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New Sabah Times, 29th August, 2012
KUNDASANG: Although the country’s industrial accident rate has been halved in the past 10 years, there is still a need to build and foster an occupational safety and health (OSH) culture and strive towards an accident-free workplace environment.
Speaking at a press conference after the launching of an OSHseminar for the tourism industry in Sabah here yesterday, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the latest statistics from the Ministry of Human Resources should that the industrial accident rate had fallen from 10.3 cases for every 1,000 workers in 2002 to 5.72 cases last year.
He said this reflected the commitment and joint efforts by the government, employers and employees to reduce workplace accidents.
“While we are pleased to note the success of the joint efforts by all parties concerned, the biggest challenge remains that we only should further reduce the accident rate but also to build and foster an OSH culture in Malaysia.
“For a start, we need to benchmark ourselves against the developed countries which only have 3-4 accidents per 1,000 workers,” he said.
The Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2010-2015, he stressed, must be given utmost attention by all parties concerned to achieve further reduction in the rate of industrial accidents.
Lee also said companies must not profit at the expense of safety because if accidents occurred, lives may be lost and productivity would be affected.
“AS such, OSH ownership in every organisation is of paramount importance,” he said, adding that the focal point of safety was the human being or the employee who needed protection.
An accident prevention coupled with an OSH management strategy should therefore be adopted by all companies.
And, to achieve the total promotion of safety and health at work and elsewhere, organisational measures for accident prevention, motivation and behavioural change must be adopted.
Lee added that it was the responsibility of management to ensure that safety became a culture at their organisation and not just a priority.
“There is an urgent need to translate OSH knowledge into behaviour and practical application. OSH sloganeering is not the answer. We must avoid a situation where behind all the OSHbanners and signages, the workplace hazards are not addressed and controlled,” he said.
In this time of global competition and sweeping change, it is not enough for companies to make safety a priority.
Priorities change but cultures stand the test of time and safety must be a culture and a core value at the workplace.
He said managing occupational safety and health towards business competitiveness was very important and that employers must see training as an investment and not an expense.
“Management or employers must recognise the 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,” he said.
Lee also said employees were often regarded by management to be the most important asset of any organisation.
“Hence, it makes sense that this particular asset should be protected in terms of health and safety and nurtured to ensure that it continues to be productive,” he said.
Management, he said, must now take a hard look at their asset and actively show how much they valued their employees with a responsible OSH policy backed up by the necessary organisation and system to implement accident prevention programmes.
“Common sense tells us that “safety is good business”. If industries give priority to safety issues at the workplace it will certainly be beneficial to the business,” he said.
The seminar was opened by Kundasang Assemblyman Dr Joachim Gunsalam on behalf the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment Dsatuk Masidi Manjun.
Also present were NIOSH Sabah regional manager Mohd Hussin Salam, Tourism Ministry’s permanent secretary Datuk Michael Emban and Ranau assistant district officer Bernard Kimin.
Lee (2nd left), flanked by Hussin (left) Dr Joachim (3rd left), Michael and Bernard (right) at the press conference
New Straits Times, 19 December 2012
KOTA KINABALU: Occupational safety and health in the hospitality industry needs to be given more attention as it is a rapidly growing industry.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said yesterday it was no longer a "safe and clean" sector and it merited more attention from employers.
Lee said this after attending a two-day seminar on occupational safety and health for the hospitality industry in Sandakan organised by Niosh.
He urged employers to empower workers through safety and health committees to reduce accidents, injuries and deaths in workplaces.
"While life-threatening and acute injuries are uncommon in the hospitality industry, work-related hazards do exist," he said.
"Although accidents can and do happen, there are measures we can adopt to limit their occurrence.
"Accidents can be reduced if we make prudent and cautious work practices part of our culture."
In the last 10 years, the industrial accident rate in Malaysia had been halved from 10.3 cases for every 1,000 workers in 2002 to 5.7 cases last year.
This reflected the strong commitment by the government, employers and the workers to reduce accidents.
Lee said Malaysians needed to set a higher benchmark at three to four cases every 1,000 workers, on a par with those in developed countries.
"Human behaviour and lackadaisical attitudes towards safety must change for the better.
"Anyone can be involved in an accident, unless safety is not taken for granted and safe work practices are implemented."
7th February, 2012, New Sabah Times
KUALA LUMPUR: Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH) menggesa agensi dan pihak ber- kuasa yang berkaitan supaya mening- katkan tahap keselamatan di sepanjang pantai di negara ini berikutan peningkatan jumlah kematian akibat lemas setiap tahun.
Pengerusinya Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye berkata strategi pengurusan perlu turut dirangka dan dilaksanakan secara berkesan untuk mengelak kematian akibat lemas.
“Kita memerlukan strategi bagi pantai yang selamat, bebas daripada kes mati lemas. Ia bukan untuk menghalang orang ramai daripada bergembira, atau menegah mereka daripada berada dalam air. Kami mahu mereka selamat semasa berbuat demikian,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini kelmarin.
Beliau berkata isu berkaitan keselamatan pantai tidak ditangani dengan sewajarnya dan keselamatan orang ramai di pantai seringkali menjadi isu yang dilupakan manakala lebih banyak perhatian diberi kepada perlindungan alam sekitar dan sebagainya.
Katanya menurut Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat, jumlah kes mati lemas yang direkodkan pada 2010 adalah 331 dan pada 2011, 303 kes.
Beliau berkata terdapat banyak faktor yang mengakibatkan berlaku kes lemas, misalnya akses yang tidak terhad ke pantai, kurang pengetahuan dan pemahaman mengenai keadaan air, kejahilan, pengabaian atau salah anggaran terhadap keadaan air yang berbahaya serta kurang kesedaran dan pendidikan tentang keselamatan air.
“Menjadi tanggungjawab organisasi, agensi dan pihak berkuasa berkenaan yang mempunyai bidang kuasa terhadap kawasan pantai untuk mengenal pasti dan sebaik-baiknya meminimumkan risiko kecederaan atau kematian akibat lemas.
“Tanggungjawab ini bukanlah dengan hanya sekadar memasang papan tanda atau menyediakan peralatan keselamatan,” kata- nya.
Di samping pendidikan tentang amalan keselamatan semasa mengadakan aktiviti di air, Lee berkata orang ramai juga perlu menyokong penyeliaan pantai dan tarikan di air dengan sewajarnya selain menyokong undang-undang yang memerlukan penggunaan alat pengapungan peribadi untuk dipakai semasa berada di pantai.
Berita Harian, 16 November 2012
Kuala Lumpur: Kes kemalangan ketika perjalanan ke tempat kerja meningkat 40 peratus dalam tempoh enam tahun kebelakangan ini daripada 17,704 pada 2006 kepada 28,809 tahun lalu.
Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH), Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, berkata punca utama peningkatan kes adalah kurang kesedaran terhadap pemanduan yang selamat di kalangan mangsa.
Peningkatan ini juga dikesan akibat kurang elemen keselamatan dalam sistem pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan di tempat kerja, katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, semalam.
Lam Thye berkata, kajian Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO) dan beberapa universiti tempatan mendapati 88 peratus kes kemalangan berlaku semasa perjalanan pergi ke tempat kerja atau selepas bekerja.
Katanya, daripada jumlah itu 52 peratus kemalangan semasa pergi ke tempat kerja, manakala 36 peratus lagi semasa balik ke rumah selepas tamat waktu bekerja.
Beliau berkata, hasil kajian juga mendapati 68.8 peratus kemalangan membabitkan pekerja waktu pagi, manakala 55 peratus pula berlaku dalam lingkungan kurang lima kilometer dari tempat kerja.
Katanya, kes kemalangan maut di jalan raya di negara ini juga pada tahap membimbangkan dengan lebih 6,000 kes setiap tahun atau 18 hingga 20 orang sehari dalam tempoh beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini.
Katanya, daripada jumlah itu 60 peratus membabitkan penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal yang kebanyakannya generasi muda.
Sehubungan itu, katanya, PERKESO memperkenalkan Pelan Pencegahan Kemalangan Semasa Perjalanan, tahun lalu untuk mengatasi kemalangan semasa perjalanan membabitkan empat program pencegahan.
Antara pendekatan itu adalah program outreach kemalangan semasa perjalanan untuk majikan dan pekerja, program menunggang motosikal dengan selamat dan program pemanduan berhemah.
Menubuhkan sistem pengurusan keselamatan perjalanan atau elemen keselamatan jalan raya dalam sistem pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan, katanya.
Utusan Malaysia, 4 October 2012
KUALA LUMPUR 3 Okt. - Dua daripada tiga kematian berkaitan kerja yang berlaku setiap hari di Malaysia adalah akibat kemalangan jalan raya semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan ini menjadi kebimbangan utama keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan, kata Pengerusi Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH), Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Walaupun kemalangan industri telah berkurangan di Malaysia, jumlah kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja meningkat hampir 40 peratus bagi tempoh enam tahun lepas kepada 24,809 kemalangan tahun lepas daripada 17,704 kemalangan pada 2006, katanya kepada Bernama hari ini.
Menurut statistik Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso), kadar keseluruhan kemalangan di tempat kerja telah menurun sebanyak 37 peratus daripada 95,006 kemalangan pada tahun 2000 kepada 59,897 kemalangan pada 2011 berikutan peningkatan kesedaran mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan dan penguatkuasaan peraturan dan undang-undang sejak 10 tahun lepas.
Namun Lee berkata, beliau bimbang dengan jumlah tinggi kemalangan maut di Malaysia membabitkan pekerja dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja kerana dunia pekerjaan telah berubah secara drastik berikutan globalisasi, perubahan demografik, penghijrahan dan perubahan struktur keluarga.
Terdapat lebih 6,000 kematian dicatatkan setiap tahun bagi tempoh beberapa tahun lepas dan ini diterjemahkan kepada kira-kira 18 hingga 20 orang terbunuh setiap hari. Penunggang dan pembonceng motosikal menyumbang kepada kira-kira 60 peratus kematian dan kebanyakan mereka masih muda dan sedang berada di kemuncak kehidupan mereka," tegasnya.
Lee berkata, impak daripada kemalangan semasa perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja adalah lebih besar daripada kemalangan industri kerana kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan biasanya melibatkan pelbagai kecederaan yang jauh lebih trauma dan teruk berbanding kemalangan di tempat kerja.
Masalah berkaitan dengan peningkatan jumlah kemalangan dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja selalunya disebabkan kurang kesedaran di kalangan pekerja bagi pemanduan dan penunggangan selamat semasa pergi dan balik kerja, kurang program latihan khusus untuk mencegah kemalangan semasa perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan kurang elemen keselamatan di jalan raya yang serupa dengan pengurusan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan di tempat kerja.
Lee berkata, walaupun banyak jabatan dan agensi kerajaan terlibat dalam program pencegahan kemalangan jalan raya, tidak ada pihak berkuasa tunggal untuk mewajibkan program pencegahan kemalangan semasa dalam perjalanan pergi dan balik kerja dan kerajaan perlu mengkaji perkara ini dengan serius.
Beliau berpendapat tindakan serius perlu diambil untuk membangunkan program yang menggalakkan perubahan sikap di kalangan pengguna jalan raya di Malaysia untuk mengatasi masalah memandu secara cuai dan kurang beretika.
Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata, sekolah-sekolah memandu perlu memasukkan perubahan sikap itu dalam sukatan pelajaran mereka manakala majikan perlu mempunyai tangggungjawab moral untuk mengambil pendekatan proaktif terhadap pengurusan risiko di jalan raya, yang akan meninggalkan kesan secara langsung ke atas kos mereka daripada segi pengurangan masa kerja staf, premium insurans lebih tinggi dan imej kurang baik.
Lee berkata, NIOSH juga sedang berusaha menambahbaik modul latihan bagi keselamatan penunggang motosikal dan kursus pemanduan berhemah di masa depan. - BERNAMA
TheBorneoPost
Posted on January 13, 2012, Friday
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.
Harian Metro, 3 October 2012
KUALA LUMPUR: Semua majikan di negara ini perlu tahu bahawa setiap RM1 yang dibelanjakan untuk memberi pendedahan terhadap pencegahan kemalangan kepada seorang pekerja dapat memberi pulangan sebanyak RM1.90 kepada syarikat.
Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam berkata, syarikat akan menanggung kerugian lebih besar dari segi kos untuk melahirkan sumber modal insan terlatih sekiranya pekerja mereka terbabit dalam nahas jalan raya berbanding hanya RM1 diperlukan untuk kempen pencegahan kemalangan.
Menurut beliau, perkara itu dibuktikan melalui kajian dilakukan Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (Perkeso) dan dan Institut Keselamatan Antarabangsa.
"Oleh itu saya berharap majikan boleh ambil kira perkara ini dan jangan melihatnya sebagai jalan pintas (mudah) kerana jalan pintas akan memberi pulangan jangka masa singkat tetapi memberi masalah berterusan," katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian pada sidang media selepas merasmikan Seminar Pencegahan Kemalangan di Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) di sini, semalam.
Hadir sama Pengerusi Lembaga Perkeso, Datuk Abu Huraira Abu Yazid, Ketua Pegawai Eksekutifnya, Datuk K Selvarajah, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pencegahan Bencana dan Pekerja Perkeso, Datuk Dr Vasan Sinnadurai, Pengarah Eksekutif Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara, Rosli Hussin dan Pengurus Besar Majlis Keselamatan Jalan Raya Jerman, Dr Christian Kellner.
Mengulas lanjut Subramaniam berkata, majikan di negara ini hari ini, bagaimanapun sudah menjalankan tanggungjawab dengan baik terhadap pekerjanya.
"Salah satu tandanya terdapat penurunan 37 peratus pada kes kemalangan di tempat kerja jika dibanding 10 tahun lalu walaupun jumlah pekerja dan majikan semakin meningkat.
"Pada tahun 2000, kes kemalangan industri sebanyak 95,006 tetapi berkurang 59,897 pada tahun lalu," katanya.
Tambah beliau bagaimanapun, peratusan kemalangan dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja terus meningkat ke tahap yang membimbangkan.
"Daripada 59,897 kemalangan direkodkan tahun lalu, 41.4 peratus daripadanya kemalangan dalam perjalanan ke tempat kerja," katanya.
The Star , 18 October 2012
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) wishes to compliment the Star Publications for having initiated and launched a two-day Safety and Health Campaign to promote a safe and healthy working environment for the company.
The fact that both the employer and employees had organised theMenara Star Safety Campaignspoke volumes of their commitment to safety at work.
Such a campaign should be held annually to remind all employees that they must never take their safety for granted.
Awareness of employees concerning safety and fire drills is important and participation in such drills will help to give a sense of urgency to the people involved over a matter of life or death.
Organising safety and fire drills for all buildings especially the high-rise ones should be done annually or once in two years to prepare for an emergency.
I seldom see such safety drills in our high-rise buildings.
Drilling safety into Malaysians must be a way of life and be made a core value and a culture.
Malaysians who have a lackadaisical attitude towards safety must not only have an attitudinal change but must inculcate an appreciation towards safety.
Establishing a safe and healthy work environment requires fundamental changes in the ways work is designed and personnel are deployed, and how the very culture of the organisation understands and acts on safety.
These changes require leadership capable of transforming not just a physical environment, but also the beliefs and practices of those who create the risk and those who work with the risk.
Although Malaysia’s industrial accident rate has been halved over the past 10 years it remains a challenge.
Managing occupational safety and health towards business competitiveness is of utmost importance and employers must see training as an investment and not an expense.
Management or employers must recognise OSH of employees as an integral part of business management.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman, NIOSH
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.
