DOSH brings 350 cases to court last year
New Straits Times Online, 28 April 2014
KUCHING: The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) brought 350 cases involving offences related to occupational safety and health in the workplace to court last year, said Deputy Human Resource Datuk Ismail Abd. Muttalib.
He said based on 210,413 inspections conducted by Dosh at the workplace, some 18,186 notices were issued, 415 offences were issued compounds and 350 cases charged in court for offences related to occupational safety and health in the workplace.
Ismail, who is also the Occupational Safety and Health National Council chairman said the accident rate in the country last year was 3.28 per 1,000 workers from 3.31 per 1,000 workers in 2012.
"This indicated a decrease of 0.9 per cent, an achievement that we are proud of," he told a media conference after launching the Occupational Safety and Health World Day celebration 2014 here today.
He said it was Dosh's target to reduce such cases to 1,800 per year even though it was admittedly difficult to record zero accident.
As such, he urged employers and trade unions in the country to jointly played their role in enhancing workers' safety as well as safety level in their respective workplaces.
Meanwhile Dosh director-general Datuk Ir Dr Johari Basri said Dosh was always working closely with the big industries in Sarawak in efforts to reduce the accident rate in the workplace, which was slightly higher than the national level.
He said this year's celebration was to support the International Labour Organisation (ILO)'s efforts which emphasised on the prevention of accidents and workers' illness through social dialogues and 'tripartite' strength comprising the government, employers and workers.
-- BERNAMA
