What is the NIOSH SHO exam?
A Safety and Health Officer (SHO) is the competent person an occupier must appoint under section 29 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 when the workplace falls into a class listed in the OSH (Safety and Health Officer) Order 1997. Under regulation 4 of the SHO Regulations 1997, nobody may act as an SHO unless they are registered with the Director General of DOSH. The usual route is an SHO course with NIOSH or another DOSH-approved provider, followed by the SHO examination.
The exam format
| Conducted by | NIOSH Malaysia (exam.niosh.net.my) |
|---|---|
| Before the exam | The Safety and Health Officer course at NIOSH or a DOSH-approved training provider |
| Papers | Four papers are commonly reported: Paper 1 (Modules I and II), Paper 2 (Modules III and IV), Paper 3 (practical) and Paper 4 (project or assignment) |
| Modules | OSH management, OSH legislation, occupational health and occupational safety |
| Language | Bahasa Malaysia and English |
| Pass mark | Sources disagree (50% to 55% per paper); confirm the current rules with NIOSH when you register |
| Registration | Online through mykkp.dosh.gov.my; competent person registration lasts 3 years |
What changed on 1 June 2024
The Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022 came into force on 1 June 2024 and the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 was repealed on the same day. OSHA now covers all places of work, every employer must carry out a risk assessment (section 18B), principals have duties to contractors (section 18A), employers with five or more employees and no SHO must appoint an OSH coordinator (section 29A), employees may remove themselves from imminent danger (section 26A), and the maximum fine for breaching the general duties rose to RM500,000. Older notes written before 2024 can be out of date, so this bank follows the current reprint of the Act.
What the practice pack covers
127 original questions in eight topic areas: OSHA 1994 and the 2022 amendments, the SHO role and safety committees, HIRARC, accident notification and statistics, chemical safety and industrial hygiene, noise and ergonomics, machinery, electrical, confined space and fire safety, and emergency preparedness and first aid. Every answer has an explanation and the source it comes from.
How to prepare
- Read the Act 514 reprint as at 1 June 2024, especially sections 15 to 32, 48 to 52 and the Fifth Schedule.
- Learn the SHO, Safety and Health Committee and NADOPOD regulations, including time limits and forms.
- Practise HIRARC scoring and accident rate calculations until they are quick.
- Learn the key numbers in USECHH, CLASS and the Noise Exposure Regulations 2019.
- Practise one topic at a time here, then sit full timed mocks before Papers 1 and 2.
Practice questions with answers
Tap a question to see the correct answer and explanation.
Which section, added in 2022, requires every employer, self-employed person and principal to conduct a risk assessment?
- Section 31D
- Section 29A
- Section 18B
- Section 26A
Answer: C, Section 18B. Section 18B(1) requires a risk assessment of the safety and health risk to any person who may be affected by the undertaking, and s.18B(2) requires the control to be implemented where needed. Source: Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), reprint as at 1 June 2024, s.18B.
Under section 29, who must appoint a safety and health officer?
- Only government departments
- Every employer with 40 or more employees, whatever the industry or size
- The occupier of a place of work in a class specified by Gazette order
- Every employer with 5 or more employees at the place of work
Answer: C, The occupier of a place of work in a class specified by Gazette order. Section 29(1)-(2): the section applies to classes of workplace specified by the Minister by Gazette order, and the occupier must appoint a competent SHO. The current classes are in the OSH (Safety and Health Officer) Order 1997. Source: Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), reprint as at 1 June 2024, s.29.
In the DOSH HIRARC Guidelines 2008, how is risk calculated?
- Likelihood plus severity plus cost
- Number of workers times hours
- Severity divided by frequency
- Likelihood multiplied by severity
Answer: D, Likelihood multiplied by severity. HIRARC uses a 5 x 5 matrix where Risk = Likelihood x Severity, giving a score from 1 to 25. Source: DOSH, Guidelines for Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) 2008.