New Straits Times, 29 January 2013

KOTA KINABALU: Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) certification has become the key determinant for the future of industries.

National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said yesterday since 2004, the institute had issued Occupational Safety and Health Management System (MS 1722 and OHSAS 18001) certificates to 22 companies nationwide.

This includes certifying two Sabah oil palm companies -- Lahad Datu Edible Oils Sdn Bhd and TSH Wilmar Sdn Bhd, Kunak -- since Niosh Certification Sdn Bhd (NCSB) was established nine years ago.

"With this certification, we help companies to create branding and it is one way to make sure that industries in Malaysia becomes competent and productive."

He was speaking at the Media Appreciation Lunch 2013 at Pan Pacific Sutera, yesterday. Present were NCSB general manager Shamsul Zahrin Zainudin and Sabah and Labuan Niosh manager Mohd Hussin Abd Salam.

Lee said Sabah was moving towards industrialisation and it was important to comply with the safety standards regulations.

"If a company is certified, customers will be satisfied and they are confident this is a company which complies with safety standards."

This year, Niosh will be organising the Third Borneo Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health 2013 in June, here.

Themed "A Global Strategy: Optimising Productivity Through Accident Prevention", the conference would allow participants (employers and employees) to gain knowledge and share information.

Metro Harian, 11 Januari 2013

Bangi: Peningkatan kes kemalangan di tempat kerja dan ketika berulang-alik ke tempat kerja saban tahun mencetuskan rasa tanggungjawab Institut Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Negara (NIOSH) menghebahkan maklumat mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan secara lebih agresif dan holistik kepada golongan sasar.

Melalui kerjasama strategik dengan akhbar harian nombor satu negara, Harian Metro (HM), mulai hari ini maklumat mengenai keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan disiarkan menerusi artikel atau grafik yang diterbit dalam akhbar ini pada setiap Jumaat.

Pengerusi NIOSH Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye berkata, selaras jumlah pembaca HM yang majoritinya belia bekerja, beliau terpanggil menjalin kerjasama itu dengan objektif utama membudayakan amalan keselamatan dan kesihatan pekerjaan.

“Justeru, kerjasama ini diharap mampu mendidik masyarakat termasuk suri rumah mengenai penjagaan keselamatan dan kesihatan ketika bekerja dalam apa juga sektor,” katanya pada sidang media selepas melancarkan Kerjasama Info Keselamatan dan Kesihatan Pekerjaan Antara HM dan NIOSH bersama Pengarang Kumpulan HM Datuk Mustapa Omar di ibu pejabat NIOSH di sini, semalam. Mustapa berkata, pelaksanaan tanggungjawab sosial korporat (CSR) HM itu diteruskan dan kakitangan HM sendiri diharap memanfaatkan maklumat yang ada untuk keselamatan mereka.

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."

New Straits Times, 16 December 2012

EXCEPT for occupational safety and health practitioners, ergonomics is still not widely known in Malaysia.

At a recent talk I delivered on the importance of ergonomics, a member of the audience asked me whether I had mispronounced the word "economics".

Ergonomics is about integrating knowledge derived from the human sciences to match jobs, systems, products and environments to the physical and mental abilities and limitations.

Ergonomics is an important facet of occupational safety and health (OSH) that needs to be optimised for the wellbeing of people at work.

Ergonomics is a relatively new field in Malaysia in comparison with Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.

Nevertheless, the philosophy, essence, principle and concepts of ergonomics are important and to disregard them would be a handicap in efforts to promote OSH in the workplace.

When ergonomic principles are not applied to the workplace, chronic musculoskeletal disorders -- such as back injuries, arm and hand problems, accidents and eye-strain -- may be common.

According to accident statistics reported by the Social Security Organisation, the number of accidents related to musculo-skeletal diseases increased from 14 cases in 2006 to 194 cases this year.

Industries suffer from tangible and intangible losses because of increased medication costs, decreased productivity, work quality and decreased worker morale.

It is well documented in other parts of the world that industries that implement ergonomics programmes report significant decreases in accidents, injuries, illnesses and healthcare costs over time, along with increase in productivity, work efficiency, product quality and worker morale.

The discipline of ergonomics is nothing peculiar to safety and health practitioners in this country but for the public, it is still difficult to sell.

This might be the reason why ergonomics is still considered an unknown science in Malaysia and Southeast Asia.

But due to the widespread use of computers at work and at home, there is a need to educate the public on the importance of ergonomics.

In some developed countries, ergonomics is even taught in schools. For example, in the UK, the Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors has introduced ergonomics to secondary school students and teachers online.

The knowledge gap on this subject needs to be addressed by all the government, educational institutions, professional societies and the work industry.

It is timely for the media to show more interest in publishing safety and health information, including ergonomics issues, with input from like the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Malaysia.

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.