NIOSH: Employers should organise road safety awareness for employees

KOTA KINABALU: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has called on employers to organise road safety awareness programmes for their employees.
Its chairman, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye hoped this would alert workers commuting to work as there was a worrying spike in the number of commuting accidents over the past five years.
"Last year, some 28,591 commuting accidents were recorded nationwide, which is an increase from 24,089 cases in 2011 or an increase by 18.6%.
"NIOSH is ready to provide assistance to employers in organising such awareness programmes at the workplace," he told a press conference here today.
According to Lee, most commuting accidents involved motorcyclists who failed to focus on their ridin when on the road.
Meanwhile, he said the education ministry welcomed NIOSH's suggestion to introduce an occupational safety and health (OSH) club in schools.
He explained such an effort could inculcate OSH culture among students so that they would practise the culture when joining the workforce.
In another development, Lee said NIOSH would open a new branch in Tawau, which was expected to be in operation in the first quarter of next year.
"We have identified a building and a contractor to make the necessary renovations to the new office," he added.
He also announced that NIOSH Certification Sdn Bhd had opened in Kota Kinabalu to allow companies to obtain certification services such as Ocupational Health and Safety Management System certifications OHSAS18001 and MS1722; Quality Management System ISO14001; and Food Safety Management System ISO22000. — Bernama