Ahmad Zahid (front, left) with Riot (right) arriving at the 20th Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) yesterday. — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA: Although profits are the main focus of every organisation, the commitment of employers to the safety, health and welfare of their workers is a long-term investment, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.
He added the management should be committed to investing in the safety of employees and take precautionary measures more seriously, besides motivating workers to practise a safe and healthy work culture.
“We do not have to look at the basic salary alone, it is important to look at the welfare of employees, their families and environment, as well as the safety and health aspects,” he said when opening the 20th Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health (COSH) here yesterday.
Organised by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the two-day conference themed ‘OSH Sustainability Through Professionalism’ was attended by over 1,200 participants and 60 companies.
Also present at the event were Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot Jaem and NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also Home Minister, said the government in its efforts towards becoming a developed nation had continuously implemented a sustainable approach towards the creation of a safe and healthy working culture, among them, through compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA), enforcement by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and training initiatives by NIOSH.
He said to further strengthen the implementation of occupational safety and health in the country, the government had enacted the 2016-2020 Health and Safety Masterplan which outlined several objectives, including reducing the mortality rate to 4.36 per 100,000 employees, and accident rate to 2.53 per 1,000 workers.
“Reducing the rate of accidents can be realised with the cooperation, commitment and dedication of all parties. This cooperation needs to be enhanced in the interest of the labour force, as well as become the catalyst for the country’s economic development,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said he was satisfied with the occupational safety and health training given by NIOSH, whereby last year, 98 per cent, or 5,441 out of 5,552 planned courses were successfully implemented, involving 113,021 participants.
However, he urged NIOSH to strive for 100 per cent, and increase the number of participants in the coming years. — Bernama