Malaysia's worst road tragedy

37 killed, 16 injured in Malaysia's worst road tragedy, after a bus carrying 53 plunged into a 60m ravine near Genting Highlands around 2.45pm 21st August, Wednesday. The 16 survivors comprised seven Malaysians, three Indonesians, four Bangladeshis, one Thai national, and one Korean.

The bus was carrying passenger going downhill when the driver lost control over the bus and plunge into the ravine. The bus was overloaded as its capacity was 44 passengers.

What remain of the bus....

Occupational Health in the workplace

When we talk about occupational safety and health, one tend to focus more on the safety aspect when it comes to identifying hazards. Hazards like falling object, sharp object on the ground, explosive material, welding spark, slippery floor and the most popular poor housekeeping, are always on the list. We tend to identify these hazard based on our observation and logic. But when it come to identify health hazard, it would require some expertise and experience.

Workers doing welding work will wear a face shield or safety goggles because they can see the spark flying around and concern for their eye, that's safety. But few wouldn't know about the content or effect of the welding fume that they inhale in. Welding fume contain a lot toxin gases depending on the type of welding and surface being weld. Amount the toxic fume contain manganese, nickel, chromium, lead, cadmium and etc. Manganese can cause Parkinson’s disease while nickel and chromium can cause lung cancer. You might not even feel anything now until 10 - 20 years later, then the disease appear. That's health. Check with your supervisor or employer if you are unsure of any potential hazard to health at your workplace.    

Toxin in peanut butter

Ever since the milk powder botulism scare, i am started to get cautions about the food we ate. One thing that come to mind is peanut butter. Some parents say don't feed your children peanut butter. A dog trainer told me never give peanut butter to dogs, it will poison them. Done some research and found out there is a toxin in peanut butter called aflatoxin.

Aflotoxin are synthesized by species of mold found naturally in plant or soil. The sickness cause by aflotoxin can defer by age, sex, possible mixture to other toxin and present body nutrition. The toxin will target liver organ. For children below 4 years of age. Their liver has not fully mature like adult, so they are more subjected to the toxin effect. Love our children but love them the correct way. Not everything that taste good for us will be good for them.  

To drink or not to drink:
China and Russia ban all Fonterra import. Malaysia recall certain milk powder brand. Fonterra Malaysia assure all Anmum product are safe to consume. 

Botulism is one of the most potent, lethal neurotoxin known. The neurotoxin is produced by bacteria called Clostridium botulinum and it paralyzes the person muscles and can be deadly.
The respiratory failure and paralysis that occur with severe botulism may require a patient to be on a breathing machine (ventilator) for weeks or months. The paralysis slowly improves. Botulism can be treated with an antitoxin which blocks the action of toxin circulating in the blood.