Table of contents

LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... 2

ABSTRACT.................................................................................................................................................. 3
INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................................ 4
METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Location .................................................................................................................................................... 5
Technique.................................................................................................................................................. 5
Instrument and procedures ........................................................................................................................ 5
DATA ANALYSIS ....................................................................................................................................... 6
Comparison of Building characteristics .................................................................................................... 6
DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Amalgamated Plant Engineering .................................................. 7
How to improve the Indoor Air Quality in Amalgamated Plant Engineering .......................................... 7
CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................. 9
REFERENCE.............................................................................................................................................. 10
APPENDIX ................................................................................................................................................. 11
LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Average Score for each building .................................................................................................... 6

Figure 2: Office Building .............................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 3: Toolbox meeting .......................................................................................................................... 11
Figure 4: Outer Workshop Area .................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 5: Outer Workshop Area .................................................................................................................. 11
Figure 6: Inner Workshop Area ................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 7: Outer Workshop Area .................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 8: Warehouse Area .......................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 9:: Workshop Area ........................................................................................................................... 12
Figure 10: Office Floor................................................................................................................................. 12
Figure 11: Warehouse Area ........................................................................................................................ 12
Figure 12: Warehouse area ......................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 13: Workshop Area .......................................................................................................................... 13
Figure 14: Warehouse ................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 15: Warehouse ................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 16: Warehouse ................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 17: Office Area ................................................................................................................................. 13
Figure 18: Outer Warehouse Area .............................................................................................................. 14
Figure 19: Outer Workshop Area ................................................................................................................ 14
Figure 20: Workshop Area .......................................................................................................................... 14
 ABSTRACT

This document contains the investigation that are done to find out the causes for the poor indoor
air quality. It is done at Amalgamated Engineering Plant Sdn Bhd buildings. The investigation
involves choosing in random the workers in the area and interviewing them. A few
questionnaires also distributed to gain more data regarding the investigation. The data then
collected and analyzed. Once the data are analyzed the discussion has been made on what is the
cause for all the organization poor IAQ. Then, steps for improvement also been given to increase
the level of the IAQ. Lastly, conclusion is made from the investigation.
 INTRODUCTION

Indoor air quality (IAQ) has been a major subject that grabs people attention from all
over the world. Nowadays people spend more time indoors than outside doing outdoor
activities. This does not only focus on the adults, it also affects the student and the
younger generation. More than not, the sources of the pollutant may come from inside
rather than outside. According to World Health Organization(WHO) in the Effect of Air
Pollution on Childrens Health and development. Europe in 2005 state that is its
estimated that a quarter of the world population are exposed to the unhealthy
concentrations of air pollutants. This in time increases the risk of respiratory system
failure and eventually death. Furthermore, the people that stayed indoor during working
or inactive type are more susceptible to the risk of respiratory problem as they breathe in
relative unhealthier indoor air than active person doing outdoor activity.
The aim of this report is to determine the causes of the IAQ and the way to control it in
Amalgamated Plant Engineering Sdn Bhd. Office worker including in the warehouse and
workshop is the target for this investigation. This report will help to increase the
awareness to the worker in the organization, especially the top management about the
IAQ.
 METHODOLOGY

Location

The investigation took place in a company named Amalgamated Plant Engineering Sdn
Bhd. It is in Bintulu, Sarawak. The subject includes the workers and visitor that are in the
vicinity during the investigation happen. The investigation begins in the office where
almost most of the staff are and end in the warehouse.
Technique

A total of 20 workers aged between 21 to 55 years were interviewed from 3 different

buildings located in the facility. The selection of the interview subject is random. The
name list of the workers is obtained and the interview session is done on site. The
subjects are required to answer the questionnaires and the collected by me.

Instrument and procedures

The questionnaires are composed and selected by me. The assessment then is collected
and assess using a matrix for detecting the scores of each building in addition to the
worker testimony. The interview includes asking the worker responsibility, work
environment, illness, etc. Then, the worker is asked to give a score based on the matrix on
how poor the air quality and how have that affected them. They are also asked what they
think should be done to give better control measure for the problem they faced.
 DATA ANALYSIS

Comparison of Building characteristics

Data collected from the questionnaires and interview session have been collected and
compared. The early result assessment suggested that most of the building are aged below
10 years. The building is made of concrete and cemented/tiled floor. The office building
is ventilated using AC and both the warehouse and workshop are naturally ventilated
where they used the fan as ventilation unit. The office and workshop building have
sliding windows, but the warehouse only has unmovable window. The office uses hard
cardboard for ceiling and none for the workshop and warehouse. The warehouse has high
emission of heavy machinery soot and steel particles as most of the grinding and welding
are done there.
Average score for each building is collect through the interview from the workers and are
tabulated in a table below:

Area Score
Workshop 1
Office 2
Warehouse 2
Figure 1: Average Score for each building

Legend:
1 - Bad
2 - Average
3 - Good

Based on the average score, I put more effort on investigating the causes of low score the
workshop are and take some pictures along the way as evidence. Upon investigating, I
have found the cause of the poor indoor air quality in Amalgamated Plant Engineering
facility mainly office, workshop, and warehouse.
 DISCUSSION

Causes of Poor Indoor Air Quality in Amalgamated Plant Engineering

The causes for the poor IAQ in the workshop is that poor housekeeping. The material,
soot is everywhere on the floor even on the air. The workshop is where all the fabrication
happens and the amount of steel dust particle on the air is high. Even though its
ventilated, it is just not enough to compensate the pollution that occurred inside it. The
workshop itself is enclosed to contained the pollution but it cost some trouble for the
worker that are working there. There is also some spot of water puddle when it is raining
due to unnoticed roof leakage. The puddle is in hidden spot of the workshop and is
creating the humid condition where the wet smell is amplified wet boxes and pallets.
Furthermore, the housekeeping in the workshop is hardly maintained as it is always busy
with works and the worker does not cooperate to do housekeeping.
In the office, the cleaner often cleans two (2) times a week and they are using some of the
powerful yet strong smell of cleaning products. Due to enclose AC condition, the smell
sometimes intoxicated the office worker and making them sick.
In the warehouse, the source of poor IAQ is the renovation of the warehouse. It creates
dust from all the works that are done in the renovation. The paint the worker is using are
also have strong smell and making the worker having difficulties in breathing.

How to improve the Indoor Air Quality in Amalgamated Plant Engineering

Base on the causes, I have come up with ways on how to improve the indoor air quality
in the Amalgamated Plant Engineering buildings. One of the ways we can improve the
indoor air quality is by enforcing the rule of housekeeping where the workers are to clean
up their workstation every time they have finished working for the day and put
everything including the tools and materials in its own place or safer place where it will
not cause harm to others. The floors are being sweep clean of dust and workers are
advised to wear mask while doing so. Second, we can always make another ventilation
for the worker that are working especially in the painting area. instead of relying on one
source of ventilation, two will make the ventilation much more smooth and efficient.
Third, regular building inspection is needed to be done to make sure that the building is
fully safe for the worker and free of roof leak and other hazard that can bring hard to the
workers.
To improve the IAQ in the office, I recommend that the cleaner to switch to more less
toxic smell cleaning materials. If that is not possible, it is advisable to always do the
cleaning while the other workers are not in the office and always open the main door for
better ventilation.
In the warehouse, to improve the IAQ, the management are advised to install ventilation
fan that suck out the dust and fumes from the painting from trapping inside the
warehouse. Another way to improve the warehouse IAQ is to install a dust net to prevent
the dust from entering the warehouse where all the worker is present and isolate them
from the hazard. If both method is failed to improve the IAQ, the workers are
recommended to wear their mask at all time while in the site until the renovation is
finished.
 CONCLUSION

The result from this investigation indicated that the sources of the poor IAQ in the
Amalgamated Engineering Plant Sdn. Bhd is from the lack of awareness of the workers
and management. It has been going on for a few months and have affected the workers
without they know it. This report suggests that the workers and the management need to
make aware of the risk of poor IAQ and how to improve it. Even though the result of the
poor IAQ not visible right now, it will affect the workers productivity and the
organization performance in long run.
 REFERENCE

H. (2015, April 23). Indoor Air Quality and Respiratory Health among Malay Preschool
Children in Selangor. Retrieved May 29, 2017, from
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/248178/
Putra, J. C. (2017). A Study of Thermal Comfort and Occupant Satisfaction in Office
Room. Procedia Engineering, 170, 240-247. doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2017.03.057
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2017, from
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/indoorairquality/
 APPENDIX

Figure 2: Office Building Figure 3: Toolbox meeting

Figure 4: Outer Workshop Area Figure 5: Outer Workshop Area

Figure 6: Inner Workshop Area Figure 7: Outer Workshop Area

Figure 8: Warehouse Area Figure 9:: Workshop Area

Figure 10: Office Floor Figure 11: Warehouse Area

Figure 12: Warehouse area Figure 13: Workshop Area

Figure 14: Warehouse Figure 15: Warehouse

Figure 16: Warehouse Figure 17: Office Area

Figure 18: Outer Warehouse Area Figure 19: Outer Workshop Area

Figure 20: Workshop Area