New Straits Times, 2 November 2012

PETALING JAYA: Bayer CropScience has teamed up with Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (Fama), Nestle Malaysia and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) for a food-chain partnership project.

The long-term partnership project is aimed at improving the yield and quality of fruits, vegetables and rice in Malaysia.

Bayer Co (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Herbert Dittmar said the collaboration can build relationships that will benefit everyone.

He said the goal is to work with its partners along the entire value chain from seed to shelf to support sustainable production of high-quality fruits, vegetables and rice in the country.

"We are delighted to enter into this collaboration with Fama, Nestle and Niosh on the first-ever food-chain partnership in Malaysia," he said after a memorandum of understanding signing ceremony between Bayer and the three parties here yesterday.

The initiative is a proactive approach to create demand for sustainable crop solutions, facilitating mutually beneficial business relationships and a proven concept with more than 240 projects in more than 30 countries.

With Fama, Bayer will work closely with its contract farmers and durian exporting growers, while for Nestle, Bayer will promote a sustainable integrated crop solution for its chilli growers and, in near future, for rice.

For Niosh, Bayer will continue its efforts to train growers and Niosh staff on the safe use of pesticides.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference here yesterday, Dittmar said Bayer Malaysia will invest RM200,000 a year in the food-chain partnership.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Deputy Minister Datuk Chia Tee Yong said such partnership is important to ensure safe and sustainable food production for consumers.

Bayer CropScience is a global player with core compentencies in healthcare, agriculture and high-tech materials.

The Star , 18 October 2012

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) wishes to compliment the Star Publications for having initiated and launched a two-day Safety and Health Campaign to promote a safe and healthy working environment for the company.

The fact that both the employer and employees had organised theMenara Star Safety Campaignspoke volumes of their commitment to safety at work.

Such a campaign should be held annually to remind all employees that they must never take their safety for granted.

Awareness of employees concerning safety and fire drills is important and participation in such drills will help to give a sense of urgency to the people involved over a matter of life or death.

Organising safety and fire drills for all buildings especially the high-rise ones should be done annually or once in two years to prepare for an emergency.

I seldom see such safety drills in our high-rise buildings.

Drilling safety into Malaysians must be a way of life and be made a core value and a culture.

Malaysians who have a lackadaisical attitude towards safety must not only have an attitudinal change but must inculcate an appreciation towards safety.

Establishing a safe and healthy work environment requires fundamental changes in the ways work is designed and personnel are deployed, and how the very culture of the organisation understands and acts on safety.

These changes require leadership capable of transforming not just a physical environment, but also the beliefs and practices of those who create the risk and those who work with the risk.

Although Malaysia’s industrial accident rate has been halved over the past 10 years it remains a challenge.

Managing occupational safety and health towards business competitiveness is of utmost importance and employers must see training as an investment and not an expense.

Management or employers must recognise OSH of employees as an integral part of business management.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman, NIOSH

Berita Harian, 4 October 2012

Kuala Lumpur: Dua daripada tiga kematian berkaitan kerja yang berlaku setiap hari di negara ini adalah akibat kemalangan jalan raya, ketika pergi dan balik kerja.

Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH), Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, berkata walaupun kemalangan industri berkurangan, jumlah kemalangan jalan raya ketika pergi dan balik kerja meningkat 40 peratus bagi tempoh enam tahun lalu.

Menurut statistik Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO), kadar kemalangan di tempat kerja menurun 37 peratus daripada 95,006 kes pada 2000 kepada 59,897 kes pada 2011 berikutan peningkatan kesedaran mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

Peningkatan membimbangkan

Namun, Lam Thye bimbang dengan jumlah tinggi kemalangan maut di Malaysia membabitkan pekerja dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja.

"6,000 kematian dicatatkan setiap tahun sejak beberapa tahun lalu dan ini diterjemahkan kepada 18 hingga 20 nyawa setiap hari," katanya.

Utusan Malaysia, 4 October 2012

KUALA LUMPUR 3 Okt. - Dua daripada tiga kematian berkaitan kerja yang berlaku setiap hari di Malaysia adalah akibat kemalangan jalan raya semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan ini menjadi kebimbangan utama keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan, kata Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH), Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

Walaupun kemalangan industri telah berkurangan di Malaysia, jumlah kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja meningkat hampir 40 peratus bagi tempoh enam tahun lepas kepada 24,809 kemalangan tahun lepas daripada 17,704 kemalangan pada 2006, katanya kepada Bernama hari ini.

Menurut statistik Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso), kadar keseluruhan kemalangan di tempat kerja telah menurun sebanyak 37 peratus daripada 95,006 kemalangan pada tahun 2000 kepada 59,897 kemalangan pada 2011 berikutan peningkatan kesedaran mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan dan penguatkuasaan peraturan dan undang-undang sejak 10 tahun lepas.

Namun Lee berkata, beliau bimbang dengan jumlah tinggi kemalangan maut di Malaysia membabitkan pekerja dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja kerana dunia pekerjaan telah berubah secara drastik berikutan globalisasi, perubahan demografik, penghijrahan dan perubahan struktur keluarga.

Terdapat lebih 6,000 kematian dicatatkan setiap tahun bagi tempoh beberapa tahun lepas dan ini diterjemahkan kepada kira-kira 18 hingga 20 orang terbunuh setiap hari. Penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal menyumbang kepada kira-kira 60 peratus kematian dan kebanyakan mereka masih muda dan sedang berada di kemuncak kehidupan mereka," tegasnya.

Lee berkata, impak daripada kemalangan semasa perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja adalah lebih besar daripada kemalangan industri kerana kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan biasanya melibatkan pelbagai kecederaan yang jauh lebih trauma dan teruk berbanding kemalangan di tempat kerja.

Masalah berkaitan dengan peningkatan jumlah kemalangan dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja selalunya disebabkan kurang kesedaran di kalangan pekerja bagi pemanduan dan penunggangan selamat semasa pergi dan balik kerja, kurang program latihan khusus untuk mencegah kemalangan semasa perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan kurang elemen keselamatan di jalan raya yang serupa dengan pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan di tempat kerja.

Lee berkata, walaupun banyak jabatan dan agensi kerajaan terlibat dalam program pencegahan kemalangan jalan raya, tidak ada pihak berkuasa tunggal untuk mewajibkan program pencegahan kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan kerajaan perlu mengkaji perkara ini dengan serius.

Beliau berpendapat tindakan serius perlu diambil untuk membangunkan program yang menggalakkan perubahan sikap di kalangan pengguna jalan raya di Malaysia untuk mengatasi masalah memandu secara cuai dan kurang beretika.

Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata, sekolah-sekolah memandu perlu memasukkan perubahan sikap itu dalam sukatan pelajaran mereka manakala majikan perlu mempunyai tangggungjawab moral untuk mengambil pendekatan proaktif terhadap pengurusan risiko di jalan raya, yang akan meninggalkan kesan secara langsung ke atas kos mereka daripada segi pengurangan masa kerja staf, premium insurans lebih tinggi dan imej kurang baik.

Lee berkata, NIOSH juga sedang berusaha menambahbaik modul latihan bagi keselamatan penunggang motosikal dan kursus pemanduan berhemah di masa depan. - BERNAMA

Harian Metro, 3 October 2012

KUALA LUMPUR: Semua majikan di negara ini perlu tahu bahawa setiap RM1 yang dibelanjakan untuk memberi pendedahan terhadap pencegahan kemalangan kepada seorang pekerja dapat memberi pulangan sebanyak RM1.90 kepada syarikat.

Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam berkata, syarikat akan menanggung kerugian lebih besar dari segi kos untuk melahirkan sumber modal insan terlatih sekiranya pekerja mereka terbabit dalam nahas jalan raya berbanding hanya RM1 diperlukan untuk kempen pencegahan kemalangan.

Menurut beliau, perkara itu dibuktikan melalui kajian dilakukan Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso) dan dan Institut Keselamatan Antarabangsa.

"Oleh itu saya berharap majikan boleh ambil kira perkara ini dan jangan melihatnya sebagai jalan pintas (mudah) kerana jalan pintas akan memberi pulangan jangka masa singkat tetapi memberi masalah berterusan," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Seminar Pencegahan Kemalangan di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di sini, semalam.

Hadir sama Pengerusi Lembaga Perkeso, Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya, Datuk K Selvarajah, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pencegahan Bencana dan Pekerja Perkeso, Datuk Dr Vasan Sinnadurai, Pengarah Eksekutif Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara, Rosli Hussin dan Pengurus Besar Majlis Keselamatan Jalan Raya Jerman, Dr Christian Kellner.

Mengulas lanjut Subramaniam berkata, majikan di negara ini hari ini, bagaimanapun sudah menjalankan tanggungjawab dengan baik terhadap pekerjanya.

"Salah satu tandanya terdapat penurunan 37 peratus pada kes kemalangan di tempat kerja jika dibanding 10 tahun lalu walaupun jumlah pekerja dan majikan semakin meningkat.

"Pada tahun 2000, kes kemalangan industri sebanyak 95,006 tetapi berkurang 59,897 pada tahun lalu," katanya.

Tambah beliau bagaimanapun, peratusan kemalangan dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja terus meningkat ke tahap yang membimbangkan.

"Daripada 59,897 kemalangan direkodkan tahun lalu, 41.4 peratus daripadanya kemalangan dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja," katanya.

Publication: NST
Date of publication: May 16, 2012
Section heading: Main Section
Page number: 026

KUALA LUMPUR: In a bid to reduce industrial accidents and fatalities in the country, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is organising a conference and exhibition on occupational safety and health.

NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said creating a safe work environment required fundamental changes in the way work spaces were designed and personnel were deployed.

"These changes require leadership capable of transforming the beliefs and practices of those who create the risk and those who work with the risk," Lee said.

He said safety briefings were vital and should not only be a part of events that talk about safety.

"Such briefings must be given at all functions, be it a government or private sector.

"Even a wedding dinner should start with a safety briefing. What would be the reaction in case a fire breaks out in a hall filled with people?" he asked.

Lee said the thinking that "safety should be a priority" should be turned into "safety should be a way of life".

The conference will be held at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre in Petaling Jaya from Sept 2 to 4.

New Straits Times, 4 September 2012

PETALING JAYA: Action will be taken against those responsible if negligence contributed to a shipping disaster in Labuan in July that resulted in five deaths, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said yesterday.

"Once we know what happened, action will be taken," he said at the Conference for Occupational Safety and Health in a shopping mall here

The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) had attributed the explosion and fire on board a methanol tanker to lightning.

DOSH deputy director-general (operations) Mohtar Musri, who was at the conference, said during the unloading of methanol from MISC ship Bunga Alpina to the Petronas methanol terminal on July 26, it was raining and there was lightning.

"When there is loading and unloading, there is bound to be vapour from the chemicals, and the vapour was what was struck by lightning, causing the explosion. The earthing mechanism was also not working that day."

On another matter, Dr Subramaniam urged employers to invest in occupational safety and health, saying it was an essential investment that would help increase their productivity and profitability. Bernama

Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye launching the Conference for Occupational Safety and Health in Petaling Jaya yesterday.