Each year, over 2.78 million people die from workplace-related accidents or diseases around the world, which is equivalent to 1 death every 15 seconds. There are also 374 million non-fatal work injuries each year.
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) is a multidisciplinary field involving the safety, health, and welfare of people in the workplace. The goal of an occupational safety and health program is to foster a safe and healthy occupational environment. OSH also protects the general public who may be affected by their occupational environment.
INTI International University’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences held a virtual symposium on occupational safety and health on 10 July 2021. A line-up of speakers from different backgrounds came together to bring better awareness regarding occupational safety and health, particularly during the pandemic.
The history of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) development in Malaysia shared by Mohd Anuar bin Embi during his sharing session on INTI International University’s first Occupational Safety& Health Symposium 2021.
Importance of Occupational Safety and Health
According to Mohd Anuar bin Embi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) said occupational safety and health in Malaysia began in 1876, which started with focusing on machinery safety.
According to statistics from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health, there are 32,674 accidents in 2020 which equals to an average of 90 accidents per day. Meanwhile, 312 fatalities were recorded per year in 2020 which equals to almost 1 fatality per day, and 9108 occupational diseases and poisoning at 25 cases per day.
The indirect impact of all these accidents will cost RM 3.27 billion in insurance compensation for local workers a year and RM 7.5 million for foreign workers. By using the formula of International Labour Standards (ILO), the total number of accidents will cost Malaysia around RM53.3 billion, which is an estimated 3.95% of the gross domestic product (GDP).
“These statistics show the importance of OSH. Every workplace has its hazard and I believe that all workers face hazards in the forms of physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial every day,” Mohd Anuar bin Embi said.
Environment, Safety and Health (ESH)
The Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) management system is important for OSH. According to Mimala Arasaratnam, the Environment, Health and Safety Manager of the ASEAN Region Avery Dennison, the ESH management system includes managing review and commitment, planning, checking and corrective action as well as implementation and operation.
“The ESH management system ensures every step has a procedure based on corporate standards and legal requirements. This is where we have our day-to-day system and program to make sure that we are always compliant with the requirements.
“One of the key initiatives and programmes of ESH is the Staying In The Zone programme. It is one of the things that we should do in the safety culture. In this programme, there are four check points to complete which includes checking yourself, checking your tools, checking your area and checking your people,” she said.
When conducting checks, staff must assess their health, focus, mindset, and state of being to ensure that they are in good condition before they start work. Staff must also assess the working condition and maintenance of equipment, tools and machinery to make sure everything is in order before it is operated.
When checking people, staff must look out for team members and others around them and speak up if something doesn’t seem right. Lastly, staff must assess the work area for hazards or potential risks and be aware of their surroundings.
The Q&A session during the virtual symposium organised by the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences on occupational safety and health.
Healthy Workplace: Help Curb the Pandemic
Dr Geetha Subramaniam, an Associate Professor from INTI International University’s Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the loss of human life worldwide and is a continuous challenge to the public health system.
According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), the total number of cases on 9 July 2021 is 817,838 with almost 6,000 deaths. How did the virus spread? “The COVID-19 virus spreads fast through close human contact, droplets generated when infected persons cough or sneeze, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose,” Dr Geetha Subramaniam shared.
What can we do to prevent ourselves from getting infected in the workplace? “Keep yourself informed by the relevant sources, be prepared, wear a mask whenever necessary to avoid inhaling any contamination, maintain social distancing to about 6 feet, at least one foot in between with the colleagues and others.
“For managing COVID-19 in the workplace, the management has to have a workplace plan such as leadership management and employee participation to make the workplace plan successful. There is sufficient hazard identification and assessment to prevent hazard,” she concluded.