Take the danger out of holidays
Saturday, 4 Feb 2017 -
THOSE involved in the tourism and hospitality industry must embrace the safety culture and implement the concepts of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) at work. This is also for the safety of the public.
Implementing OSH for the hospitality industry involves practising HIRARC – Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control.
All places of work will have hazards and risks that need to be addressed and it is incumbent on those in the workplace to identify the hazards and risks.
They can then take safety measures to address them so that they would not give rise to accidents or deaths.
The recent catamaran tragedy involving 27 Chinese tourists which occurred in Sabah waters while on its way from Tanjung Aru to Mangalan should be a wake-up call to all those involved in the industry to take a very serious view of safety issues and take all necessary action to prevent accidents.
It is common during the holiday season for domestic and foreign visitors to flock to resorts to spend time with family and friends.
It is essential for those involved in the hospitality industry to take all necessary measures to ensure the holiday outings are accident-free.
OSH plays an important part in preventing accidents, injuries and fatalities.
If OSH is not practised, it can lead to accidents resulting in injuries or even deaths.
Commitment to health and safety makes good business sense for tour operators and those involved in the hospitality industry to prevent accidents involving their guests and employees.
Although accidents can and do happen, there are various measures we can adopt to limit the occurrence.
Accidents can be reduced if we make prudent and cautious work practices part of our culture.
Meticulousness about safety must be a core value for both employers and employees.
Safety and health must be transformed into a culture and not be accepted as just a priority.
Many resorts, hotels and chalets provide guests with outdoor activities such as mountain climbing, hiking, scuba diving, snorkelling, water rafting, flying fox, wall climbing, bungee jumping and many more. These activities involve technical and high risks.
The Emergency Response Team and First Aiders must be on standby for any emergency.
Tour guides can also be exposed to many occupational health and safety risks including physical, biological and psychosocial hazards that can cause serious risk to their health.
For example, tour guides work long hours, which has been shown to be related to certain disorders.
In the same way, heavy physical workloads or ergonomically poor working conditions such as sitting on the vehicles for hours can lead to injuries and musculo-skeletal disorders.
Considering all these factors, I therefore suggest it is time for all hospitality industry players to push for “OSH for the Tourism and Hospitality Industry” and strive to make their business accident-free.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman
