Benchmark OSH initiatives against developed countries

Borneo post SIBU: Organisations which have deployed Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) initiatives should benchmark their efforts against those in developed countries.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said it was a good benchmark as they (practitioners of OSH in developed countries) only have between three and four accidents per 1,000 workers.
Lee said while Malaysia’s industrial accident rate had been halved over the past 10 years, the challenge remained working towards an accident-free workplace environment.
And for that to happen, Lee stressed that employers must fully appreciate the utmost important of managing OSH towards business competitiveness.
They must see training as an investment, rather than an expense.
“Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramanian has disclosed that the industrial accident rate had fallen from 10.3 cases for every 1,000 workers to 5.72 last year.
“Although the country’s industrial accident rate has been halved over the past 10 years, the remaining challenge is to build and foster an OSH culture in Malaysia which strives towards an accident-free workplace environment.
“For a start, we need to benchmark ourselves against developed countries, which only have between three and four accidents per 1,000 workers,” Lee said in a statement.
The Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2010-2015 must be given its due attention by all parties concerned to achieve further reduction in the industrial accident rate, he stressed.
Companies, he added, must not profit at the expense of safety because if accidents occur lives may be lost and productivity will be affected.
“Managing OSH towards business competitiveness is of utmost importance, and employers must see training as an investment rather than an expense.
“Management or employers must recognise OSH of employees as an integral part of business management. Concerns for the bottom line must be looked at with equal gravity with OSH issues at the workplace. After all, they are both concerned with the
viability of the business enterprise.”
Employees are often regarded by management to be most important asset of any organisation, and hence, they should be protected in terms of safety and health, he asserted.
Lee added: “An accident prevention coupled with the OSH management strategy should, therefore, be adopted by all companies.
“To achieve the total promotion of OSH at the workplace and elsewhere, organisational measures for accident
prevention, motivation, and behavioural change must be adopted.”
And to move in that direction, management must ensure that safety is embedded as a culture in their organisation and
not just a priority, he pointed out.
“We must avoid a situation where behind all the OSH banners and signages, workplace hazards are not addressed and controlled.”