Publication: NST
Date of publication: Jan 13, 2012
Section heading: Main Section
Page number: 028

KOTA KINABALU: Courses for workers in the oil and gas industry are among the key agenda for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in Sabah this year.

The institute is targeting at least 4,000 participants for a variety of courses in its schedule this year and this includes those related to agriculture, tourism and manufacturing where the oil and gas sector comes in.

With new oil field discoveries, major on going projects by national petroleum company Petronas and strategic investments by the state, a boom is expected from this year and the demand for manpower will follow for the industry.

NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye yesterday said the state budget of RM4 billion this year indicated things will not slow down in the state especially since the bulk of it will be spent on basic infrastructure development and public amenities.

"For this, NIOSH has taken the initiative to organise more occupational safety and health courses to complement the projected growth in the state especially in the agricultural, tourism and manufacturing sectors."

Earlier Lee witnessed the handing over of duties to the new Sabah and Labuan NIOSH manager Mohd Hussin Abd Salam from Azhar Ahmad who was transferred to its headquarters in Bangi, Selangor.