The recent road accident which involved an NST reporter on duty has once again highlighted the importance of increasing the awareness on occupational safety and health (OSH) among media practitioners.
In the 3pm incident, New Straits Times journalist Fernando Fong Kee Soon was injured when a police patrol car in hot pursuit of another car accidentally rammed into his motorcycle.
It happened near the Sunway toll plaza at the New Pantai Expressway when he had just exited the motorcycle lane.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) views the incident with utmost concern and will extend its assistance to all media organisations to help improve OSH among their staff under its OSH for Media programme.
The OSH for Media programme, which was launched at NIOSH headquarters in Bandar Baru Bangi last month, is a collaboration between NIOSH and the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia.
Among others, the programme will also stress on defensive driving in view of the increasing trend of commuting accidents in the country.
Based on the interim report from the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), there was a 10 per cent increase in the number of commuting accidents involving people travelling to and from workplace last year compared with 2015.
The trend is a cause for alarm, with 31,314 cases of commuting accidents reported last year compared with 28,579 cases in 2015.
In 2012, the number of commuting accidents was 26,256 while 27,659 cases were reported in 2013 and 28,037 in 2014.
It shows that the number of commuting accidents has increased 19 per cent in five years, between 2012 and 2016.
As such, media organisations need to focus on the safety of these workers as they are vulnerable to more risks, especially those who ride a motorcycle.
I also urge road users to be more courteous while on the road and give way to vehicles that belong to the enforcement agencies such as Fire and Rescue Department and ambulances as they have to hurry to their destinations.
At the same time, the drivers of these agencies' vehicles must also exercise extra caution so as to ensure the safety of other road users.
NIOSH hopes to seek the co-operation of both public and private media organisations to expedite the implementation of a Safety Passport programme for media practitioners just as it had done with several other agencies and organisations.
Apart from defensive driving, the programme will also expose media practitioners to other safety and health aspects such as first aid and emergency response as well as honing their skills in identifying hazards, assessing risks and taking appropriate measures to address and control them at the workplace.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)