ALOR STAR: School administration should conduct a scheduled safety audit at their premises as various accidents have occurred in school compounds in the past few years, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye (pix) said.
He also suggested that old schools should be audited annually, while for new schools, once in every three to five years.
“Safety audit could be done with the help of other agencies including NIOSH and Public Works Department apart from associations that represent occupational safety and health (OSH) practitioners.
“Many accidents have occurred in schools including fatal ones, involving teachers, students and staff,” he said in a media release in conjunction with the ‘OSH In School Programme’ at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Laguna Merbok, Sungai Petani today.
He said among the incidents include collapsed building structures, ceiling fans, goal posts as well as accidents in school laboratories and toilets.
Lee said through the safety audit, the schools involved could identify all the hazards and risks at their premises and find the best solutions that could help stop preventable accidents.
“They must also adopt good OSH practices, which are crucial to prevent accidents in schools, especially fatal ones.
“Schools must allocate time for OSH education to help instil safety and health culture among students, encourage them to appreciate and take good care of the school facilities,” he said.
He said early exposure could help the young generation embrace safety and health and prepare them to understand, appreciate and practise OSH once they joined the workforce.
Lee said those in schools should also be given adequate training so that they would know how to identify risks and how to handle them based on the Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) concept.
“Teachers who accompany students for outings or to participate in extracurricular activities, in particular, must be able to conduct HIRARC to ensure that the outings are safe and free from any untoward accidents,” he added. — Bernama
