Preventing workplace accidents and fatalities

ON DEC 13, a girder beam collapsed at a section of the Pan Borneo Highway in Pujut, Miri, injuring two workers — one seriously.

The incident which occurred at the multi-billion ringgit road project, connecting the capital, Kuching, to the northern part of Sarawak, is reportedly one of the most serious workplace mishaps in the country.

In a check on workplace accidents in the state in March this year, the Sarawak Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) found the construction industry had recorded 24 cases of on-site accidents, resulting in deaths, in 2018 (source: The Borneo Post).

The Department also recorded a total of 47 accidents, involving deaths, in the various industries during the same year.

According to DOSH statistics, from January to June this year, a total of 127 fatalities had been recorded for the various sectors throughout the country with manufacturing topping the list at 43 followed by construction at 33.

These cases — and many other industrial accidents which could have gone unreported — are only the tip of the iceberg, reflecting the urgency for a stricter Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) implementation and practicality.

 

OSH sustainability

Former National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye opined that OSH was not only about the law and legislation as education, adoption and implementation are key to preventing workplace accidents.

“My over 27 years of work with NIOSH have been tremendously active in the job scope of training and consultation.

“Not only in peninsular Malaysia but NIOSH’s efforts, of which I was part, working with industries in Sarawak, providing proper consultancy, training and creating awareness for workers, have seen a gradual improvement compared to the earlier days before the Institute came to Sarawak.

“Reduction in the workplace accident rate is a reflection of the commitment and joint efforts of the government, employers and employees.

“While this has borne fruit – down from 5.16 cases for every 1,000 workers in 2005 to 2.81 cases last year according to the Human Resources Ministry, the biggest challenge is sustaining the reduction rate and making it a culture to contribute towards an accident-free work environment,” Lee told thesundaypost.

He stressed there was an urgent need to translate OSH knowledge into behaviourial and practical applications to raise awareness on safety, particularly in Sarawak and its rural areas.

“People tend to be reactive and only concerned about accidents that involve them. A situation of sloganeering must be avoided where behind all the OSH banners and signages, the workplace hazards are not addressed and controlled.”

Comparing Malaysia with developed countries, Lee who chairs the Alliance for Safe Communities (ASC) which he set up, felt Malaysia still had a lot of work to do on OSH matters.

“The law and policies are in place, yet innovation — and innovative practices – are still needed to improve the OSH landscape and shape Occupational Safety and Health Management Systems (OSHMS) for the future.

“Better safety and health policies and an effective system are vital to achieving zero accident at the workplace.”

Lee stressed in the matter of prevention, the government could invest more in encouraging public-private partnership for safety training and promoting awareness, and work towards the common goal of sustainable and integrated safety and health systems for the workforce.

He said the quest for OSH sustainability was already starting to transform the competitive landscape, adding that whether or not Malaysians were ready, it was time to target the reduction of accidents and enhance the safety, health and well-being of the workforce by introducing innovative measures, particularly at the workplace.

Fundamental changes are needed to establish a safe and healthy work environment by deploying personnel with the expertise and commitment.

According to Lee, such changes require leadership capability to transform not just a physical environment but also the beliefs and practices of those who create risks and those who work with risks.

He pointed out that making safety a priority was not enough, noting that efforts to turn safety into a culture and core value were far more beneficial to managing OSH and ensuring business competitiveness.

“In the global trend of OSH, it’s now regarded as a societal responsibility and countries are required to have a blueprint for building an accident-prevention culture with a framework for national and international prevention strategies.”

Lee suggested that a broader prevention approach could help protect workers’ health such as through law enforcement, risk assessment, OSH management systems, mainstreaming OSH into education and promoting health and safety as an integral part of the lifestyle.

 

Stricter law, enforcement

DOSH statistics showed that between 2015 and 2018, an average of 4,000 accidents occurred in the construction sector.

Of the total occupational accidents, including permanent disability (PD), non-permanent disability (NPD) and death among the states in 2018,  Johor placed first with 1,369, followed by Perak (561), Selangor (467), Negri Sembilan (441) and Sarawak (377).

Separately, Sarawak recorded the most death cases with 47 in the same year.

Human Resources Minister M Kula Segaran revealed recently the construction industry had been identified as having recorded the highest workplace fatalities in the country — 13.4 per cent to every 100,000 workers.

He said stricter Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) law and enforcement were necessary in view of the high accident fatalities, adding that this would be the government’s approach in tackling the issue.

“Compared to developed countries, Malaysia’s accident fatality rate is higher and this is bad news.”

This year alone, between Jan and Nov, a total 123 cases, involving OSH, were recorded with 1,109 compounds issued and total penalties amounting to  RM3.7mil paid. Also, 4,244 prohibition letters were sent to construction companies for failing comply with the OSH Act.

Kula revealed the ministry through DOSH was in the process of enacting more comprehensive legislation to counter  the workplace fatality rate in the construction sector via OSH (Construction Work) Design & Management Regulations, expected to be tabled in the next parliament sitting.

 

Prioritise human factors

Miri Occupational Safety and Health Practitioners’ Society (MOSHPS) chairman Dr Julian Jolly suggested having more stringent measures on the ground for OSH implementation, particularly regarding the human factors and values at the workplace.

“Regardless of one’s skills or position, mental health must not be overlooked as it can directly affect one’s physical well-being and judgement.

“Mental health is a cognitive value linked to a person’s behaviour, attitude and character. The skill of a worker is not equivalent to his or her mental health as the latter could change according to circumstances.

“Though it’s a very complex topic, OSH practitioners must not overlook it as it’s often linked to human values.”

Dr Julian who is also an OSH lecturer at a college in Miri, emphasised the service provider should give more focus and attention to the mental state of the worker by providing health surveillance such as medical check-up.

“Financial burden that arises from the salary system can affect mental health. So can dissatisfaction among employees.

“Employers cannot ignore the welfare of their workers and should ensure they are fit, healthy and ready for their tasks.”

As a non-profit organisation, MOSHPS focuses on creating a platform by organising more workshops and seminars, encouraging interactive response from employees to bring up their problems during the workshops and monitoring the OSH situation.

According to Dr Julian, based on MOSHPS’ observation on the ground, there is still room for improvement.

“In Malaysia, a lot of minor injury cases often go unreported, regardless of whether it is a burns injury, a small cut wound or a skin disease.

“Unfortunately, these are often overlooked due to negligence. The consequences will only be suffered by the employee and the family.”

He also noted a serious shortage of safety supervisors in Sarawak that needed attention from the higher authority.

“The OSHA law says any construction project of RM20 million and above requires site safety supervisors.

“A construction firm of at least 500 workers is required to have at least one safety and health officer (green book holder).

“However, while the law speaks in such a way, reality happens otherwise.”

 

Towards vision zero

Social Security Organisation (Socso) Miri branch manager Griffin Francis Manggie said constant efforts were vital to ensure employees understood the importance of safety and health in both their working and personal lives.

“According to a national survey, companies, actively involved in many OSH-related campaigns, were found to have a reduced number of accidents among their employees.

“Though factors leading to injury and fatality and the types of industry the company is involved in can vary, it’s the awareness that must be part of the employee’s working culture,” he stressed.

Based on the data for Miri Division between Jan and Oct this year, Griffin said a total of 1,246 cases were reported and referred to the Socso, Miri branch. A total of RM4.102 mil in compensation was paid.

The cases included 656 temporary disablements with a total of RM973,981.18 paid in compensation and 55 permanent disablements where a lump sum of RM1.654 mil was paid.

There were seven cases of permanent disablement with a total of RM367,517.59 disbursed in lump sums and periodical payments.

As for the nine Dependant’s Benefit (FOT) cases where an employee died as a result of employment injury and compensation paid to the insurer’s dependants, a total of RM16,130.67 had been paid as of October.

Griffin said whether it was temporary or permanent disablement or death, all were categorised under employment injury.

According to him, road accident is one of the major causes of employment injuries.

“The road accident in employment injury we’re referring to is from the moment the employee leaves his or her house, travels on the road to the work destination during working hours and after leaving the workplace to return home,” he said, adding that the reported cases involved employees registered with Socso by employers.

“Hence, employees must understand their rights and get all the necessary information on their employment because when something happens, it’s the employee and his or her family who suffer the consequences.”

Griffin encouraged employers, wishing to collaborate with Socso in organising safety talks for their employees, to contact the organisation in writing.

“We’re more than happy to help employers who seek such collaboration out of concern for the workers. We will help organise talks to give workers as much exposure to their rights as possible,” he said.