KUALA LUMPUR: Employers must incorporate the Vision Zero concept at workplaces to prevent occupational accidents while investing more to enhance work environment for the health, safety and well-being of the employees.
Alliance for Safe Community chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said Vision Zero, championed by the International Labour Organisation globally, urges employers to create a safe working environment.
"It is a vision to prevent accidents that are preventable from occurring at workplaces. However, I do not think this vision has caught up yet in many industries in Malaysia and some are unaware of this concept.
"Incidents at construction sites involving cranes and scaffolding that collapsed have led to fatalities. These are preventable accidents.
"I suggest all employers nationwide strive towards Vision Zero," he told the New Straits Times today.
Among the seven golden rules for Vision Zero in prevention management are identifying hazards, ensuring a safe and healthy system as well as using safe and healthy machines and equipment.
Lee, who is also the former chairman of National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, suggested that the Social Security Organisation (Socso), as part of its on-going Ops Cegah, could also include Vision Zero for greater advocacy.
Socso recently launched Ops Cegah, an employer friendly approach to increase awareness among employers and employees to adopt a work culture that prevents occupational accidents.
The authorities, added Lee, must also ensure that all workplaces, both public and private sectors with over 40 employees, set up its safety and health committee as ruled compulsory under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA).
The committee, he said, must comprise representatives from employees and employers that would enables both parties to discuss and review safety related matters at workplaces.
"However many workplaces have yet to establish the committee as far as I know, including the public sector. It is important that the government take note of this.
"The enforcement of safety rules must be applicable in both sectors. In the past, the focus had always been on the private sector but the public sector, too, recorded accidents at workplaces.
"Therefore, the ruling for the committee to be formed must be enforced irrespective of sectors," he added.
Lee also called on employers to set aside bigger funds to invest in improvement of safety at workplaces which in return would benefit in reducing accidents and raising work productivity.
He cited an example of ergonomics that revolves around how workstations are designed to provide a safe work environment for employees.
"The workstation must be designed in such a way that it would minimise ergonomic problems related to the physical part of a body, such as back pains and neck pains for those who sit for long hours, as well as eye strains.
"All these require investment. Some employers would say this is not the time because they are recovering from Covid-19. They are not expected to do it immediately, but should start working towards it," he said.