Many Workplace Accidents Not Reported To DOSH

PETALING JAYA, Aug 19 (Bernama) -- Many industrial accidents in the country are not reported to the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) either because of ignorance or fear of prosecution, a Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) study revealed.

Another reason was the lack of proper enforcement of the regulations which required businesses to report all workplace accidents immediately to DOSH, MTUC vice-president A. Balasubramaniam disclosed on Wednesday.

He told Bernama that another flaw was that the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act only required businesses with more than 40 workers to form an OSH committee while other establishments with lesser number of workers were left on their own to self regulate.

Balasubramaniam, who is also MTUC DOSH committee chairman, said self regulation might work in bigger established companies but not in small-and-medium enterprises.

Citing as example the death of six workers in Tanjong Karang, Selangor, recently due to inhalation of poisonous gas, he said, the incident occurred in a small factory which did not have proper safety precautions.

Hence, he said that it was time for the DOSH to be more proactive and ensured that all workplaces were safe and healthy. -- BERNAMA