Lee (third left) presents an appreciation certificate to a NIOSH client. Anizan is at left while Saupi at third right.
BINTULU: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is committed to helping improve the occupational safety and health (OSH) status in the country through collaborations with local and foreign organisations.
NIOSH chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said such collaborations would help NIOSH realise its objective to become the centre of excellence in OSH, which would also benefit Sarawak.
“This is also part of NIOSH’s effort to become the Centre of Excellence in OSH, not only in Malaysia but also in the region,” he said at NIOSH Sarawak appreciation dinner here on Friday.
Present were NIOSH Sarawak Regional Office manager Mohamad Anizan Mohammed Amin and NIOSH Training Department and Regional Offices senior manager Saupi Nazri Mamat.
Lee said NIOSH had signed a memorandum of collaboration (MoC) with the United Kingdom-based Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) at the 33rd Asia Pacific Occupational Safety and Health Organisation Annual Conference (APOSHO 33) in Hong Kong recently.
IOSH is the chartered body for health and safety professionals with over 47,000 members in more than 130 countries, making it the world’s largest professional health and safety organisation.
“Under the MoC, both parties have agreed to advance high professional standards and share information and knowledge on principles, competence and best practices across a variety of key OSH areas and issues including commuting accidents and working at height and confined space.
“We will also cooperate on mutually beneficial projects in relation to the further enhancement of members’ professionalism and competence, develop OSH training materials suitable for delivery across Malaysia and the region and explore the provision of consultancy services to NIOSH,” he said.
Lee said the collaboration would also benefit Sarawak since NIOSH will also invite IOSH experts to make presentations and participate in NIOSH Sarawak events such as seminars and conferences while at the same time collaborate on research and the dissemination of research findings and share expertise on OSH-related IT developments.
“The MoC is in line with NIOSH’s commitment to promote a safer and healthier working environment in Malaysia, including in Sarawak,” he said.
To further improve the OSH standard in Sarawak, Lee said NIOSH Sarawak would also offer consultancy services to assist the industry fulfil their responsibilities as stipulated under OSHA1994 and the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 starting from next year.
He said NIOSH Sarawak will also move to its new head office at the Advanced Technology College (ADTEC) here by March next year.