Safety first at construction site, firms urged

JOHOR BARU: Sixteen workplace deaths occurred in the state’s construction sector in the first six months of the year, said Consumerism, Human Resources and Unity Committee chairman Dr S. Ramakrishna.

He urged contractors to prioritise workplace safety and adhere to guidelines by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH).

“It is better to have more preventive measures in place,” he said during the launch of Workplace Accident-Free Week at the Elata Vita construction site in Taman Setia Tropika yesterday.

He said about 140 employers are participating in the week-long campaign, adding that safety and health aspects at their workplace would be audited and a report submitted to the state DOSH.

Johor DOSH director Saiful Azhar Mohd said the department had inspected 20,703 workplaces, following which 1,163 order letters, 1,199 notices and 73 compounds for various offences were issued.

He added that 38 employers had been taken to court thus far this year.

On a recent construction site accident at Jeram Batu in Pekan Nanas, he said his department is preparing an investigating paper.

Saiful Azhar said based on initial investigations, there were no standard operating procedures or safety facilities at the construction site.

In the incident on June 25, four workers fell off a roof beam while working at a height of 10.8m. The injured workers have been hospitalised.

The case will be investigated under Section 15 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994, that carries a fine of between RM20,000 and RM50,000, or a jail term of up to two years, or both.