Wednesday, 5 Apr 2017 - ALL PARTIES should find ways to help reduce the number of industrial accidents by setting the goal to achieve zero cases at their workplaces.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the target can be achieved with strong commitment and support from all employers and workers.

He said the Social Security Organisation’s (Socso) statistics show that the number of industrial accidents had dropped from 35,898 cases in 2013 to 35,294 in 2014 and 34,258 in 2015.

He also urged employers to help reduce the number of commuting accidents – incidents involving workers on the way to or from their workplaces. Such cases had increased from 27,659 cases in 2013, to 28,037 in 2014, and 28,579 in 2015.

As a result employees, employers, and enforcement authorities must always be prepared to face new threats that can affect the the safety and health of workers.

He cited the example of thechlorine gas leaks that occurred at a chemical production facility in Menglembu, last September and accidents that could cause serious injuries or death in the mining, quarrying and timber industries, as examples of the hazards workers face.

“Dangerous work environments can result in a higher number of accidents and become the main factor for work-related health problems.

“Employers must ensure that all their workers are well trained and the workplace is also safe. We should set our target to have accident-free workplaces nationwide,” he said after the opening of NIOSH’s satellite office in Bandar Seri Manjung last week.

He said the problem of work place safety can be addressed effectively through proper training and good occupational safety and health (OSH) practices.

However, he said a gloomier global economy might affect work safety as many employers may be inclined to cut cost for training while workers are concerned about losing their jobs.

Lee said Sri Manjung was chosen for NIOSH’s new office as it is strategically located and well connected to other districts through the road network.

At the same time, he said Lumut Port is also located in the district and the seaport is also linked to the Klang by a good road network.

Lee said the growth in Perak’s coastal areas will increase when another mega infrastructure project, the 233-km West Coast Expressway project from Banting to Taiping, is completed in 2019.

At present, he said Manjung is experiencing rapid development and therefore, requires more safety training.

Among some of the major projects that have changed Manjung’s landscape are TNB Janamanjung power station, Lumut Port Industrial Park, Petronas oil terminal, Lekir Permanent Food Production Park and Vale Malaysia Mineral Sdn Bhd’s iron ore plant.

“These projects have also spurred growth in other sectors with the construction of hotels, shopping malls, private hospitals and institutions of higher learning, apart from creating more job opportunities,” he said.

He said Manjung’s landscape has also changed in tandem with the development of Lumut as a maritime and tourism Town.

“Manjung also enjoys the spillover effects from the tourism industry in Lumut, which also houses the biggest Royal Malaysian Navy base,” he said.

Lee said NIOSH decided to open its satellite office in Manjung as the demand for safety courses has increased in Perak, particularly in Manjung.

He revealed that between 2013 and 2015 NIOSH organised 332 safety courses for 7,585 people in Perak.

“Previously, all the courses were handled by our northern regional office and headquarters in Bandar Baru Bangi. The management has agreed to open the new office to cater for the increasing demand,” he said.

With the new facility, he said NIOSH aims to train at least 3,000 participants in various occupational safety courses in Perak starting from this year.

He said among the most popular courses are Confined Space Training, Safety Passport and Competency Programme.

“Occupational safety must be given priority to help support the rapid growth in Manjung and along the coastal areas in Perak,” he said.

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/community/2017/04/05/targeting-zero-accidents-occupational-safety-organisation-opens-new-office-in-manjung-due-to-distric/#ROOJkla5aoc72e7e.99

Monday, 13 Mar 2017 -  THERE is an urgent need for building management entities and the companies which provide technical support to perform regular safety audits on all the escalators at their premises. They have to ensure that the escalators are safe, especially those which are heavily used on weekends or during school holidays.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is concerned about the safety of the public after two mishaps involving moving walkways in the past few days.

On Sunday (March 5), a 20-year-old female student injured her leg after she was involved in a mishap on an escalator in Petaling Jaya and on Wednesday (March 8), a 38-year-old woman fractured her toes when her foot was caught in a travelator at a shopping mall in Subang Jaya.

These two cases have highlighted once again the issue of the safe use of escalators as well as escalator safety. Over the years, there have been numerous escalator accidents involving young children due to negligence.

It was previously reported that DOSH had also found 2,747 escalators and lifts in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya had failed to meet safety standards in 2014.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act (OSHA) 1994, it is the responsibility of employers or building owners to ensure the escalators in their premises are in safe working condition. They must display proper signage on safety and remind people to be cautious during escalator maintenance.

I hope that shopping complexes would pay more attention to public safety in the use of escalators and make announcements through their public address system to remind the public on the safe use of escalators, travelators and lifts.

All repair work must also be undertaken by competent firms and engineers endorsed by DOSH, and every escalator should be certified fit for use by the department.

NIOSH hopes that mall operators will also engage architects to design more safety features for escalators to prevent mishaps that could result in injuries or death.

Apart from building owners, parents are also advised to always accompany their children when in shopping complexes. As for those who use the escalator, they should take precautionary measures as follows:

i) Make sure shoes laces are tight and shoes used are appropriate when taking the escalator;

ii) Always hold children’s hands and do not allow children to sit or play on the steps when taking escalators;

iii) Always look ahead, stand in the middle of the yellow coloured border, and hold on to the handrail;

iv) Avoid standing on the side of the step to avoid trapping the leg;

v) Know where the emergency shut-off button (in red) is in case you need to stop the escalator;

vi) Avoid placing bags or packages in the handrail; and

vii) Do not lean on the side handrail.

Escalators are said to be among the safest form of transportation but accidents occur as a result of unsafe practices and lax attitude such as using smartphones while riding the moving walkways.

We will continue to hear of such cases if all parties refuse to change their attitude for the better and take proactive actions to prevent escalator incidents in the future.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE

NIOSH Chairman

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/opinion/letters/2017/03/13/change-attitude-to-stay-safe-on-escalators/#VkcZ4CMGASdXAe2y.99

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

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/views/2017/02/04/take-the-danger-out-of-holidays-the-hospitality-industry-must-adopt-a-safety-culture-to-safeguard-th/#X4lMVxUuCsk3X0iK.99

Saturday, 7 Jan 2017 - ON DEC 19, StarMetro reported that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) had formed a Safety Audit unit to check on work being done by its contractors.

I compliment Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain for deciding to carry out safety audits for council-related development projects and road infrastructure.

I have been calling for safety audits to be conducted by all local authorities on works being carried out by contractors in their respective jurisdictions.

Far too often, contractors or sub-contractors involved in road works for improvement of infrastructure facilities show scant regard for public safety.

Roads riddled with potholes are a common sight in the Klang Valley, and they pose a danger to the safety of motorists and motorcyclists.

Small vehicles driving into these potholes are bound to damage their suspensions and steering rods. There is also the chance of a burst tyre.

What is worse is when these potholes are filled with water and cannot be seen, putting many more motorcyclists at risk of accidents.

As a road user, I have to express my dissatisfaction over the manner in which most contractors carry out road-digging works and how they would leave the road badly resurfaced after completing their work.

Whenever road works are being carried out for laying cables, the contractors do not give much thought to public convenience and safety.

To begin with, when road works commence, a contractor has the tendency to occupy as much space on the road as possible. The work site is messy and, often, warning lights are not installed at night.

During the rainy season, these worksites pose a danger, and accidents have occurred because of the lack of safety measures.

What is most regrettable is after the cabling work has been completed, the work site is not properly resurfaced, resulting in a bumpy stretch.

While I appreciate that pipe and cabling work have to be done from time to time to rectify certain problems, the utility companies have a responsibility to ensure their contractors are responsible and pay the utmost attention to public safety and health.

If the public roads are not resurfaced properly, the blame ultimately falls on the local authority.

As a civic-minded citizen, whenever I see potholed roads in various parts of Kuala Lumpur, I would report it to Kuala Lumpur City Hall.

I also notice that many of these potholes are caused by poor resurfacing work. It makes sense that utility companies must choose responsible and reliable contractors to do their jobs.

While contractors have to buck up, local authorities must also be sensitive and take quick action to address problems without waiting for complaints to come in.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE

Kuala Lumpur

Read more at https://www.thestar.com.my/metro/views/2017/01/07/call-for-safety-audits-councils-should-check-work-by-contractors-under-their-jurisdiction/#VK1cGpoxfX8qvwjG.99