KUCHING: Up to July this year, 208 workplace accidents and 21 fatalities resulting from workplace accidents have been recorded in Sarawak, revealed Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Sarawak director Dr Nor Halim Hasan.
Last year, 422 workplace accidents and 47 fatalities resulting from workplace accidents were recorded in the state.
“As for last year, the number of workplace accidents was approximately one per day. There was about one death every week on average,” Dr Nor Halim added in his speech at the OSH-C SMI Sarawak appreciation ceremony at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching here yesterday.
Citing statistics from the Social Security Organisation (Perkeso) on Malaysia as a whole, he said there were almost 100 cases of workplace accidents every day and about two fatalities caused by workplace accidents on a daily basis.
He disclosed that the manufacturing sector contributed the highest number of workplace accidents.
“We hope to see a reduction in these statistics through programmes,” he added.
One such programme organised by DOSH is the Occupational Safety and Health-Coordinator (OSH-C) programme, for which 28 participants from 23 operators in Kuching’s small and medium industries (SMIs) received certificates yesterday.
They also participated in a dialogue session and Occupational Safety and Health Workplace Assessment (OSHWA) workshop.
According to Dr Nor Halim, the programme falls under the Strategic Plan for Occupational Safety and Health in SMIs 2020.
“This is to help SMI operators elevate the level of occupational safety and health (OSH) via a low-cost and effective concept,” he said.
“This programme since 2017 has been participated by 145 SMI manufacturers all over Sarawak. 217 candidates have been successfully OSH-trained to assist 4,577 workers in their factories,” remarked the DOSH Sarawak director.
Dr Nor Halim stated that the department had conducted six series of OSH-C from March to July this year in Kuching and Bintulu, involving a total of 43 SMI operators.
“Overall, 61 workshop participants are entitled to receive the OSH-C certificate this year,” he said.
To qualify as an OSH-C trained person, participants have to attend three workshops — the first pertaining to the rules and regulations encompassed in the OSH Act 1994.
“The second workshop is on hazard identification, risk assessment, and risk control. The third and final one is to introduce low-cost and effective concepts to increase OSH in the workplace,” said Dr Nor Halim.
He revealed that 55 of the 86 workplaces that participated in the OSH-C programme in 2017 and last year had recorded significant improvement in their compliance with existing OSH laws.
“All parties, be they employers or employees, should carry out their respective roles and responsibilities to ensure OSH,” he said.
SME Corp chief executive officer Noor Azmi Mat Said in his speech pointed out that SMIs in Malaysia represented 98.5 per cent of all establishments — amounting to about one million organisations.
“This contributes about 66.2 per cent of employment,” he said.
He expressed his hope to work together with DOSH to hold more talks and seminars to provide exposure to SMIs and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in efforts to further develop these sectors.
