Two construction site deaths this year – DOSH
TheBorneoPost Online, 8 November 2013
Johari (left) receives a souvenir from Tee (right) as Choo looks on.
KOTA KINABALU: Two construction workers have been reported killed while working at construction sites in Sabah in the first nine months of this year.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) director general Datuk Ir Dr Johari Basri said statistic from the department in Sabah showed that the two construction workers had been killed while at work this year.
“The two casualties were death in a confined area and falling to their death.
“In comparison, three people were reported killed in 2011 at construction sites, namely falling from a high building and dead in confined locations, while two deaths reported in 2012 involved accidents by electrocution.
“Although this figure is small, DOSH takes such incident very seriously as we want to avoid any accident and casualty as much as possible.
“Therefore, it is imperative that contractors understand the importance of safety at construction sites to minimize unwanted incident as much as possible,” he said after officiating at a seminar on Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Site at Promenade Hotel here yesterday.
Also present were Master Builders Association Malaysia president Matthew Tee and Sabah Builder Association president Choo Kim Min.
Johari said such a seminar on safety and health in construction site, is important to ensure that contractors and members of Master Builders Association Malaysia and Sabah Builders Association are aware of the need and importance of health and safety of their workers during construction activities.
“Workers in this industry face lots of risk and danger such as being hit by a falling object, falling from a certain height while carrying out their work, being hit or knocked by vehicles at construction sites.
“Therefore, it is important that contractors and the management understand such risk and to convey and educate their workers,” he said, adding that contractors and management are required by to provide proper personal protective equipment for their workers.
