Only wisdom and integrity can save the day

WHAT can the authorities say that can erase the pain and fill the void in the lives of those who mourn Joice Chin Khoon Sing?

Probably nothing. Words cannot bring back the young woman whose life was snatched away last Thursday evening when a large crane hook fell and struck her car as she was driving along Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur.

In situations like this, even well-meaning statements can add to the anger, sadness and anxiety over the senseless mishap.

Department of Occupational Safety and Health director-general Datuk Mohtar Musri, for example, pointed out that there were over 600 construction sites in the Klang Valley but the department had only 12 safety inspectors in Kuala Lumpur to cover those places.

“We are conducting as many inspections as possible, including spot-checks. But no matter how much we are able to do, people will still say that it is not enough because of the increasing number of construction sites,” he said.

Shah Alam mayor Datuk Ahmad Zaharin told StarMetro that it was difficult to continuously monitor construction work.

“We even ask for the credentials of heavy machinery operators, but there is no way of knowing if others are operating them as well,” he added.

We have heard such things before. They are the verbal equivalents of throwing one’s hands up in the air or the shrugging of one’s shoulders. Such expressions of helplessness give us zero comfort.

Neither are we much encouraged by the typical flurry of stop-work orders and investigations every time a worksite accident becomes a news item. We often hear calls for strong action and in response, there are pledges to find out what has gone wrong and take the necessary steps.

Sometimes, the investigations are wrapped up fast enough – that is, before we lose interest and move on to other issues – and the relevant government agencies announce the findings, identify the culprits and mete out penalties. At other times, we do not know the outcome of these cases.

Either way, we seldom feel that the shortcomings that caused these accidents have been properly addressed. And we brace ourselves for the next tragedy.

Yes, there will never be enough enforcement personnel to watch over everything all the time. Yes, there will forever be people who cut corners and ignore the rules. And yes, accidents do happen.

But there is no reason for not working on comprehensive, longterm solutions that will at least ensure effective policing, deterrent punishments and more sharing of responsibilities.

Instead of perennially complaining about manpower shortage, why not focus on strategies that will drive more self-regulation and compel businesses to pay dearly for their lapses, especially the kind that put life and limb at risk?

Is it not worthwhile to spend time looking at the legal framework so that loopholes can be eliminated, weak rules tightened and new provisions introduced to make enforcement easier and more powerful?

How about doing more to combat incompetence and corruption so that businesses will one day understand that the best way to operate is to always do so by the book?

We can say plenty, but what we really need to do is to act with firmness, wisdom and integrity.