Industrial accidents down, commuting accidents up

BorneoPost: KOTA KINABALU: The rate of industrial accidents in Malaysia dropped by 48 per cent while commuting accidents increased by 30 per cent from 17,170 to 22,040 cases in the past 10 years, according to National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
He said the increase in commuting accidents should be given attention by employers as it could affect productivity and result in losses.
“Commuting accidents include workers who are on the way to work or going back home from office. It shows that employers should create safety awareness among motorists and drivers in the workplace,” he said.
Lee said there were a total of 85,926 industrial and commuting accidents in 2001 and 57,656 accidents in 2010.
He said NIOSH Sabah will continue its effort to raise safety and health awareness in both the private and public sectors with various seminars throughout the year.
He said three areas, namely Agriculture and Plantation Division (APD), Occupational Health and Hospitality Division (OHH) and Occupational Safety and Management (OSM) Division, will be prioritised.
“There will be 14 scheduled courses, 18 in-house training and three seminars under the APD with an estimated number of participants at 1,000, while the first Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) – Basic Water Safety course will be organized under the same division.
“As for OHH, NIOSH will be having 18 scheduled courses and 13 in-house trainings on the health in workplace with estimated 600 participants.
“Another course under OHH with 500 female participants will be organized by Socso in Tawau to increase the awareness among women,” he told a press conference at Hyatt Regency Kinabalu yesterday.
Lee said NIOSH will also conduct manual handling and ergonomics training here and in Kudat, Keningau, Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Semporna and Tawau.
Under the OMS, 18 scheduled courses, 23 in-house training and 70 passport security safety courses will be conducted with estimated 2,600 participants.
He said this year’s programmes will be carried out in collaboration with the Road Safety Department (JKJR), oil and gas industry and also manufacturing and construction industry in Sabah.
Lee said NIOSH Labuan and Sabah trained 6,218 participants in 2011.
NIOSH was established on 24 June 1992 as a Company Limited by Guarantee, under the Malaysian Companies Act 1965. As a company, NIOSH is expected to operate efficiently and with minimal administrative bureaucracy.
During the event yesterday, Lee introduced the newly appointed Sabah and Labuan NIOSH manager, Mohd Hussin Abd Salam as the person in charge of the state level training and courses.