UNS — Two students from the Diploma-4 Occupational Safety and Health Study Program (Prodi) Vocational School (SV) Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) Surakarta succeeded in winning first place in the national-level essay competition organized by the Faculty of Public Health, Universitas Indonesia (UI). The winning students are Aqnesya Farah Az-Zahra and Audrey Permata Rahardja.
The competition registration, open from 10 July to 16 July 2023, saw the participation of top students from various state and private universities across Indonesia in an online format. The selection process consisted of two stages: the first stage involved selecting the top five essays, which were published on the OHSexpo FKM UI Instagram account, followed by a presentation in the second stage to choose the top three essays.
The essay theme that outshoned all other entries was “EcoSonic Whisperweave: Pemanfaatan Daur Ulang Limbah Masker Medis dan Kain Perca sebagai Peredam Suara Kebisingan yang Ditimbulkan oleh Mesin Jahit”.
“We identified an environmental issue post-Covid-19 in the form of masks and scrap fabric waste that no longer served a purpose. Consequently, we decided to create a product for soundproofing sewing machines using this waste. This product can reduce the noise generated by sewing machines in the informal garment industry, or MSMEs, and thus create a more productive and comfortable working environment. Moreover, it helps prevent health issues caused by the sewing machine’s noise,” Aqnesya explained, Tuesday (5/9/2023).
Aqnesya also expressed her team’s deep gratitude and happiness at winning first place, attributing their success to the effort and preparation they had put into the competition so far. She noted that while they had faced failure in a similar competition in the past, they had used it as a learning experience for future competitions.
“We hope this achievement can serve as motivation for ourselves and our peers to always explore our potential. Never stop trying, and in the face of failure, keep trying and never give up. Creative work can begin with simple problems, but product innovation must have unparalelled benefits,” Aqnesya added. Humas UNS
Reporter: Dhelinta F.P
Editor: Dwi Hastuti