KUALA LUMPUR: Employers, including those from the media, should come up with a specific budget to enhance their workers' knowledge on occupational safety and health (OSH).
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said awareness on OSH among media practitioners are still low, despite many of them being exposed to accidents and injuries.
He said employers should not consider the extra allocation on safety as a financial burden.
"I lot of companies, when asked about what they are doing about OSH, said they have no budget (for it). We understand that the economy is not so good now and companies are embarking on operational cost saving measures.
"But, we must never take safety of our workers as cost. Say one of them is met with an accident, the company will then lose a valuable trained asset. In some cases, this can even lead to the decline in the company's productivity.
"Please don't consider this as a burden but part of your effort in caring for them," he said after launching an OSH programme with the media in Bandar Baru Bangi today.
About 50 media personnel from various companies took part in the seminar.
In the meantime, Lee said it is important for media companies to invest in modern equipment that can assist their staff in their duties.
"For example, drones can be used at disaster areas without the need sending the reporters to the site, especially in high risk locations,"
He added that reporters too need to know their rights when it comes to their own safety.
"Say, they are assigned to cover dangerous and high risk areas, if the company did not provide necessary equipment that can ensure their safety, they have the right to decline the job," he said.
At the programme, Lee said NIOSH is also planning to introduce a free induction programme on safety to media practitioners sometime next year.
He hoped that the one-day programme would help participants to familiarise themselves on the importance of staying safe while on duty.