Materia Medica Malaysiana

Service sector workers unaware of health hazards

KUALA TERENGGANU: Workers in the service sector are not paying due attention to medical problems arising from their workplace, said the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

Its director-general Dr Johari Basri said their cases were often not highlighted unlike those who suffered bodily injuries in factories or construction sites.

“This has caused a misconception that there are less problems in the services sectors such as banking, hotel, trading or transportation,” he told newsmen in Batu Rakit yesterday.

Earlier, he opened a DOSH seminar on behalf of Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Bakar.

Dr Johari said those employed in the service sector in the West submitted the highest insurance claims for work-related medical problems.

“It is probably because they are more aware of their rights,” he said.

In Malaysia, he said some workers blamed their backache or hearing problems to their advancing age without realising that it could be due to them carrying heavy equipment in the workplace or working in a noisy environment.

He said the Social Security Organisation would pay compensation for medical ailments suffered by workers provided that there was proof that the illness was due to the workplace.