KUALA LUMPUR: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will provide occupational safety and health (OSH) guidelines to tahfiz operators nationwide to help them identify fire hazards and risks that need to be addressed.
NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said tahfiz schools should be considered as “workplaces” and owner of the centres should be made responsible to ensure that their premises are safe for occupancy.
“The implementation of OSH guidelines at tahfiz school is a more comprehensive concept as it considers the institution as a place of work and is subjected to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994).
“Under the initiative, tahfiz schools will be encouraged to implement good OSH Management System by practicing the concept of hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control (HIRARC).
“All workplaces have hazards and risks that need to be addressed. It is the responsibility of those at the premises to identify the hazards and risks, and take measures that could help prevent accidents and deaths,” he said.
NIOSH, Lee said, would also organise a nationwide campaign to help raise safety awareness at all tahfiz and religious schools in the country.
The campaign, he said, is necessary especially as fire incidents at tahfiz schools are still being reported even after the tragedy which saw 21 students and two teachers at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school killed.
“For a start, NIOSH will hold an OSH awareness programme for tahfiz schools in Selangor on Oct 30.
“The one-day programme will be jointly organised with the Fire and Rescue Department and the Ihtimam Tahfiz Al Quran Selangor Association (Pinta Selangor). We also plan to expand the programme to the other states,” he said.