KUALA LUMPUR: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will collaborate with occupational safety and health associations nationwide under a new umbrella body.
NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said today that the Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) was in the midst of setting up the Malaysian Federation of OSH (MyFOSH).
The task is supported by more than 20 OSH associations and government agencies such as the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH).
Lee said MSOSH recently held an informal meeting with NIOSH in Cyberjaya to discuss various matters including the role of MyFOSH.
Earlier, he said, the institute needed input from OSH practitioners such as safety and health officers (SHO) and site safety supervisors (SSS), as they helped to ensure the safety of workers on the ground, including at construction sites.
He said these officers and supervisors could have new ideas for improving NIOSH’s training programmes to suit current needs and challenges ahead as we have entered the Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0).
“OSH associations such as MSOSH should not regard NIOSH as their competitor but must work together to help Malaysia achieve the target set under the OSH Master Plan 2016-2020, which is to reduce the industrial fatality rate to 4.36 per 100,000 workers and industrial accidents to 2.53 per 1,000 workers by 2020,” he said.
NIOSH is collaborating with MSOSH and the Malaysian Occupational Safety and Health Practitioners’ Association (Moshpa) to organise the 35th conference and annual general meeting of the Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation (Aposho 35) in Kuala Lumpur in 2020.
MSOSH was represented by its president Khairuddin Hairan, vice-president Dr Shawaludin Husin, honorary secretary Zainuddin Kisman and honorary treasurer Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar Ismail, while NIOSH was represented by Lee, executive director Ayop Salleh and executive secetary Major (Rtd) Hanif Maidin.
Khairuddin said he was confident that MyFOSH could be established this year and help OSH associations to work together for the betterment of OSH practitioners and improve the safety and health standards at all workplaces.
MSOSH has about 3,000 members including 300 corporations.
Khairuddin said MSOSH planned to have more than 10,000 members by 2020. Khairuddin is particularly hopeful that young SHO and SSS would join and contribute to the association.