LANGKAWI: The amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 will also involve higher penalties for employers who fail to ensure safety, health and welfare at the workplace.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar said currently the amendments to the Act were still being drafted and expected to be brought to the next Parliamentary sitting.
“Among the amendments to the Act is to increase penalties for employers who fail to ensure safety, health and welfare at the workplace. At the moment the maximum penalty is RM50,000, which is easy for major project developers to pay for it,“ he said at a press conference after opening the OSH for Langkawii Seminar, here today.
Also present was director-general of the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Omar Mat Piah.
Meanwhile, Mahfuz said the ministry through the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) had investigated 3,773 workplace accidents last year (2018).
He said of the total, 297 cases were fatal and the construction sector was the main contributor with 113 cases.
“Over the past year, 27,014 inspections and enforcement by DOSH had been conducted nationwide, of which 27,024 notices have been issued.
“A total of 945 offences were recorded and issued with compounds amounting to RM1.449 million and 318 cases in court involving penalties amounting to RM3.714 million,“ he said. — Bernama
