PUTRAJAYA: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will conduct health and safety audits and all religious schools including Tahfiz in the country, to make sure they comply to occupational health and safety (OSH) standards.
Its chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the institute will be working together with the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), the Fire and Rescue Department and Education Ministry as a taskforce which was formed to address safety issues in religious schools.
"NIOSH will come up with the OSH audits. This is to make sure the schools observe the standards.
"We would also come with modules on how to implement safety and health standards, and also give talks and have exhibitions in schools on the importance of OSH," he said at the closing ceremony of 2017 Conference on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) today.
Lee said the NIOSH will also go all out to inspect and audit religious schools in the country which were more than 10 years old.
"This will help the school to identify the risks posed by the school building, classroom, school furniture and to make sure they have sufficient fire fighting equipment including fire extinguishers ," he added.
On when NIOSH would start inspecting the religious schools, Lee said as soon as the government registers all the schools in the country.
"We would move in as soon as all these schools are registered," he added.
Lee said NIOSH had also implemented the “OSH in School” programme in government schools to promote the importance of the culture of occupational safety and health among teachers, support staff, and students from an early stage.
"We hope to do the same in religious schools as soon as possible," he added.