How far they’ve come
Former deputy minister of education Tan Sri Dr Fong Chan Onn takes up his camera to put the spotlight on Chinese schools, hoping to show how they have evolved over a century.
mitted. Instead, successful contractors will have to invest in properly engineered scaffolding that provides a stable platform for access and work. Typically, these scaffolds and their associated components are capable of supporting at least four times the maximum intended load. Toe boards – important to ensure objects do not fall off the edge of scaffolds – are also a must.
“MGJV PDP-SSP also insists that those operating cranes that are more than 10 years must furnish DOSH-approved third party certifications every six months in order to manage the risk of using old equipment on site,” said Adil Putra Ahmad, MGJV PDP-SSP’s project coordinator.
No doubt, construction costs will be driven up, but then, there is no leeway for any contractor to undercut another by underinvesting in safety.
“Everyone plays on the same level field, and they just have to factor in the price when they prepare their bids,” added Adil Putra.
DOSH argued that if these new measures are not made mandatory, a bidder who is more safety-conscious may be at a disadvantage as rivals who do not price in these new requirements will likely put in a lower bid.
“One of the features of the Construction Industry Transformation Programme is to mandate the allocation of a certain percentage of project cost for safety and health requirements to be included in project tenders,” said DOSH director-general Datuk Mohtar Musri.
More initiatives can be expected from this training centre following the signing of a mou between MRTC, MGJV PDP-SSP, CIDB Holdings Sdn Bhd, and the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) last September, with future areas of cooperation including raising awareness, developing competency in high risk activities, consul- tancy and information sharing. The MOU also sets the stage for research and development of OSH standards and policies. So far, the training centre’s Master Trainer Programme has produced 40 master trainers, who went on to help train 300 trainers and assessors. They in turn helped ensure that nearly 20,000 workers on the SSP line are “safety-ready”.
Regulatory steps
On the enforcement front, CIDB carried out 3,422 enforcement visits to construction sites across the country and checked 68,700 construction workers in 2015.
“Of that number, 20,528 workers did not posses valid Green Cards. As such, the CIDB issued notices to 128 contractors involved,” said Noryani Ismail, CIDB’s general manager for corporate communications.
Last month, CIDB and DOSH signed a memorandum to elevate the level of co-operation in OSH matters in the construction industry.
“Firstly, we want to co-ordinate our enforcement activities. Both agencies will share information on sites visited to avoid duplication and ensure a larger area is covered,” said Mohtar.
“We are also looking at competency training and development. The need for competency is very much needed in the industry.
“DOSH has its training through National Occupational Skills Standard (Noss). By pooling our resources together, we will be able to conduct training more effectively.
“We would also like to formulate standard assessment methods to be used by the industry incorporating regulatory and standard compliance to develop the best practices. Lastly, by combining resources like funding and manpower, DOSH and CIDB can jointly conduct promotions on OSH,” he added.
The good news is that formal education is not compulsory for someone to be an accredited site supervisor.
This will only augur well for the sector given that the SSP Line and LRT3 (from Bandar Utama to Johan Setia, Klang), are expected to see ground breaking ceremonies this year.
“CIDB recognises even those without formal education, as long as they have adequate job experience and have passed the assessment tests conducted for the purpose of accreditation,” said Noryani.
Those interested in being accredited as a site supervisor, or any construction skill, for that matter, can get application forms from CIDB offices in their respective states.
More on the courses offered by CIDB, DOSH and Niosh can be found at cidb.gov.my, dosh.gov. my and niosh.com.my, respectively.