Metro Harian, 11 Januari 2013

Bangi: Peningkatan kes kemalangan di tempat kerja dan ketika berulang-alik ke tempat kerja saban tahun mencetuskan rasa tanggungjawab Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH) menghebahkan maklumat mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan secara lebih agresif dan holistik kepada golongan sasar.

Melalui kerjasama strategik dengan akhbar harian nombor satu negara, Harian Metro (HM), mulai hari ini maklumat mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan disiarkan menerusi artikel atau grafik yang diterbit dalam akhbar ini pada setiap Jumaat.

Pengerusi NIOSH Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye berkata, selaras jumlah pembaca HM yang majoritinya belia bekerja, beliau terpanggil menjalin kerjasama itu dengan objektif utama membudayakan amalan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

“Justeru, kerjasama ini diharap mampu mendidik masyarakat termasuk suri rumah mengenai penjagaan keselamatan dan kesihatan ketika bekerja dalam apa juga sektor,” katanya pada sidang media selepas melancarkan Kerjasama Info Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Antara HM dan NIOSH bersama Pengarang Kumpulan HM Datuk Mustapa Omar di ibu pejabat NIOSH di sini, semalam. Mustapa berkata, pelaksanaan tanggungjawab sosial korporat (CSR) HM itu diteruskan dan kakitangan HM sendiri diharap memanfaatkan maklumat yang ada untuk keselamatan mereka.

Bahaya dan Saranan Apabila Berada Di Ruang Terkurung

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.

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.

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

New Straits Times, 09 February 2014.

KUALA LUMPUR: Employers, especially those in the construction business, should ensure the cleanliness of their workplaces to avoid the spread of dengue.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said any containers that could collect water should be kept empty to avoid mosquito breeding.

"There is a lot of construction going on, especially in the Klang Valley. These places have a high risk of being mosquito-breeding grounds. So, employers should keep their compound clean to avoid cases of dengue in their workplaces."

He said the safety and health committee of every organisation should make cleanliness part of their standard operation procedure.

Lee said the authorities -- especially local councils, developers, employers, residents associations and residents -- should make an effort to avoid dengue from becoming an epidemic.

"Residents are the first line of defence.

"They have to make an effort to keep their houses clean.

"They have to identify possible breeding grounds and clean them up."

He said residents associations, too, should organise more gotong-royong activities in their neighbourhood.

"Fogging should be intensified. However, residents should realise that fogging is not enough.

"It is essential to begin prevention in one's compound."

Utusan, 22 May 2014.

TINDAKAN proaktif, Menteri Kerja Raya, Datuk Fadillah Yusof mengambil inisiatif mengadakan operasi penguatkuasaan bersepadu yang melibatkan beberapa agensi kerajaan di tapak pembinaan kampus UniKL-Malaysia, Institute of Aviation Technology baru-baru ini adalah satu langkah yang patut disokong dan dialu-alukan.

Semua pihak memang menantikan ba­dan berwajib mengambil tanggungjawab dan memikul akauntabiliti memantau dan menguatkuasakan peraturan keselamatan dan amalan baik berhubung kesihatan dan keselamatan terutamanya di tapak-tapak pembinaan.

Kini banyak kawasan pembinaan sedang rancak berjalan terutamanya di Kuala Lumpur dan bandar-bandar besar lain yang melibatkan pembangunan infrastruktur awam dan swasta.

Saban hari tragedi yang berlaku di tapak-tapak pembinaan akan menjadi berita utama di dada akhbar yang mendatangkan rasa gerun bagi orang awam terutamanya pengguna jalan raya ketika melalui kawasan pembinaan ini, khususnya yang melibatkan bangunan pencakar langit.

Konsep turun padang menteri ber­kenaan perlu dilakukan oleh semua hingga ke peringkat kakitangan pelaksana bagi me­langsungkan usaha ini supaya ia dapat mengekang berulangnya kemalangan di tempat kerja.

Adalah disarankan supaya penekanan bukan sahaja diberikan kepada semua projek pembangunan supaya sentiasa mematuhi dan mengamalkan kod amalan baik berhubung kesihatan dan keselamatan di tapak pembinaan, malah pemantauan perlu dilaksanakan serta dikuatkuasakan di semua tapak projek tersebut.

Hal ini kerana ia membabitkan ke­selamatan pekerja dan orang awam yang boleh mengakibatkan kecederaan tubuh badan dan kehilangan nyawa.

Penguatkuasaan undang-undang sedia ada bagi mengekang tragedi daripada berlaku di tapak pembinaan perlu dijalankan dengan tegas supaya mereka yang terlibat akan lebih berakauntabiliti terhadap tanggungjawab mereka menjaga keselamatan pekerja dan orang awam.

Jabatan Kerja Raya sebagai agensi pelaksana yang utama di dalam negara perlu bukan sekadar menjadi contoh malah menjadi model kepada agensi kerajaan dan swasta dalam pematuhan kepada undang-undang dan garis panduan keselamatan dan kesihat­an di tapak pembinaan.

Adalah diharapkan supaya ini menjadi permulaan ke arah penambahbaikan pe­nguatkuasaan dan pemantauan tanggungjawab keselamatan di tempat kerja bagi menzahirkan usaha sebenar membudayakan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

Saya ingin menyeru semua industri di negara ini terutamanya sektor pembinaan, supaya sentiasa sensitif terhadap keperluan keselamatan di tempat kerja dan berusaha untuk mencapai tahap kemalangan sifar.

Mereka yang terlibat di dalam industri pembinaan seharusnya menyedari kesan dan akibat mengabaikan garis panduan ke­selamatan dan mengambil jalan pintas, reka bentuk dan mutu kerja yang bermutu rendah dan kerja yang tidak diawasi atau diselia.

Sekiranya piawaian keselamatan dipa­tuhi dan prosedur serta peraturan ke­selamatan diikuti, saya percaya kecelakaan, kehilangan nyawa atau kecederaan dapat dielakkan.

Laporan mengenai kren tumbang di tapak pembinaan yang menyebabkan kerosakan kepada rumah dan harta awam adalah juga perkara yang menjadi perhatian serius kepada orang ramai. Aktiviti pembinaan yang mengabaikan kesan kepada alam sekitar mendatangkan masalah seperti banjir dan tanah runtuh.

Oleh itu, adalah amat penting bagi semua yang terlibat di dalam industri pembinaan supaya sentiasa sensitif kepada masalah tersebut dan mengambil semua langkah yang perlu untuk mengelakkan kemalangan di tempat kerja. Beberapa tragedi yang berlaku kebelakangan ini memerlukan pihak berkuasa memberikan perhatian kepada tahap piawaian keselamatan di tempat kerja yang lebih tinggi.

Merujuk kepada industri pembinaan, pihak pemaju perlu memikul tanggungjawab untuk memilih kontraktor yang berkelayakan dan berhemah dari segi ke­selamatan. Semasa mengeluarkan tender, perlu ditekankan bahawa penerimaan tender yang terendah bukanlah dengan me­ngorbankan prinsip keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

Masanya telah tiba bagi pihak kontraktor yang ingin mengambil bahagian di dalam sesuatu kontrak pembinaan menyediakan polisi keselamatan, pelan pengenalpastian hazard, penilaian risiko, program pengawalan risiko dan juga maklumat me­ngenai pengalaman dan latihan keselamat­an yang diberikan kepada pekerja mereka.

Walaupun kerajaan menggubal undang-undang dan menguatkuasakannya, melaksanakan sistem pengurusan keselamatan di tapak pembinaan adalah tanggungjawab kontraktor utama dan subkontraktor.

Pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan yang berkesan bukan sahaja mengurangkan risiko kemalangan di tempat kerja bahkan memberikan pulangan yang baik kepada syarikat dan meningkatkan produktiviti.

Keselamatan pekerjaan tidak sepatutnya dilihat sebagai faktor yang melenyapkan keuntungan di dalam pengurusan industri, sebaliknya hendaklah dianggap sebagai pemangkin produktiviti terutamanya di dalam industri pembinaan.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE ialah Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Kebangsaan (NIOSH).