Niosh: Fewer workplace accidents, more on the roads

Kota Kinabalu: Fewer employees got hurt in the workplace from 2012 until last year but more of them are getting into trouble on the roads. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) Chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said this has become a growing cause for concern for the country, especially when employees are the breadwinners of their family.

"Everyday 220 people are dying on the road and commuting accidents mostly involve employees.

This is something the Human Resource Minister must look into.

"We are also doing something like safe motorcycle, safe driving campaigns which we are doing with employers at the moment," he said during the launching of the City Hall-Niosh safety permit programme at the City Hall office here.

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Also present at the ceremony was City Hall Director General Joannes Solidau who represented the Mayor at the function.

"Based on the statistics from Socso in 2012, there were a total of 377 commuting accidents, in 2013 there were 365 cases, 2014, 462 cases and last year 481 cases.

"This shows the number has continued to increase by the year," he said.

Earlier, Lee pointed out that the number of work-related accidents in Sabah showed a reduction is which in tandem with the national statistics from Socso.

"For Sabah, the number of industrial accidents reported to Socso was 1,029, in 2013, 970 cases, in 2014, 847 cases and last year it went further down to 600," he said.

Meanwhile, Lee said City Hall had become the first local authority in Sabah to make it mandatory for its contractors to learn about occupational safety.

"City Hall has set a benchmark for other local authorities to take the lead that safety cannot be compromised.

"Safety means workers are able to complete their jobs at the workplace and return home to their loved ones safely at the end of the day," he said.

According to Joannes, there are more than 20 contractors who have obtained the DBKK-Niosh safety permit.

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He said it is important for all the staff and contractors of City Hall to undergo the Safety Permit programme to ensure the best practices on safety are kept intact.

The permit, which is formerly known as the Contractor Safety Passport when it was implemented in the 1990s has helped significantly in the reduction of accidents and near misses at the workplace.

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