Responsible Conduct in Chemical Safety and Security Practices and

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Chapter 12

Responsible Conduct in Chemical Safety and Security Practices and Its Development in Malaysia H. L. Lee,1,* M. F. Abdul-Wahab,2 C. T. Goh,3 and D. M. Chau4 1School

of Chemical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 USM, Penang, Malaysia 2Faculty of Biosciences and Medical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia 3Institute for Environment and Development (LESTARI), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia 4Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia *E-mail: [email protected]

The Malaysian economy has expanded rapidly since its independence in 1957, spurring the growth of the chemical-related industries, and the research and development activities. In view of this, it is essential to have the educational tools, guidance and best chemical practices in the chemical safety and security management. This chapter provides an overview of the responsible conducts in chemical practices in Malaysia, which covers four major topics: (1) chemical safety at the workplace; (2) chemical security in Malaysia; (3) responsible conduct of research, and finally (4) chemical safety education at Malaysian higher education institutions. Each topic comprehensively discusses various aspects of chemical safety and security, and the good practices, to reflect on the implementation and enforcement mechanisms in Malaysia. This chapter was written in a simple manner for easy understanding and hence, is suitable for chemistry practitioners at all levels, especially those interested in chemical safety and security practices and its development in Malaysia.

© 2018 American Chemical Society Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

1.0. Introduction The chemical industry is one of the leading industries in Malaysia, significantly contributing to Malaysia’s exports of manufactured goods. This industry produced organic and inorganic chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and fertilizers, among many others. In 2014, the Malaysian oil and gas company, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), initiated a refinery and petrochemical integrated development (RAPID) project in Pengerang, in the southern state of Johor. The refinery project is anticipated to be completed by early 2019 (1). This mega project will generate 4,000 new jobs after completion, and brings Malaysia’s chemical industry to a whole new level. With this development, comes the need to have a stronger policy on chemical safety and security in the country. At the same time, industry and academic research in the fields of science and technology is also rapidly expanding. Hundreds if not thousands of chemicals are used in the research laboratories every year. Many of these chemicals are classified as hazardous to health, or can pose a threat according to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). It is thus critical to have standardized and widelyadopted laws, regulations and ethical codes to protect personnel against hazardous chemicals, and to avoid misuse of these chemicals for malicious purposes. In this chapter, current developments in regulating chemical safety and security at the industry and academic laboratories in Malaysia are discussed. Discussion on chemical safety at the workplace dates back to the gazettement of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) in 1994, enforced by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). This Act then formed a platform for the introduction of further regulations strengthening various aspects of chemical safety. The industry is also taking a proactive role in ensuring compliance to the highest safety standard, by working together with various government agencies and the academics to come up with useful safety tools. On the other hand, chemical security became a national agenda when Malaysia ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in 2000. The ratification was later followed by the introduction of related act and regulations. The functions of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) is explained in this book chapter, particularly concerning its function as the referral point for chemical security in the country. To support the country’s efforts in strengthening chemical safety and security aspects among researchers, an educational program on responsible conducts of research is urgently needed. This chapter describes the current effort of Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM), and Young Scientist Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) in developing an educational module on this topic. Back in 1997, the University of Malaya was the only Malaysian university that had a policy on code of ethics in place. Currently, research ethics has become a more common discussion topic among the wider academic community in the country. The Malaysian Educational Module on Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) has been developed with the aim of ensuring that researchers in Malaysia conduct research ethically and responsibly. In addition, a formal course on chemical safety and security, particularly at the undergraduate level, is 172 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

urgently needed. The final part of this chapter discusses current chemical safety training programs in Malaysian universities, and the extent of safety aspects in the chemistry undergraduate curricula. A recommendation on the need to have a dedicated course on chemical and laboratory safety in Malaysian public and private universities offering undergraduate Chemistry programs is also included.

2.0. Chemical Safety at the Workplace The government of Malaysia has gazetted the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994 (Act 514), which is enforced by the Malaysian Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) to secure safety, health and welfare of persons at work. The OSHA 1994 mandates establishment of the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, and stipulates general duties of employers, self-employed persons, employees, designers, manufacturers and suppliers for the protection of worker’s health and safety. Subsequently, DOSH established several regulations under OSHA 1994, namely the Occupational Safety and Health (Control of Industrial Major Accident Hazards) Regulations 1996; Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Hazardous Chemicals) (CPL) Regulations 1997; and the Occupational Safety and Health (Use and Standards of Exposure of Chemicals Hazardous to Health) (USECHH) Regulations 2000. In 2013, the CPL 1997 was revoked and replaced by the Occupational Safety and Health (Classification, Labelling and Safety Data Sheet of Hazardous Chemicals) (CLASS) Regulations 2013. The reformation in the regulatory requirement was triggered by several international initiatives, particularly the establishment of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS is a system that was developed by a group of multidisciplinary experts with the culmination of more than a decade of work, where it is a logical comprehensive approach to define chemical hazards, apply agreed hazard criteria to classify chemical substances and mixtures, and then communicating hazard information to users via chemical labels and safety data sheets (SDS). According to the United Nations, it is anticipated that, when implemented, GHS will (2). 1. 2. 3. 4.

enhance the protection of human health and the environment by providing an internationally comprehensive system for hazard communication; provide a recognized framework for those countries without an existing system; reduce the need for testing and evaluation of chemicals; and facilitate international trade in chemicals which have had their hazards properly assessed and identified on an international basis.

The GHS document (also known as the GHS purple book) was published in 2003 and the current version, which is the seventh revised edition, was released in 2017. 173 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the GHS can be seen as the basis for the development of a National Chemicals Management System via promoting safe use of chemicals (3). Under the Malaysia’s CLASS 2013 regulation enforced by DOSH, any person who supplies a hazardous chemical, including a principal supplier and subsidiary supplier, must comply with the regulations. ‘Principal supplier’ means a supplier who formulates, manufactures, imports, recycles or reformulates a hazardous chemical; whereas ‘subsidiary supplier’ means a supplier who repacks, distributes or retails a hazardous chemical. It is the supplier’s obligation to classify and label the hazardous chemicals, as well as to prepare the SDS in accordance with the requirement of CLASS 2013. Supplier should also prepare classification record to be made available for inspection by the authority. In addition, CLASS 2013 also stipulates that any importer or manufacturer that imports or supplies each hazardous chemical more than one metric tonne and above per calendar year must submit an inventory to the Director General of DOSH not later than 31 March of the following year. In 2016, DOSH published a brief report on the inventory of chemicals imported and manufactured based on importers’ or manufacturers’ notification in 2015, a total number of 33,003 chemicals (types) with the total volume of 686,066,068 tonnes of chemical substances and mixtures have been notified to DOSH via Chemicals Information Management System (CIMS) (4). CLASS 2013 only stipulates chemical classification results but not the classification criteria. This was rectified when DOSH incorporated the classification criteria and hazard communication elements in the Industrial Code of Practice on Chemicals Classification and Hazard Communication (ICOP) 2014. ICOP 2014 is a legally binding document and it is in line with the third revised edition of the GHS purple book (5). Both CLASS 2013 and ICOP 2014 regulations complement each other. The chemical classification criteria are based on the physical, health and environmental hazards, and the respective hazard classes under CLASS 2013 and ICOP 2014 are shown in Table 1. Under the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (RMK-11) (2016-2020), the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) has been taking the lead on the High Value-added and Complex Product Development Programme. As chemical trading plays an important role in the country’s economic growth, MITI has embarked on a project entitled ‘Globally Harmonized System of Classification – Chemical Industry’. The project was awarded to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), with the following objectives: (i) to facilitate import and export of chemicals; (ii) to enhance compliance of CLASS 2013; and (iii) to provide technical assistance to SME (small and medium enterprises) particularly on chemical mixture classification. As output of the project, a system known as CATCH (Classification Tool for Chemical Mixture) (https://catch.ukm.my) has been jointly developed with MITI. CATCH provides an alternative approach for industry to classify chemicals based on the requirements of CLASS 2013 and ICOP 2014. Among the benefits of using CATCH include simplified procedures, overcome technical barriers, and time-saving when classifying chemical mixtures. The system requires user registration, and at this moment, is only limited to Malaysian companies and institutions. 174 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

Table 1. Hazard classes under CLASS 2013 and ICOP 2014. Physical Hazards: 1. Explosives 2. Flammable gases 3. Flammable aerosols 4. Oxidising gases 5. Gases under pressure 6. Flammable liquids 7. Flammable solids 8. Self-reactive substances and mixtures 9. Pyrophoric liquids 10. Pyrophoric solids 11. Self-heating substances and mixtures 12. Substances and mixtures which, in contact with water, emit flammable gases 13. Oxidising liquids 14. Oxidising solids 15. Organic peroxides 16. Corrosive to metals

Health Hazards: 1. Acute toxicity (Oral) 2. Acute toxicity (Dermal) 3. Acute toxicity (Inhalation) 4. Skin corrosion/irritation 5. Serious eye damage/eye irritation 6. Respiratory sensitization 7. Skin sensitization 8. Germ cell mutagenicity 9. Carcinogenicity 10. Reproductive toxicity 11. Specific target organ toxicity – single exposure 12. Specific target organ toxicity – repeated exposure 13. Aspiration hazard Environmental Hazards: 1. Hazardous to the aquatic environment (acute and chronic) 2. Hazardous to the ozone layer

As far as chemical safety is concerned, the Malaysian Institute of Chemistry (IKM) also plays an important role in enhancing awareness of chemical safety in the academic and industrial laboratories. IKM is a statutory professional organization established under the provisions of Chemist Act 1975 and Chemist (Amendment) Act 2015. Members of IKM come from private and government sectors, as well as research and higher education institutions. There are many professional and safety-related courses offered by IKM, such as the courses on ‘Management of Chemicals and Chemical / Laboratory Wastes’, ‘Basic Laboratory First Aid for Laboratory Personnel’, and ‘Laboratory Safety Manual’. In addition, IKM has also collaborated with the American Chemical Society from 2010-2017 to conduct courses on chemical safety and security. From all these efforts, it is evident that Malaysia is taking a proactive role in ensuring that the highest standards in chemical safety is implemented. Chemical security aspects are also getting the required attention lately, via the roles carried out by the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC).

3.0. Chemical Security in Malaysia 3.1. Malaysia and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) The chemical security rules and regulations in Malaysia are mainly a manifestation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction (also known as the Chemical Weapons Convention, CWC), which was signed in Paris on the 13th of January 1993. The instrument of ratification was then 175 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

deposited seven years after the signing of the Convention, on the 20th of April 2000 (6). The Convention entered into force in Malaysia on the 20th of May 2000. The Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Act (Act 641) was enacted in Malaysia in 2005 to implement the Convention, and was gazetted on the 16th of June 2005 before coming into effect on the 1st of September 2006 (6). Two years later, the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Regulations 2007 (7) was enacted and enter came into force on the 1st of November 2007 (6). The National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) was established under Section 6 of the CWC Act 2005 to monitor and implement Malaysia’s obligations under the Convention. The NACWC is led by a Chairman, and is composed of 14 members, who are the Director Generals or the representatives of relevant Ministries and agencies (Table 2). The Chairman’s office and secretariat is placed under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs located at the Federal Government Administrative Centre of Putrajaya. The NACWC receives assistance and support from its stakeholders to carry out all functions for the realizations of Malaysia’s obligations as listed in the Convention. Specific NACWC committees for three Articles (VI, X and XI) are also appointed to focus on different tasks. Articles VI, X and XI are Articles under the Convention. The members of each committee are shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

Table 2. Members of the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC). Reproduced with permission from reference (8). Copyright 2016 NACWC. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Lead Agency)

Ministry of Defence

Ministry of International Trade & Industry (MITI)

Ministry of Home Affairs

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI)

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE)

Department of Chemistry (DOC)

Department of Environment (DOE)

Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH)

Royal Malaysian Customs

Royal Malaysian Police

Pesticides Board

Pharmaceutical Services Division, Ministry of Health

Science and Technology Research Institute for Defense (STRIDE)

176 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

Figure 1. Article VI Committee (Activities Not Prohibited by CWC). Reproduced with permission from reference (8). Copyright 2016 NACWC.

Figure 2. Article X Committee (Assistance and Protection against Chemical Weapons). Reproduced with permission from reference (8). Copyright 2016 NACWC.


Figure 3. Article XI Committee (Economic and Technological Development). Reproduced with permission from reference (8). Copyright 2016 NACWC. Article VI and Article XI are directly relevant to this chapter, and will be emphasized and discussed in details. Article VI concerns the non-proliferation of chemical weapons through trade control (import and export) of the scheduled chemicals; whereas Article XI focuses on the development and promotion of scientific and technological knowledge of the scheduled chemicals. Article VI establishes the right of a State Party to manufacture and use toxic chemicals and their precursors for activities not prohibited under the Convention. It also creates legal bases for Declaration, Verification and Transfer regimes related to such chemicals, facilities and activities in the State Party. Article XI states that “the Convention recognizes the need to promote technological and economic development and the peaceful use of chemistry. The implementation of the Convention should not hamper the technological and economic development of States Parties” (9). Hence, the State Party will facilitate the fullest possible exchange of chemicals, equipment and scientific and technological information and also to continuously review national regulations in the trade of chemicals. As such, under the legislation in Malaysia, the import and export of the scheduled chemical under the CWC Act 2005 is controlled by the Royal Malaysian Customs Department, which is monitored under the Customs (Prohibition of Imports/ Exports) Order 2012 (10). In addition to that, the export control is also regulated by the Strategic Trade Act (STA) 2010 (Act 708) (11). STA 2010 “is the legislation that controls the export, transhipment, transit and brokering of strategic items and technology, including arms and related material, as well as activities that will or may facilitate the design, development, production and delivery of weapons of mass destruction. This Act is consistent with Malaysia’s international obligations on national security” (11).


3.2. CWC as the Basis for Safeguarding Chemical Security in Malaysia

Before any trading activity involving scheduled chemicals is carried out, one must refer to the NACWC for approval. Declaration of past activities of the scheduled chemicals should be made to the NACWC annually, regardless of the amount of chemicals involved in the activities. The declaration can be made by writing to the NACWC as indicated in the CWC Regulations 2007. Hence, any party who fails to declare the scheduled chemicals and is found to commit the offence and will be subjected to the penalty stated in the CWC Act 2005. Chemical security issue is an emerging concern in Malaysia. Besides the roles of NACWC to reinforce national chemical security, Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia (CICM) (12) has also taken a proactive action voluntarily to introduce the Seventh Code under the Responsible Care® (RC) program. CICM has adopted this Seventh Code, known as the Security Code of the Management Practices, and is expected to be launched in Malaysia in 2018. This is the only Security Code designed for chemical security purposes. The other six Codes developed earlier are for the promotion of continuous improvements in safety, health and environmental (SHE) performance. The Seventh Code is established to “provide protection to people, property, products, information and information systems. The purpose is achieved by enhancing the security in preventing pilfering of products, covering potential bomb and terrorist attack along the chemical value chain. The chemical value chain covers activities associated with design, formulation research, procurement, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, storage, customer use, recycling and final disposal of the products. The Code uses the risk-based approach to identify, assess and address vulnerabilities, prevent or mitigate incidents, enhance training and response capabilities and maintain and improve relationship with key stakeholders” (13). Since the signing of the Convention in 1993, Malaysia, particularly through the NACWC, has been very committed to support and facilitate the purpose and objectives of the Convention. Malaysia has a strong stance against chemical weapons and believes that international collaboration through sharing of information is the best approach to establish mutual understanding among the regulatory partners and to respond to chemical weapons issues. Therefore, it is anticipated that more engagements between NACWC and the industries, universities and research institutes will be conducted in the future. NACWC also strongly supports the efforts of CICM to introduce the Security Code as a voluntary effort by the private sector to enhance the security management of the chemical industry. Among the academic and research institutions, a new effort to promote safe and secure science through Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) education is also taking place in Malaysia. One of the aims of RCR education is to ensure responsible behavior and conducts when hazardous chemicals are involved.


4.0. Responsible Conduct of Research RCR education has been established in the U.S. since 1989. The National Institute of Health (NIH) of the United States of America required applicants of institutional training grant to include a description of “activities related to the instruction about the responsible conduct of research” (14). The content of responsible RCR instructions suggested by NIH included, but not limited to, conflict of interest, data recording and retention, and responsible authorship. This requirement for RCR training came in response to numerous high profile research misconduct cases in the 1980s that cast a shadow on research integrity (15). The goal of this RCR education is to produce high quality researchers who are expected to conduct research responsibly and with integrity. In an updated NIH policy, a comprehensive list of RCR training topics have been included, such as mentor/mentee responsibilities, collaborative research including collaborations with industry, and peer review (16). Although many developed countries have placed increasing emphasis on research, comprehensive RCR education, such as the one mandated by NIH, has yet to be formally established elsewhere. Nevertheless, many countries address issues concerning RCR by producing codes of conduct that provide guidelines for researchers on research ethics. These codes of ethics include those published by the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities (17), UK Research Integrity Office (18), and the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (19). One of the seminal international efforts of fostering research integrity worldwide is the released of the Singapore Statement on Research Integrit (20) (2010), which was drafted during the Second World Conference on Research Integrity. Although it is a brief document, the Statement is comprehensive in providing a framework for institutes to develop policies and guidelines on research integrity. The goals of the RCR education, coupled with the codes of conduct, are to build public trust, protect research subjects, safeguard the research ecosystem and, ultimately, mitigate the negative effects of research misconduct and irresponsible conduct of research. The dialogue on RCR has intensified in recently years with the rising fears of biosafety and biosecurity issues. The threat of bioterrorism and Dual Use Research of Concern further deepens the need for greater discourse on RCR. Although chemical safety and security issues are not explicitly mentioned in the various RCR-related initiatives, it is nonetheless apparent that RCR is vital in ensuring chemical safety and security to not only protect the researchers but also the public and the environment. In Malaysia, the efforts to promote RCR among the academic and research institutions are championed by the Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM), an organization in the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM)


4.1. Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Program The YSN-ASM RCR Program was formally established in 2015 to foster research integrity in Malaysia. This initiative came after a two-year period (2013-2015) where members of YSN-ASM actively conducted RCR awareness workshops and seminars in Malaysia. The goal of this Program is to create a responsible scientific ecosystem in Malaysia. It also aims to mitigate the negative consequences of research misconduct as well as potential risk associated with unsafe and unsecure science such as those related to chemical safety and security. One of the key initiatives of this Program is the Educational Program on RCR. The purpose of this initiative is to create awareness on best practices and professional norms in research through RCR education. The target audience of the Educational Program on RCR are the principal investigators, students, and research assistants as well as research administrators. This catch-all approach is meant to ensure that RCR education penetrates all level of the research ecosystem. Active learning pedagogy is used to deliver the content of the RCR education. Through case-studies, role-playing, peer-learning and self-reflection, active learning allows the learner to appreciate the complexity of research ethics and to flex their ethical reflexivity. The second main initiative of the YSN-ASM RCR Program is to publish the Malaysian Educational Module on RCR. The goal of publishing this Module is to provide Malaysian researchers with a RCR reference material that is easily accessible and digestible. One of the unique features of the Module is the contextualization of the content for Malaysians by taking into account the unique research ecosystem in Malaysia. In addition to being a reference material, this Module is also designed to be used as a trainers’ handbook for those who wish to provide RCR education at their respective institutions. This Module contains 10 chapters (Figure 4) that covers major areas of RCR.

Figure 4. The Ten Chapters of the Malaysian Educational Module on RCR.


YSN-ASM RCR Program is currently working towards training a cohort of RCR trainers who are then able to provide RCR education throughout Malaysia. The Program will also facilitate the development of a nationalized and formal educational curriculum on RCR in universities across Malaysia. This formal curriculum could also be embedded in chemistry- and chemical-based programs at universities in Malaysia. With RCR education becoming mainstream in Malaysia, this will enhance the quality of research and the training of future scientists in Malaysia as well as strengthen chemical safety and security aspects among the different stakeholders in Malaysia.

5.0. Chemical Safety Education at Malaysian Higher Education Institutions 5.1. Safety-Related Courses at the Undergraduate Level Education and training form an important aspect in strengthening chemical safety culture. A survey conducted on science students at a local public university on laboratory safety aspects found that most students are aware of the safety precautions needed when handling chemicals (average scores of 3-4 on a 5-point Likert scale for all the assessed criteria) (21). The students were assessed based on their knowledge on the training provided, personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls, safe work practices, and accident response and prevention. However, given the seriousness of accidents involving chemicals when they occur, the level of awareness among the science students is expected to be higher. In Malaysia, safety elements are more synonymous with engineering courses, probably due to stricter requirements by the Engineering Accreditation Council (EAC), and the needs from the engineering industry. Although there is still no dedicated government agency specifically coordinating chemical education at higher education institutions, Malaysian universities are starting to take the initiative to incorporate chemical safety education elements in their Chemistry-related course curricula. Chemistry courses are highly specialized and technical, which is why only a handful of universities offer either pure, or applied Chemistry-related courses (Table 3). This includes eight public universities, namely University of Malaya (UM), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS); and two private institutions, namely Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) and International Medical University (IMU). Universities such as UM, UTM, and IMU have included safety-related courses in their curricula. UTM, for example, offers a Laboratory Management and Safety course, which incorporates chemical safety elements in it; while UM offers an Ethics and Safety course, which contains general laboratory safety aspects. IMU offers an Ethics and Laboratory Safety course in their 182 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

Bachelor of Science (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) program. The course includes a comprehensive discussion on related laws and regulations, chemical handling and exposure, safe storage, accident handling procedures, and chemical waste disposal. Although the other universities do not specifically offer such courses yet, many have already incorporated chemical safety elements in their general courses, such as Research Methodology in Chemistry (USM), and Chemical Industry Management (UKM). It is also common for Malaysian universities to provide an introductory and safety briefing before the students begin their laboratory practical sessions. Final year students are also required to attend a safety talk before they embark on their final year undergraduate project. Despite this promising trend, a push towards a more formal chemical safety education is still needed, in order to increase the awareness and implementation of chemical safety among Malaysian undergraduate students.

5.2. Chemical Safety Training for Postgraduate Students and Staff Chemical safety trainings for postgraduate students and staff are usually conducted by the occupational safety, health and environment (OSHE) department at each university (Table 4). Information regarding chemical safety guidelines and training programs for the campus community can always be found on their websites. Individual faculty and department usually have a safety briefing for all new postgraduate students every semester before they are allowed to embark on their laboratory work. UM, for example, provide general guidelines on laboratory safety, and information regarding the safe handling of flammable/toxic vapors, and cryogenic materials. In their OSH Manual, several detailed guidelines regarding chemicals are included, such as guidelines for handling chemical spillage, chemical waste collection procedures; preparation of the register of chemicals hazardous to health (as per DOSH guidelines); and chemical labelling procedures (as per DOSH guidelines). In UTM, chemical safety trainings are conducted by the Chemical Management Centre (CMC), a centre under the University Laboratory Management Unit. CMC is responsible for chemical procurements, ensuring chemical safety, and managing chemical waste disposal. Trainings are usually conducted in collaboration with the University’s Occupational Safety, Health and Environment (OSHE) Unit. Several safety-related talks and seminars have been conducted, which include talks on: 1) USECHH 2000; 2) CLASS 2013; 3) Safety Data Sheet and Register of Chemicals Hazardous to Health; and 4) Hazardous Chemical Waste Disposal according to the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) (EQ-SW) Regulations 2005. In addition, the website (http://www.utm.my/cmc) also provides regulatory documents and guidelines needed by the campus community to understand laws and regulations governing chemical handling and use, exposure, storage, and packaging. Campus-wide implementation is investigated and enforcement is performed annually during the Occupational Safety and Health Audit exercise. 183 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

Table 3. Malaysian universities offering undergraduate Chemistry-related courses. Status

Institution

Department /Faculty

Courses name

Chemical Safety-related Courses

Public

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai, Johor

Faculty of Science

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Industrial Chemistry)

Laboratory Management and Safety (Semester 3)

University of Malaya (UM), Kuala Lumpur

Faculty of Science

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Applied Chemistry) BSc (Biochemistry)

Ethics and Safety (Semester 3)

Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Penang

School of Chemical Sciences

BSc (Chemistry) BAppSc (Analytical Chemistry) BAppSc (Industrial Chemistry)

Embedded in Research Methodology in Chemistry course.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), Serdang, Selangor

Faculty of Science

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Industrial Chemistry) BSc (Petroleum Chemistry)

No information.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Bangi, Selangor

Faculty of Science and Technology

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Biochemistry) BSc (Oleochemical) BSc (Chemical Technology)

Embedded in Chemical Industry Management course.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor

Faculty of Applied Sciences

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Applied Chemistry) BSc (ChemistryForensic Analysis)

No information.

Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

School of Science and Technology

BSc (Industrial Chemistry)

Laboratory Safety and Accreditation (Semester 2)

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), Sarawak

Faculty of Resource Science and Technology

BSc (Resource Chemistry)

No information.

Continued on next page.


Table 3. (Continued). Malaysian universities offering undergraduate Chemistry-related courses. Status

Institution

Department /Faculty

Courses name

Chemical Safety-related Courses

Private

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), Kampar, Perak

Faculty of Science

BSc (Chemistry) BSc (Biochemistry)

No information.

International Medical University (IMU), Kuala Lumpur

School of Pharmacy

BSc (Pharmaceutical Chemistry)

Ethics and Laboratory Safety (Semester 2)

Table 4. Example of departments managing occupational safety, health and environment (OSHE) at Malaysian public universities. Institution

Department

Website

UM

Office of Safety and Health

https://www.um.edu.my/about-um/ administration/registrar-s-office/ occupational-safety-health-unit

UTM

Occupational Safety, Health and Environment Unit

http://www.utm.my/oshe

USM

Occupational Safety and Health Unit

https://ukkp.usm.my

UKM

Centre for Risk Management, Sustainability and Occupational Safety

http://www.ukm.my/rosh

UPM

Office for the Management of Occupational Safety and Health

http://www.osh.upm.edu.my


CMC UTM has also issued several guidelines, which include 1) Guidelines for Safe Transport of Chemicals on Campus, 2) Guidelines on Handling Spills of Hazardous Chemicals, and 3) Guidelines on Safe Handling and Storage of Compressed Gases. These guidelines can be downloaded by students and staff working with hazardous chemicals as handy guides and kept in each laboratory for reference when needed. They can be accessed at http://www.utm.my/cmc/download/legislation. The guidelines are regularly updated and checked for accuracy. The Centre is also regularly invited to provide specific trainings at individual faculty when needed, and has become a one-stop-center for any issues pertaining to chemical safety at UTM. The US National Research Council in its report on “Promoting Chemical Laboratory Safety and Security in Developing Countries (2010)” (22) states that “universities have unique risks that can include lack of safe practices, presence of chemicals of concern (COCs), improper management and storage of chemicals, and lack of enforcement of safety rules”. In Malaysia, with the stricter enforcements by DOSH (for chemical management, exposure, personal protective equipment, labelling) and Departmet of Environment (DOE) (for chemical waste disposal), universities are now taking a more pragmatic approach towards safer practices in chemical safety. This is evident from the addition of ethics and safety-based courses in the undergraduate curricula, and the active roles played by university OSHE departments in providing trainings to comply with the related laws and regulations. While there has been no major accidents due to negligence or chemical safety non-compliance reported at university chemistry departments lately, there is still room for improvements. 5.3. Recommendations It is recommended that all public and private universities offering undergraduate Chemistry programs to have a dedicated course on chemical safety. The course content can include, 1) Introduction to acts and regulations related to chemical safety (e.g. USECHH 2000, CLASS 2013, EQ-SW 2005); 2) Chemical handling and storage (e.g. PPE and engineering controls, chemical compatibility group, safety data sheet); 3) Handling of chemical spillage; and 4) Hazardous chemical waste management (e.g. waste storage, disposal). Chemical security aspects can also be included as part of this course. Discussion on the implementation can be initiated through the Higher Education and Research Institutions Joint Council on Occupational Safety and Health (MBKKP) with cooperation from DOSH and the Ministry of Higher Education. MBKKP has members from many public and private universities, and research institutes. Discussion can also be initiated via the Council of Deputy Vice Chancellors for Academic Affairs. A more thorough inspection and monitoring are also needed among the staff and postgraduate research students. OSHE committee at departmental or faculty level can play a more active role in ensuring all the acts and regulations are complied, with a stronger involvements and support from the administration. A demerit system can be implemented when any non-compliance acts are observed. 186 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

Finally, principal investigators and project leaders need to be made aware of the related laws and regulations governing the use of chemicals in their research. A system whereby safety documents are supplied (and a pledge to comply) whenever the researchers are awarded a new research grant can also be put in place. Ultimately, students, technical staff, and researchers need to understand that these safety regulations are enforced mainly to safeguard the health of personnel using or dealing with hazardous chemicals, and to avoid major accidents from happening, instead of just another bureaucratic red tape.

6.0. Concluding Remarks The development of responsible conduct in chemical safety and security practices is still at its infancy in Malaysia. This chapter summarizes how Malaysia has proactively implemented the top-down and bottom-up approaches in establishing tools and best practices in the chemical safety and security management. These approaches are developed to include governing bodies, industries, educational institutions, and the general public. Based on the analysis, there are still gaps in the current practices which need to be identified and addressed. For this reason, the regulatory authorities, industries and educational institutions are working very closely to explore the best practices in good research conducts and also, in managing chemical safety and security matters. For instance, a system known as CATCH (Classification Tool for Chemical Mixture) has jointly been developed by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) and the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) as part of the chemical safety management plan. Besides, the National Authority for Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC) is closely monitoring scheduled chemicals, to reinforce its role in chemical security management. On the other hand, Chemical Industries Council of Malaysia (CICM) has voluntarily introduced the Seventh Code: Security Code of the Management Practices under the Responsible Care® (RC) program as part of its corporate social responsibilities. At the ground level, the Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) has taken the lead to develop the first Malaysian Educational Module of Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) for researchers. In addition, many Malaysian universities have incorporated chemical safety education elements in their Chemistry-related course curricula, which is an excellent step to create safety awareness at the undergraduate level. At this moment, the implementation and enforcement mechanisms on chemical safety and security in Malaysia are still being refined and continuously improved. Hence, the country is always ready and willing to collaborate with the more experienced counterparts to inculcate responsible conducts in chemical practices among all the stakeholders.

Acknowledgments The authors would like to acknowledge Professor Abhi Veerakumarasivam and Dr. Chai Lay-Ching for contributing to the section on the YSN-ASM 187 Tratras Contis et al.; Responsible Conduct in Chemistry Research and Practice: Global Perspectives ACS Symposium Series; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2018.

RCR Programme. They would also like to thank the Academy of Sciences Malaysia (ASM) and Young Scientists Network-Academy of Sciences Malaysia (YSN-ASM) for establishing the YSN-ASM RCR Programme.

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