BOOSTING SAFETY IN DIGITAL ERA
Amendments to act will be tabled in Parliament next month, says Mahfuz
THE amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 are expected to be tabled in the next sitting of the Dewan Rakyat to coordinate regulations and practices in line with today’s digital era of the workplace.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the proposed amendments were being reviewed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“The comprehensive changes and improvements made to the act will cover various aspects like specifying the penalties for offences.
“All changes must be approved by all stakeholders, including industry players.
“If all goes smoothly, the amendments will be tabled in the next parliament session in October,” he said yesterday at the launch of the Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) 2018, which attracted about 1,500 participants.
The theme of COSH 2018 is Enhancing OSH in the New Digital Era, which is a platform for government agencies and stakeholders to share their views and input on aspects relating to occupational safety and health in line with the Industry 4.0 revolution.
Present was National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Mahfuz, who also chairs the National Occupational Safety and Health Council, said he would ensure that comprehensive efforts, new policies and the realignment of occupational safety and health directions would be integrated in all levels of society.
The ministry, he added, would boost the Occupational Safety and Health Department’s capabilities in terms of enforcement.
“We will ensure Niosh continues to excel and become a key driver in coming up with integrated studies relating to occupational safety and health so that it remains relevant to the current need on top of providing training and consultations in line with the digital era.
“The government plays an open and constructive roles to safeguard workers’ safety in all sectors,” he said.