions should be made about who is at risk from what haCards. 0t each step of the risk assessment process described above, gender issues should be considered. ;or exampleH L 0sk both male and female workers what problems they have in a structured way, L Take care of unintentional gender bias when IgradingJ risks as high, medium, or low. L -nsure that reproductive health issues are included when seeking to at source or when trying to substitute substances.

eliminate risk

L -nsure that monitoring of the performance of preventive measures covers tasks carried out by both men and women. @orkers who are pregnant or nursing mothers are protected by a specific directive, 4ouncil $irective !)E'?E--4, which establishes minimum standards and is transposed into every Member 5tates. The directive re%uires employers to carry out a specific risk assessment to the workers covered, and highlights in particularH L L L -xposure to chemical, physical and biological agents. 7hysical movements and postures. Mental and physical fatigue and other types of physical and mental stress. A),?*' wordsB

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R/0/R/NC/( <ccupational 5afety and 3ealth 0ct !!: A0ct ? :B. 0rtaria .., 5ettimi 9.H Tintorie e stamperie di tessuti in 5icureCCa del lavoro nel settore tessile, Aproceedings of the seminar organised by (57-59B, $ipartimento $ocumentaCione, (nformaCione e ;ormaCione within the )nd 4ongress, MTessile e 5alute,.

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