Local authorities must ensure proper facility maintenance — Lam Thye

Local authorities (PBTs) need to have proper maintenance management system to ensure all public infrastructural facilities are systematically maintained, said National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

According to Lee, the local authorities as the facility providers should ensure that the facilities are operating and functioning properly as they were also responsible for community safety.

“The local authorities should give emphasis on maintenance because weakness in the maintenance system is a hindrance to our efforts in keeping the community safe,” he told reporters after officiating a First Aid Workshop organised by the Academy of Safety and Emergency Care (ASEC) here yesterday.

Meanwhile, Lee said awareness on safety among the community was still lacking even though safety in workplaces in the country has improved since the enactment of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.

“In most cases incidents could be avoided and lives could be saved if we were equipped with knowledge on emergency responses and first aid,” he said.

Meanwhile, ASEC chief executive officer Wong Wee Zhee said the workshop, organised for free, was to provide knowledge on responding to accidents and emergencies while helping to create safer homes and communities.

“Our goal is to make each family have at least one person trained in home emergency management

“Apart from that we recommend a safety committee trained in emergency preparedness, be established in multi-storey residential buildings to handle possible disasters.“he added.