Make safety audits on schools a priority

TWO recent incidents – collapse of a roof in a classroom in Sekolah Kebangsaan Jerangau, Dungun in Terengganu on Feb 20 and two blocks of a wooden school, SK Sentosa, in Tawau on Feb 23 – show that safety in schools needs to be improved.

We must always bear in mind that accidents in school could lead to serious injuries or death. The recent incident where a Form 2 student in Gemas died after a blade from a ride-on lawnmower struck her head is one clear example. The tragedy would have been prevented if measures had been taken by those responsible to prioritise the safety of the students.

The relevant authorities, especially the Public Works Department, should cooperate with the school administration to do a thorough safety audit of all schools nationwide. It is advisable for the safety audit to be conducted every five years at new schools and annually for the older ones.

At the same time, schools should have a safety and health committee. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994, a workplace with more than 40 employees must set up the committee.

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will continue to help create awareness on occupational safety and health (OSH) under a collaboration with the Education Ministry and I hope it will get strong support from teachers, other staff and students.

All workplaces have hazards and risks that need to be addressed and it is the responsibility of those at the workplaces, including teachers and students in schools, to identify and take measures to prevent accidents and deaths from occurring.

Schools should also participate in the “OSH in School” programme as it could help to increase awareness on safety and health among teachers, other staff and students. In the past few years, accidents have been reported in schools involving teachers, other staff and students. Some of them were fatal accidents.

To date, more than 50 schools have participated in the programme which is a collaboration between the Human Resources Ministry and Education Ministry since 2015.

The OSH in School programme is a more comprehensive concept as it considers schools as a place of work and is subjected to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994).

A safe school does not mean that it is only free from disciplinary problems like gangsterism, bullying and drug abuse. It must also have facilities that are safe for everyone in the school. Students must be involved in OSH too as they can act as the eyes and ears of the school administration.

If a good OSH system is in place, teachers, staff and students would immediately inform the administration if they see something that could pose a danger to them and others, such as exposed power cables, rusty goal posts, leaked chemicals or workers who do not adhere to the safety regulations. TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE Chairman National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health