New Straits Times, 29 January 2014

ROLE MODEL: Panel's proposal to boost road, sea and air safety following spate of accidents

KUALA LUMPUR: A PROPOSAL to establish a National Transportation Safety Board has been recommended to boost road, sea and air safety in the country.

Acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the proposal was made by the ministry's independent advisory panel following numerous serious accidents in all three areas.

The board, he said, would not only advise but report recommendations and provide improvements directly to the ministry.

"The panel's proposal will be forwarded for cabinet approval soon. Should the board become a reality, it will be historic in the sense that it will be one of a kind in the Asean region.

"It can also act as a role model especially in terms of enhancing road safety," he said after receiving the Genting Highlands bus crash report at the Defence Ministry, yesterday.

The report, compiled by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, was handed over by panel chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye to Hishammuddin, who is also Defence Minister. In the crash at Km3.6 of Jalan Genting Highlands-Kuala Lumpur on Aug 21 last year, 37 were killed while 16 others were injured.

Hishammuddin said once the board was established, other agencies like the police could also sit on the panel.

Datuk Seri Hishammudin Hussein at a press conference after receiving a report on the Genting Highlands bus crash. With him is Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (seated left). Pic by Muhd Zaaba Zakeria

No Permit: PP13200/12/2013(032007)

January 2014: ISSN 1675.5464

Harian Metro, 03/12/2013

Kuala Lumpur: Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Sri Richard Riot Anak Jaem melancarkan portal Gaji Minimun bertujuan memudahkan pekerja, majikan dan orang ramai memahami aspirasi dasar gaji minimum negara dan pelaksanaan sepenuhnya bermula 1 Januari 2014.

Menurutnya, portal ini memberikan maklumat menerusi tiga segmen iaitu ruangan untuk majikan, pekerja dan berita terkini termasuk penerbitan berkenaan gaji minimum.

"Maklumat kadar pengiraan gaji minimum mengikut bulan, harian dan jam; rasional di sebalik dasar gaji minimum, kumpulan sasar, fungsi Majlis Perundingan Gaji Negara (MPGN), jenis bayaran yang boleh atau tidak serta penguatkuasaan dan penalti dipaparkan," katanya pada Majlis Pelancaran Portal Gaji Minimum di sini.

Katanya, orang ramai boleh muat turun undang-undang perburuhan berkaitan termasuk perintah penundaan di bawah Akta MPGN 2011.

Portal berkenaan boleh dilayari menerusi laman sesawang Kementerian Sumber Manusia iaitu www.mohr.gov.my atau http://minimumwages.mohr.gov.my

The Star,  31 October 2013

BATU PAHAT: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) has pressed the alarm button over the rising number of commuting accidents in the country.

According to Socso statistics, the number has increased each year – from 17,682 cases in 2007 to 26,262 last year. From January to July this year, there were 16,440 cases.

Commuting accidents, mainly road accidents, involve workers on the way to or from the workplace.

Niosh chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the Government was worried about the rise in the number of such accidents.

“We are concerned because commuting accident cases have gone up about 24% over the last two years.

“Niosh is working closely with the De­­partment of Occupational Safety and Health, Socso and the Road Safety Department to provide education, defensive riding and driving training and others.

“We want to educate workers so that they will be more careful on the road,” he said at the launch of an Occupational Safety and Health in School programme at the Kluang Vocational College here yesterday.

The college is the first vocational institution which participated in the programme since its introduction in 2004 to inculcate work safety awareness in school.

Talks and exhibitions are conducted at schools for teachers and students. So far, more than 20 primary and secondary schools have joined the programme.

According to Lee, 333 incidents were reported in the education sector in 2011 and 310 cases in 2010, but many more were not reported.

“Many feel that schools are safe, but accidents can happen anywhere and we have come across cases like collapsed roofs and accidents on the football field and in the laboratory.

“We want to teach teachers and students about OSH knowledge so they can treat the school like a workplace,” he said.

Metro Harian, 31 October 2013 |

NIOSH perkenal OSH pasti keselamatan di institusi pendidikan.

New Strait Times, 28 Sept 2013

I APPLAUD City Hall for its establishment of 54 monitoring teams to ensure that contractors adhere to guidelines and conditions when building public facilities in the city. (Streets, Sept 18)

According to Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib, the teams comprising City Hall personnel from various departments will monitor the contractors and their work during and after construction by examining the materials used and monitoring the building process.

It is high time the local authority checked and monitored all public facility projects undertaken by contractors to overcome problems like poor quality building materials, cutting corners and shoddy workmanship.

These problems, which affect public safety, must be addressed at the construction stage to avoid accidents that may lead to injuries or deaths.

Ensuring better occupational safety and health standards at all sites where construction activities are carried out will also prevent workplace accidents, which have a high rate in the construction industry.

Better supervision and monitoring of contractors and their work during construction will also help prevent various forms of leakages, which will only add to the costs of the projects.

Badly-designed or badly-built projects will also lead to constant repairs and upgrades, which will impose additional financial burden on the local authority.

But the most critical reason for supervision and monitoring is public safety, which must never be compromised.

Another important issue is the need for the local authority to ensure a culture of good maintenance for all public facilities.

Poor maintenance has been the constant bane of our community and City Hall should set an example for all the local authorities in the country by embracing a culture of good maintenance.

City Hall's move to set up monitoring teams to ensure the better performance of all contractors must be emulated by all other local authorities in the country in the interest of occupational safety and health and public safety.

Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman

New Straits Times, 27 August 2013

PREVENTION BETTER THAN CURE : NIOSH credited with raising awareness.

KUALA LUMPUR: WORK-RELATED accidents have been  steadily declining in the last 10 years, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Richard Riot Jaem.

"This is because of the continuous training and conferences held by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)," he said when launching the 16th Conference and Exhibition of Occupational Safety and Health (COSH 16) 2013 here yesterday.

Jaem said the number of industrial accidents last year was nearly half from that 10 years ago -- from 63,423 accidents in 2002 to 35,311 last year.

"We have to thank NIOSH, which has been tackling this problem for a long time.

"Kudos to their hard work in making employers and employees realise the importance of preventive measures. As they say, prevention is better than cure."

The annual three-day event is being held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. It will be attended by 1,700 local and foreign participants.

Earlier, NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the conference's main aim was to instil greater awareness and understanding of the importance of occupational safety and health towards zero-accident at work.

"Since its inception in 1998, COSH has served as the premier platform for OSH professionals in Malaysia to share and update their knowledge and skills to meet changes in the Malaysian working environment."

According to the International Labour Organisation, of the 2.34 million occupational fatalities every year globally, only 321,000 deaths were caused by accidents, he added.

Lee said the rest was caused by work-related diseases.

He said diseases, such as pneumoconiosis, remained widespread, while new ones such as mental and musculoskeletal disorders were on the rise.

He also said there were some 160 million cases of non-fatal work-related disease worldwide annually.

Star Metro, 2 July 2013

RHB Bank recently launched a campaign to promote a safe and healthy working environment among employees

The Occupational Safety and Health Campaign 2013 aims to achieve a healthier work environment as well as reduce workplace accidents.

“Making the workplace safe is a joint responsibility of both employer and employees.

“An effective health and safety system in the workplace can have a positive effect on productivity and, therefore, on an organisation’s success,” said RHB Banking Group managing director Kellee Kam.

He added that based on internal findings, most health issues were stress-related while in terms of physical injury, they usually were orthopaedic in nature affecting the hands/ wrists and shoulders.

The RHB Banking Group has put in place various measures to assist staff in managing work-related health and safety issues. These include setting up a gym as well as producing a handbook to educate and raise awareness on health and safety.

Health awareness programmes, including talks and training sessions, are also held and employees are encouraged to participate in extra-curricular and outdoor activities.

This year, in conjunction with RHB Bank’s 100th anniversary, an expedition to Mt Kinabalu will be organised.

The three-day campaign was launched by National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

Also present was RHB Bank Berhad chairman Tan Sri Azlan Zainol.

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