Taking the lead in health and safety issues
THE recent spate of construction site accidents involving tower cranes and other heavy equipment must be viewed seriously by all parties concerned within the construction industry.
Developers must choose competent and safety-conscious contractors. During the tendering stage, it must be emphasised that the acceptance of low bidders should not be at the expense of safety and health.
The time has come for contractors who wish to bid for contracts to provide a safety policy statement, implement the “HIRARC” (Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control) principle and also furnish information on the experience and safety training given to their employees.
It is also imperative for those involved to develop a behaviour-based safety approach which is about engaging, motivating, assisting, reinforcing and sustaining safe behaviours at all workplaces.
Although the Government enacts laws and enforce them, the responsibility for implementing a safety system at construction site lies mainly with the main and sub-contractors. Those who create the risk and hazards are in a better position to manage them. Contractors should therefore ensure that the workplace is safe and healthy.
Effective occupational safety and health (OSH) management not only reduces the risk to safety and health but also ensures high returns to the companies and increased productivity.
Training and education are also an integral part of OSH management as they contribute towards the enhancement of occupational safety and health at the worksites. Employers must be prepared to invest in occupational health and safety while employees must practise it at work. Companies must allocate a yearly budget for safety training to help prevent work-related accidents.
Occupational safety should not be seen as a profit-sapping factor but rather as a productivity booster, especially in the construction industry where safety records call for improvements.
Therefore, the safety and health aspects in the construction sector must be improved because construction sites are categorised as high-risk areas.
As an institute tasked to teach and promote OSH, NIOSH is playing its role in improving safety and health in the construction industry by establishing the Centre of Excellence in Construction Safety. It will focus on research and development (R&D) and consultation work by engaging cooperation among universities and other government agencies.
Among the ongoing activities are establishing cooperation with CIDB in piloting behaviour-based safety (BBS) programmes at construction sites and establishing a “fall protection equipment laboratory” to examine the fall prevention equipment for workers since statistics show that falling incidents at construction sites are very high in Malaysia.
NIOSH is also establishing a simulation interactive lab for personal protective equipment (PPE) to create awareness among construction workers of the importance of using proper and correct PPEs.
It has also developed a training module for crane and scaffold safety inspection to share knowledge and advice among those who are involved in this work.
Safety, health and environment programmes are important in preventing injury and illness in the workplace. These programmes help employers and employees understand the potential hazards they are exposed to on a daily basis. Effective health and safety programmes educate workers on the benefits of practising proper workplace behaviours.
Recognising the hazards and risk factors in the workplace is the responsibility of three entities – the workers themselves, the employers and the regulatory authorities.
Most employers are aware of their responsibilities in this respect because they know that the consequences of neglect are increased operating costs, lost productivity due to stop-work order, damage to products and equipment, additional costs if fines are imposed, and losing their customers.
Employers therefore know that it is entirely in their interest to pay special attention to safety and health in their workplaces. Adopting and implementing good OSH practices is not just about being socially responsible. It also makes good business sense and should be seen to be as important as the achievement of any other key business objective.
It follows therefore that employers should take every step to educate and train their employees to be proactive where their health, safety and welfare are concerned.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994) was formulated to protect workers, companies and society. But legislation alone is not enough. Society at large must also take ownership of the safety, health and welfare of persons at work to ensure a sustainable safety and wellness culture.
In this connection, the construction sector must take the lead.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE NIOSH chairman