‘711 fatal accidents at workplace last year’

RAWANG: A total of 711 fatal accident cases were recorded at the workplace throughout the country last year.

Deputy Minister of Human Resources Datuk Mahfuz Omar said the record from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health ( DOSH) also showed an increase in the number compared to 2016 which totalled 688 cases.

“In 2017, there was an average of 116 workplace accident cases per day equivalent to 42,513 cases a year,” he said while launching the Occupational Safety and Health Week 2018 at the Perodua Training Centre here yesterday.

Mahfuz said both employers and employees should work together in identifying hazards at the workplace by conducting effective risk analyses and controls.

He said the government through DOSH also sought to improve enforcement and safety monitoring at the workplace.

“Last year alone, DOSH conducted 269,877 inspections on workplaces and machinery.

“From those inspections, a total of 23,006 notices and 1,028 compounds were issued while 324 cases were charged in court,” he said. — Bernama