ENGINEERS IN SOCIETY

ENGINEER’S ROLE WITH

RESPECT TO SOCIETY

VAB4042/VBB4043
 INTRODUCTION

• A society is the public community bounded by

functional interdependence with common
characteristics such as national identity, culture
and solidarity
• Society become important during crisis when
individual need help - war, disaster, death etc.
• Society have laws, rules or regulations to
maintain the harmonious living of the member
2
 INTRODUCTION (CONT.)

• Engineers are member of the society and

serving them as well
• Consequence of engineering failure may have
serious implications to the society – collapse
buildings, bridges etc.
• Engineers have responsibility towards the
society in ensuring that their services are
acceptable by society standard – safety, health,
environment & welfare
3
 DISTINGUISHING BETWEEN ENGINEERS
AND TECHNICIANS
• Engineers’ job not always predictable and
require decision making. Their duty include
managerial function
• Technicians’ job quite predictable and routine.
Their work more specific, hands-on and require
skill
• Engineers and technicians work together to
complete technical and non-technical tasks
4
 EXPECTATIONS AND REALITIES
• Engineering graduates expect their career will
entirely deal with technical-related work such as
design, calculations etc.
• However, with the expertise they have,
engineers also require to work in areas such as
management, procurement, sales or
academician
• Engineers need to apply their communication
skill even in performing their technical task –
monitoring, coordinating, networking etc. 5
 CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERS

• Right attitude in order to become effective

• Technically competent in own discipline in
order to practice
• The basic knowledge acquired at university is
not sufficient to perform specific task hence
engineers need to learn new things
• Rapid changes in science and technology
demand engineers to keep abreast of new
development 6
 CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERS
(CONT.)
• Job scope not limited only to technical matters
• Engineers need management skill to carry out
variety and many task at one time - planning,
budgeting, mentoring, coordinating with other
department etc.
• Ability to work in a team and good
communication skill differentiate the good
engineer
7
 CHARACTERISTICS OF ENGINEERS
(CONT.)
• Engineers should have leadership quality and
able to motivate their subordinates
• Good decision making resulted from sound
knowledge, technical competency and soft skill
• Engineers need to understand their obligation to
the public
• Therefore, engineers should practice safety at
all times and be sensitive to long-term issues -
environment related matters 8
 COMMUNICATION SKILL

• Communication comprises of verbal and written

forms
• Verbal communication very essential for
engineers in their interaction with superiors,
subordinates, customers, regulators etc.
• Engineers also need to be good at written
communication in the form of official letter,
memo, minutes of meeting etc.
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 COMMUNICATION SKILL (CONT.)

• Engineers need to develop an effective

communication skill in order to
– Ensure recipient fully understand the content
of the message
– Influence recipient to approve their proposal
or application
– Portray company/own good image

10
 COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTION

• Previously, common public perception on

engineering profession
– Do not receive due recognition and status in
society quite low
– Inferior as compared to doctors, lawyers or
account
– Difficult course

11
COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTION (CONT.)

– Lack of glamour and prestige

– Almost no TV drama or film on engineers
– Majority of public do not get to see engineers
directly unlike doctors

12
 COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTION (CONT.)

• Nowadays, with advance technology and better

facilities in communication, engineers are
getting more recognition and being exposed to
the public
• There are engineers hold top position in
government, giant companies or even become
politicians

13
 COMMUNITY’S PERCEPTION (CONT.)

• Engineering-related disaster also promote

engineering profession but in negative way
• In order to mitigate this negative impact,
engineers need to understand their obligation to
the public by implementing best practices in
safety and engineering all times
• Simultaneously, damage control can be done by
communicating well to the public on issues that
concern them
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ASSURANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH
AND WELFARE
• The public is an important entity because they
are
– Taxpayer whose money used to fund
government projects
– Customers who buy the product of engineers
– Citizen whose rights are protected against
any act of negligence of engineers

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ASSURANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH
AND WELFARE (CONT.)
• The public interest can be presented in terms of
safety, health and welfare arising from
engineering work
• Safety in engineering is related to accidents or
disasters
• Health problem resulted from engineering non-
compliance to Act that protect the public - noise
disturbance at construction site, cement dust
discharge etc.
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ASSURANCE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, HEALTH
AND WELFARE (CONT.)
• Welfare-related issues normally those affecting
the livelihood of the public - non-provision for
disabled, eye-sore structure etc.
• Responsible engineers would always put public
safety first though costly but justified in
comparing paying compensation and loss of
goodwill in the event of accident
• Engineers have paramount responsibilities and
liabilities in ensuring safety, health and welfare
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of the public
 LAWS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY,
HEALTH AND WELFARE
• Government introduces laws to protect the
public against problem related to engineering
work
• Most engineering related laws concerning the
public fall under Dept of Occupational Safety
and Health (DOSH), Dept of Environment
(DOE), Ministry of Housing and Local
Government, Ministry of Works and Ministry of
Energy, Green Technology and Water
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 LAWS RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY,
HEALTH AND WELFARE (CONT.)
• Laws not meant to cover everything
• Engineers must be aware of all potential risks
that can affect the public – fire, explosion etc.
• Some parts of laws may be inter-related or over-
lap and engineers must be knowledgeable to
distinguish them as well as meeting their
requirements – OSHA 1994 & Electricity
Supply Acts 1990 on accident, fire etc.
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 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
LAWS
• Mainly regulated by DOSH
• Responsible for protecting occupational safety,
health and welfare of people at work and public
in various industrial activities
• DOSH under Ministry of Human Resource
• DOSH enforce legislations, conduct research
and technical analysis and promote activities
related to occupational safety, health and
welfare at workplace 20
 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
LAWS (CONT.)
• Sectors fall under DOSH responsibility –
manufacturing, mining & quarrying,
construction, hotels & restaurants, agriculture,
forestry & fishing, transport, storage &
communication, public services and statutory
authorities, utilities – gas, electricity, water and
sanitary services, finance, insurance, real estate
and business services, wholesale and retail
trades
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 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ACT 1994
• Purpose of Act :
– To secure the safety, health and welfare of
persons at work against risk
– To protect persons at a place of work
– To promote an occupational environment for
persons at work to their psychological needs
– To provide the means where legislation may
be replaced system of regulations and
industry COP to improve standard of safety 22
 OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH
ACT 1994 (CONT.)
• Establishment of National Council for
Occupational Safety and Health (NCOSH) to
improve level of awareness of occupational
safety and health at work place
• OSH 1994 defines the general duties of
employers and self-employed persons to ensure
as far as practicable, the safety, health and
welfare at work of their employees

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 FACTORIES AND MACHINERY ACT 1967

• It’s known as Act 139

• Provide the control of factories on matters
related to safety, health and welfare of person
therein, the registration and inspection of
machinery and for matters connected therewith

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 PETROLEUM (SAFETY MEASURES) ACT
1984
• Act that consolidate laws relating to safety in
transportation, storage and utilization of
petroleum and to provide for matters related
thereto – mitigating hazard of petroleum
• Other issues such as requirement for license to
handle petroleum, the requirement of proper
labeling and applicable penalties is also written
in the Act intended to protect workers, public
and properties
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 ENVIRONMENT LAWS

• Environmental Quality Act (EQA) 1974 mainly

address the pollution problems arising from
industrial discharge and emissions on land,
water and atmosphere as well as emphasizes
public health and safety
• Regulated by Department of Environment
(DOE) to prevent, control and abate pollution
through enforcement of EQA 1974 and its 34
subsidiary legislations
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 ENVIRONMENT LAWS (CONT.)

• Principal objective of DOE is to promote,

enhance and sustain sound environmental
management in process of nation building
• DOE continuously monitors the quality of
environment and publishes report on common
indicators – air quality index, noise pollution,
water quality index etc.

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 ENERGY SUPPLY LAWS

• Energy Commission Act 2001 undertake

regulatory functions of following legislations
– Electricity Supply Act 1990, Act 174
– Electricity Regulations 1994
– License Supply Regulations 1990
– Gas Supply Regulations 1997
– Gas Supply Act 1993, Act 501
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 ENERGY SUPPLY LAWS (CONT.)

• Energy supply legislation regulate

– Matters relating to electricity supply industry,
to protect any persons from danger arising
from supplying electricity and use of
electricity
– Matters relating to supply of gas, to protect
any persons from danger arising from
supplying gas and use of gas
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 UNIFORM BUILDING BY-LAWS
• By-laws are laws of local application passed
under the authority of a higher law
• Uniform Building By-Laws (UBBL) 1994
introduced to provide common legislation for
construction and inspection of structures
covering a wide range of technical requirements
related to public safety
• UBBL made by Minister or State Authority and
covers commercial, residential and common
buildings 30
 UNIFORM BUILDING BY-LAWS (CONT.)
• In performing specific engineering service, the
relevant government regulations can exist in
multiple legislations and engineers need to be
aware of and comply with them
• One example of UBBL is providing facilities
for disabled persons in public buildings such as
access to enable disabled persons to get in or
out of and within the buildings by providing
ramps etc.
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 THE CIDB ACT AND THE GREEN CARD
• The Construction Industry Development Board
(CIDB) is a statutory body under the Ministry
of Works
• Recognizing construction site as dangerous
place, in 1997 CIDB imposed “Green Card” to
enter or work at construction site
• “Green Card” is issued after attending six hours
of health and safety awareness training by
accredited CIDB trainer
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 FUTURE ENGINEERS
• Vital resources such as water, fuel will be
diminished or insufficient due to population
growth in future
• Engineers should find sustainable resources and
effective way of consuming them
• Example of sustainable resources is renewable
energy
• Environment aspects should be given high
priority to prevent damages 33
 GLOBAL CHALLENGES
• A prominent global challenge today is the
Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA)
between countries in facilitating free trade with
minimal limitations of technical barrier
• Example of MRA is ASEAN Free Trade
Agreement (AFTA) signed by 10 ASEAN
countries including Malaysia
• MRA will increase foreign competitors and
engineers and society should beef up their
expertise to survive 34
 GLOBAL CHALLENGES (CONT.)
• “Brain Drain” due to migration of engineers for
better remuneration will affect that country and
the society
• Job migration is a situation where a company
feels no longer economical to carry out job at a
country when similar job can be performed
better at another country with cheaper cost
• Job migration will cause engineers lose jobs or
change job and this will affect the society too
35
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

• Development must ensure that the natural

resources are endurable for future use
• Sustainability requires working defensively and
creating innovative projects - environment-
friendly systems in homes and cars
• Adverse consequences of mistakes done today
in technology and development are suffered by
future generations
36
 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (CONT.)

• The responsibility of protecting the environment

while gaining economic benefits goes back to
the society as a whole
• Engineers play an important role towards
introduction or improvement of government
policies related to sustainable development
• Engineers must create and use technologies and
management tools to minimize and counter
negative impact from development
37
 THE CHANGING SOCIETY

• Engineers must be prepared to face rapid

changes in society
• Engineers must be knowledgeable, brave and
confident in initiating change
• As member of society engineers should provide
solution to problems

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