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