KUALA LUMPUR
beatrice@nst.com.my
TAKING a step to ensure safety becomes the top priority of its workers, Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) introduced “Tenaga Safety Culture” (TSC) as its core initiative for this year’s edition of its Tenaga Safety Day.
Tenaga Safety Day, which is in its second year, is TNB’s effort to promote health, safety and environmental awareness at all levels to achieve zero accidents in the workplace.
The day is also an effort to support TNB’s objective, which is to make safety not only a practice in the workplace, but also a lifestyle.
The theme, ‘Get Home Safe‘, is in line with the company’s desire to make sure its employees and contractors get back home safe.
TNB chief executive officer Datuk Seri Azman Mohd, in his opening speech, said TSC was fundamental in building a safety culture in TNB.
“With us practising TSC, it would not only increase our safety culture, but also boost the overall performance of every TNB employee,” he said.
The four main aspects that TNB focused on for TSC were access, compliance, intervention and actively caring.
“The four aspects will help our employees to identify if a certain environment or situation is safe to work in.
“We want our workers to realise that their safety is everything. Not only for us, but also for their families who are waiting for them at home,” he said.
On the efforts to make it into a culture, Azman said it would require going into the “hearts and minds” of the people.
“We will try a softer approach to get our employees to do the right thing. We want to make it into a lifestyle.
“When you draw up a rule, they will follow for the sake of it. But when a reason is given, in our case, which is for them to go back safely to their families, they will try and incorporate it in their daily lives,” he said.
TNB wishes to extend this effort at the community level, beginning from schools.
“For the second year, we have continued with the safety day celebration by inviting schools and universities to join us in interactive sessions.
“Through various sessions conducted by organisations, students are exposed to the importance of working and staying in a safe and healthy environment.
“Through collaborations with organisations, like the Fire and Rescue Department and Malaysia Institute of Road Safety, they are taught ways to keep an environment safe and healthy,” he added.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye congratulated TNB for being proactive in championing safety at workplace.
“The effort proves that the management is concerned about its employees.
“I believe this effort will also influence our community to reduce accidents in workplace,” he said.
Lee said the effort was one which should be practised and implemented in all companies and workplaces in Malaysia.
He said TNB was one of the biggest government-linked companies, which contributed to the development and achievement of Niosh.
He said Niosh was ready to cooperate with TNB to enhance its safety and health management aspect, especially in facing challenges in the era of the Industrial Revolution 4.0.
“We have to embrace the latest technology and slowly discard the traditional ways of doing things. And employers must bring more automation to safety management compliance and make safety equipment smarter.
“Through its consultancy, research and development services, Niosh is ready to assist those who are willing to invest and to bring their occupational safety health (OSH) management to a higher level.
He said it was the responsibility of employers and management to ensure that safety was a culture at their organisation and not just a priority.
“OSH sloganeering is not the answer, we must avoid a situation where behind all the OSH banners and signages, the workplace hazards are not addressed and controlled.