FEDERAL SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION

FACTORIES AND MACHINERY ACT 1967 [ACT 139]

P.U. (A) 1/1989
FACTORIES AND MACHINERY (NOISE EXPOSURE) REGULATIONS 1989
Incorporating latest amendment - P.U.(A) 106/1989

Date of publication: 5th January 1989

Date of coming into operation: 1st February 1989

__________________________________

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS
__________________________________

Preamble

PART I - PRELIMINARY

Regulation 1. Citation and commencement.

Regulation 2. Interpretation.
Regulation 3. Application.
Regulation 4. Obligation of occupier and employee.

PART II - PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMIT

Regulation 5. Permissible exposure limit.

Regulation 6. Impulsive noise.
Regulation 7. Employee exposure when using hearing protection devices

PART III - EXPOSURE MONITORING

Regulation 8. General.
Regulation 9. Initial employee exposure monitoring.
Regulation 10. Negative initial employee exposure monitoring.
Regulation 11. Positive initial employee exposure monitoring.
Regulation 12. Additional monitoring.
Regulation 13. Employee notification.
Regulation 14. Approved equipment: Competent person to conduct monitoring.

PART IV - METHODS OF COMPLIANCE

Regulation 15. Hearing protection devices.

Regulation 16. Engineering and administrative control.
PART V - HEARING PROTECTION DEVICES

Regulation 17. General.

Regulation 18. Hearing protection device attenuation.
Regulation 19. Procedures on issuance, maintenance, inspection and training.

PART VI - AUDIOMETRIC TESTING PROGRAMME

Regulation 20. General.

Regulation 21. Baseline audiogram and occupational and medical history record.
Regulation 22. Frequency of audiometric testing.
Regulation 23. Retest.
Regulation 24. Permanent standard threshold shift.
Regulation 25. Revised baseline audiogram.
Regulation 26. Audiometric measuring equipment.

PART VII - EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND TRAINING

Regulation 27. Training.

PART VIII - WARNING SIGNS

Regulation 28. Warning signs.

PART IX - RECORD KEEPING

Regulation 29. Exposure monitoring records.

Regulation 30. Audiometric test records.
Regulation 31. Availability of records.
Regulation 32. Transfer of records.

PART X - MISCELLANEOUS

Regulation 33. Amendment of Schedule.

Regulation 34. Penalty.

FIRST SCHEDULE
SECOND SCHEDULE

LIST OF AMENDMENTS
Preamble

IN exercise of the powers conferred by subsection (1) of section 56 of the Factories and Machinery
Act 1967 [Act 139], the Minister makes the following regulations:

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1. Citation and commencement.

These Regulations may be cited as the Factories and Machinery (Noise Exposure) Regulations
1989 and shall come into force on the 1st February 1989.

2. Interpretation.

In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires -

"action level" means equivalent continuous sound level of 85 dB(A) or daily noise dose equal to 0.5;

"administrative control" means any procedure that limits daily exposure to noise by control of work
schedule;

"ambient noise" means the all-encompassing noise associated with a given environment, being
usually a composite of sound levels from many sources near and far;

"annual audiogram" means the subsequent audiogram taken after the baseline audiogram;

"approved" means approved by the Chief Inspector in writing;

"audiogram" means a chart, graph or table resulting from an audiometric test showing an employee's
hearing threshold levels as a function of frequency;

"audiometric measuring instrument" means an electroacoustical generator that provides pure tones of
selected frequencies and of calibrated output, for the purpose of determining an employee's threshold
of audibility;

"A-weighted sound level" means sound level measured with an instrument which is incorporated with
an electrical network having the characteristics specified in the International Electrotechnical
Commission (IEC), Publication 179;

"baseline audiogram" means the audiogram against which future audiograms are compared;

"competent person" means an employee or any other person appointed by an occupier and approved
by the Chief Inspector to carry out employee exposure monitoring;

"continuous noise" means noise which has negligibly small fluctuations of sound level within the
period of observation;

"dB" means decibel, a unit of measurement of unweighted sound level using a reference level of 20
micropascals;

"dB (A)" means decibel - A - weighted, a unit of measurement of sound level corrected to the A -
weighted scale using a reference level of 20 micropascals;
"dB (A) - slow" means a unit of measurement of sound level indicated by a sound level meter, when
used for a A - weighted sound level at slow response;

"daily noise dose D" means the cumulative noise exposure of an employee during a working day and
is derived from the equation

C1 C2 Cn
D = ______ + ______ + ... + ______

T1 T2 Tn

where C1, C2, ......., Cn are the actual durations of exposure for an employee at the various noise
levels, while T1, T2, ......., Tn are the respective duration limits obtained from the table in the First
Schedule;

"employee" means a person employed in a factory by the occupier or by any person who contracts
with the occupier to carry out the whole or any part of any work undertaken by the occupier in the
course of and for the purpose of the occupier's trade or business;

"employee exposure" means exposure to noise measured with a noise measuring equipment at a
position which most closely approximates with the noise levels at the head position of the employee
during normal operation;

"engineering control" means the reduction of the noise level reaching the ear-drums of an employee
by lessening the amount of noise transmitted to the employee's ear-drums or the amount of noise
level produced, but does not include a reduction obtained by the use of a hearing protection device;

"equivalent continuous sound level" means the sound level that would produce a given daily noise
dose if an employee were exposed to the sound level continuously over an 8-hour workday;

"hearing impairment" means the arithmetic average of the permanent hearing threshold level of an
employee at 500, 1000, 2000 and 3000 Hz which is shifted by 25 dB or more compared to the
standard audiometric reference level;

"hearing threshold level" means the amount, in dB, by which the threshold of audibility for an ear
differs from the standard audiometric reference level;

"Hz" means Hertz, a unit of measurement of frequency, numerically equal to cycles per second;

"impulsive noise" means a variation in sound level that involve maxima at intervals of greater than one
per second;

"intermittent noise" means a sound level which suddenly drops to the ambient level several times
during the period of observation and the time during which the level remains at a constant value
different from that of the ambient level being of the order of one second or more;

"noise dosimeter" means an instrument that integrates a function of sound pressure over a period of
time in such a manner that it directly indicates a daily noise dose;

"noise level" means sound level;

"noise measuring equipment" means a sound level meter or a noise dosimeter;

"peak sound pressure level" means the peak instantaneous pressure expressed in dB, using a
reference level of 20 micropascals;

"protection factor" [Deleted by P.U.(A) 106/89]

"quiet" means absence of exposure to sound levels exceeding 80 dB (A);

"sound level meter" means an instrument for measurement of sound level;

"sound level" means ten times the common logarithm of the ratio of the square of the measured A --
weighted sound pressure to the square of the standard reference pressure of 20 micropascals;

"standard audiometric reference level" means a declared value, at a particular frequency, meeting the
requirements of International Standard ISO 389--1975;

"standard threshold shift" means an average shift of more than 10 dB at frequencies of 2000, 3000
and 4000 Hz relative to the baseline audiogram in either ear;

"registered medical practitioner" means a medical practitioner registered under the Medical Act 1971;

"technician" means a person who has been trained to operate and recognise the limitations, and to
detect malfunctions of the audiometric measuring equipment; and

"temporary threshold shift" means the component of threshold shift which shows progressive
reduction with the passage of time when the employee is no longer subjected to the noise.

3. Application.

These Regulations shall apply to all factories in which persons are employed in any occupation
involving exposure to excessive noise level in the workplace.

4. Obligation of occupier and employee.

(1) It is the duty of every occupier pursuant to regulation 3 to comply with these Regulations.

(2) In pursuance of these Regulations, every employee shall –

(a) co-operate with the occupier by wearing a noise dosimeter during employee exposure
monitoring;

(b) wear and make full and proper use of the hearing protection device provided for his use;

(c) attend for and undergo audiometric testing or any medical examination or test arranged by
the occupier; and

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

(d) attend employee information and training programmes conducted by the occupier.

PART II
PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMIT

5. Permissible exposure limit.

(1) No employee shall be exposed to noise level exceeding equivalent continuous sound level of 90
dB (A) or exceeding the limits specified in the First Schedule or exceeding the daily noise dose of
unity.

(2) No employee shall be exposed to noise level exceeding 115 dB (A) at any time.
6. Impulsive noise.

No employee shall be exposed to impulsive noise exceeding a peak sound pressure level of 140 dB.

7. Employee exposure when using hearing protection devices

When hearing protection devices are used to supplement administrative or engineering controls to
comply with the requirement of regulation 5 and all the provisions of these Regulations have been
met, employee exposure, for the purpose of determining whether the occupier has complied with the
requirement of regulation 5, may be considered to be at the level provided by the attenuation factor of
the hearing protection device for the periods being used.

PART III
EXPOSURE MONITORING

8. General.

(1) For the purposes of this Part, employee exposure is the exposure which would occur if the
employee is not using a hearing protection device.

(2) Every occupier shall conduct employee exposure monitoring to determine if any employee may be
exposed to noise level at or above the action level.

(3) All continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise levels from 80 dB to 130 dB shall be integrated
into the computation to determine employee exposure in pursuance to sub-regulation (2).

(4) Exposure monitoring conducted in pursuance to sub-regulation (2) shall be representative of the
monitored employee's normal and daily exposure to noise level.

9. Initial employee exposure monitoring.

(1) An occupier shall conduct initial exposure monitoring in pursuance to regulation 8 within six
months from the date these Regulations take effect.

(2) An initial employee exposure monitoring may be limited to one or more representative employee
or employees from a particular group of employees performing the same work or from the same
workplace, who the occupier reasonably believes is or are exposed to noise level representative of
the group of employees.

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

10. Negative initial employee exposure monitoring.

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

(1) Where an initial employee exposure monitoring shows the possibility of any employee exposure to
noise level at or above the action level, the occupier shall determine noise exposure levels for
employees engaged in the same work or from the same workplace within six months from the date of
receipt of the results of the initial employee exposure monitoring.
(2) An employee exposure monitoring may be limited to one or more representative employee or
employees from a particular group of employees performing the same work, or from the same
workplace, who the occupier reasonably believes is or are exposed to noise level representative of
the group of employees.

11. Positive initial employee exposure monitoring.

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

Where an initial employee exposure monitoring shows that no employee is exposed to noise level at
or above the action level, the occupier need not determine noise exposure levels for each and every
employee engaged in the same work or from the same workplace except as otherwise provided in
regulation 12.

12. Additional monitoring.

Whenever there has been a production, process, equipment, control measures or personnel change
in the factory, the occupier shall conduct additional monitoring within six months from the date of such
change or changes.

13. Employee notification.

Within two weeks after the receipt of the employee exposure monitoring results, the occupier shall
notify each employee of the results of the monitoring.

14. Approved equipment: Competent person to conduct monitoring.

(1) The occupier shall use approved noise measuring equipment for employee exposure monitoring.

(2) Employee exposure monitoring shall be conducted by a competent person.

PART IV
METHODS OF COMPLIANCE

15. Hearing protection devices.

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

The occupier shall reduce and maintain employee exposure to noise level below the limits prescribed
in regulation 5 by –

(a) engineering control as far as is reasonably practicable;

(b) administrative control; or

(c) both the above.

16. Engineering and administrative control.

[Am. P.U. (A) 106/89]

Whenever it is not feasible to comply with regulation 15 (a) or (b) or when the controls provided under
regulation 15 (c) do not reduce employee exposure to a noise level below the limits prescribed in
regulation 5, the occupier shall provide or supplement such controls with approved hearing protection
devices in accordance with Part V of these Regulations.

PART V
HEARING PROTECTION DEVICES

17. General.

(1) An occupier shall, at no cost to the employee, provide an approved hearing protection device to,
and ensure its use by -

(a) an employee exposed to noise level at or above the limits prescribed in regulations 5 and
6;

(b) an employee receiving a daily noise dose between 0.5 and 1.0 if his baseline audiogram
shows a hearing impairment, or if his annual audiogram shows a standard threshold shift; or

(c) an employee who is required to wear a hearing protection device in accordance with the
provisions of these Regulations.

(2) The hearing protection device provided in pursuance to sub-regulation (1) shall –

(a) correctly fit the employee;

(b) be compatible with the job requirement of the employee; and

(c) not prejudice the health of the employee.

18. Hearing protection device attenuation.

(1) A hearing protection device provided in pursuance to regulation 17 (1) (a) shall attenuate
employee exposure to noise level below the limits prescribed in regulations 5 and 6.

(2) Hearing protection devices provided in pursuance to regulation 17 (1) (b) and (c) shall attenuate
employee exposure to noise level below the action level.

19. Procedures on issuance, maintenance, inspection and training.

An occupier shall establish and implement procedures on the issuance, maintenance, inspection and
training in the use of hearing protection devices.
 PART VI
AUDIOMETRIC TESTING PROGRAMME

20. General.

(1) An occupier shall establish and maintain an audiometric testing programme for all employees
exposed to noise level at or above the action level.

(2) The programme shall be conducted at no cost to the employees.

(3) The programme shall be conducted under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner.

(4) An audiometric test shall –

(a) be conducted by a technician under the supervision of a registered medical practitioner;

(b) be preceded by a period of quiet of at least fourteen hours;

(c) be carried out in a room with background noise level meeting the requirements specified in
the Second Schedule; and

(d) be of pure tone, air conduction, with test frequencies including 500, 1000, 2000, 3000,
4000 and 6000 Hz taken separately for each ear.

21. Baseline audiogram and occupational and medical history record.

An occupier shall establish –

(a) a valid baseline audiogram against which subsequent audiograms shall be compared; and

(b) a record of the medical and occupational history, particularly in relation to past ear
diseases and exposure to noise,

for every employee within twelve months from the date these Regulations take effect or within six
months from the day the employee commences work.

22. Frequency of audiometric testing.

An occupier, after obtaining the baseline audiogram of an employee, shall repeat the audiometric test
on the employee –

(a) every year for an employee exposed to noise level at or above the limits prescribed in
regulation 5;

(b) every year for an employee whose baseline audiogram shows a hearing impairment, or
where his annual audiogram shows a standard threshold shift; and

(c) once in every two years for an employee exposed to noise level at or above the action
level but less than the limits prescribed in regulation 5.
23. Retest.

If the registered medical practitioner, after reviewing the annual and baseline audiograms of the
employee and after taking into consideration the effect of temporary threshold shift, is of an opinion
that a standard threshold shift has occurred, he shall notify the occupier and the occupier shall retest
the employee within three months from the date of the last audiometric test.

24. Permanent standard threshold shift.

If the registered medical practitioner, after reviewing the retest audiogram and after examining the
employee, is of an opinion that a permanent standard threshold shift has occurred, he shall notify the
Chief Inspector and the occupier and the occupier shall –

(a) inform the employee of the results of the retest within three weeks after being so notified;

(b) provide the employee, if he has not been so provided, with a hearing protection device in
pursuance to Part V of these Regulations; and

(c) refit and retrain the employee in the use of a hearing protection device if he has been so
provided with such a device.

25. Revised baseline audiogram.

The baseline audiogram shall be replaced with the annual or retest audiogram if the annual or retest
audiogram reveals –

(a) a permanent standard threshold shift; or

(b) improved hearing threshold with respect to the baseline at two or more test frequencies.

26. Audiometric measuring equipment.

Audiometric measuring instrument shall be of an approved type and shall be calibrated and
maintained at regular intervals.

PART VII
EMPLOYEE INFORMATION AND TRAINING

27. Training.

(1) The occupier shall institute a training programme for, and ensure the participation of all employees
exposed to noise level at or above the action level.

(2) The occupier shall ensure that during the training programme each employee is informed of the
following:

(a) the provisions of these Regulations;

(b) the effects of noise on hearing;

 (c) the purpose of hearing protection devices, the advantages, disadvantages and attenuation
of various types of hearing protection devices, and instructions on their selection, fitting, use
and care; and

(d) the purpose of an audiometric testing and an explanation of the test procedures.

(3) The training programme shall be repeated at least once in every two years.

PART VIII
WARNING SIGNS

28. Warning signs.

(1) Warning signs shall be posted at entrances to or on the periphery of all well-defined work areas in
which workers may be exposed at or above the limits prescribed in regulations 5 and 6.

(2) The warning signs shall clearly indicate that the area is a high noise area and that hearing
protection devices shall be worn.

PART IX
RECORD KEEPING

29. Exposure monitoring records.

(1) The occupier shall establish and maintain an accurate record of all exposure monitoring conducted
in pursuance to Part III of these Regulations.

(2) The record shall include the following information :

(a) the name of the employee and the daily noise dose;

(b) the location, date and time of measurement and the noise level obtained; and

(c) the type, model and date of calibration of the noise measuring equipment.

(3) The occupier shall maintain these exposure monitoring records for as long as the employee is
employed.

30. Audiometric test records.

(1) The occupier shall keep an accurate record of all employee audiograms taken in pursuance to
Part VI of these Regulations.

(2) The record shall include the following information:

(a) the name and job location of the employee;

(b) the date of the audiogram;

(c) the name of the person conducting the test;

(d) the model, make and serial number of the audiometric testing equipment; and
 (e) the date of the last calibration of the audiometric testing equipment.

(3) Audiometric test records shall be retained for as long as the employee is employed and thereafter
for a period of five years.

31. Availability of records.

The occupier shall make available upon request all records required to be maintained under these
Regulations to the Chief Inspector.

32. Transfer of records.

(1) Whenever an occupier has ceased to carry on business, the successor occupier shall receive and
retain all records required to be maintained under these Regulations.

(2) Whenever an occupier has ceased to carry on business and there is no successor occupier to
receive and retain the records required to be maintained under these Regulations, the records shall
be transmitted to the Chief Inspector.

(3) At the expiration of the retention period for the records required to be maintained under regulations
29 and 30, the occupier shall give the Chief Inspector at least three months notice that he intends to
dispose of such records, and he shall transmit those records to the Chief Inspector if requested to do
so within that period.

PART X
MISCELLANEOUS

33. Amendment of Schedule.

The Minister may by order amend the Schedule at any time.

34. Penalty.

Any person who contravenes any provision of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and
shall, on conviction, be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand ringgit.
 FIRST SCHEDULE

(Regulation 5 (1))

Permissible Exposure Limits

_________________________________________________________________________
Noise Level Duration of Exposure Permitted per day
(dB (A)-slow) (hours-minute)
_________________________________________________________________________
85 16-0
86 13-56
87 12-8
88 10-34
89 9-11
90 8-0
91 6-58
92 6-4
[Am. P.U.(A) 106/89]
93 5-17
94 4-36
95 4-0
96 3-29
97 3-2
98 2-50
99 2-15
100 2-0
101 1-44
102 1-31
103 1-19
104 1-9
105 1-0
106 0-52
107 0-46
108 0-40
109 0-34
110 0-30
111 0-26
112 0-23
113 0-20
114 0-17
115 0-15
 SECOND SCHEDULE

(Regulation 20 (4) (c))

Maximum Allowable Octave - Band Sound

Pressure Levels for Audiometric Test Rooms

Made the 10th December 1988.

[KB. (S) 32/1/2/5/1/1; PN. (PU2) 235/V.]

ENCIK LEE KIM SAI,

Minister of Labour
 LIST OF AMENDMENTS

Amending Law Short Title In force from

P.U.(A) 106/1989 Factories and Machinery 7 April 1989

(Noise Exposure)
(Amendment)
Regulations 1989