Safety and health in construction sector has room to improve
New Straits Times Online, 27 January 2014
SAFETY and health in the construction sector is not a matter to be taken lightly due to the many potential hazards and accidents.
In fact, while safety and health should be considered in every aspect of construction and at all times, it is often overlooked by owners and contractors, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
In Malaysia, fatal accidents at construction sites or even at newly-completed buildings, mainly due to poor construction structures, have been making headlines every now and then.
One of the latest fatal accidents involving a massive construction project was the collapse of a Second Penang Bridge ramp in June last year, which resulted in one death and injured two others.
Others include the collapsed bridge at the Selangor Science Park 2 Interchange, which was then under construction, as well as the infamous roof collapse at the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Terengganu a year after it was opened for the Malaysia Games in 2009.
In view of these escalating concerns, the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has introduced new initiatives to encourage a better adherence to safety and health standard regulations among industry players.
For the first time, CIDB will be introducing the new Safety and Health Award category at its annual Malaysian Construction Industry Excellence Awards (MCIEA).
CIDB senior general manager for corporate and business sector Sariah Abdul Karib said the award is aimed at recognising those who have achieved excellence and best practices in safety and health for construction projects.
"As we know of late, there are a lot of incidents involving the collapse of roofs, walls and many others... this must stop," Sariah said recently.
"With this (initiative), we hope to inculcate the culture of safety and health in the industry and also to enhance awareness on this matter," she added.
According to Sariah, Malaysia's construction sector has achieved international standard in many aspects, including quality of construction and design.
On the other hand, the safety and health aspect still has much room to improve.
"There is simply no excuse for slacking or cutting corners when it comes to safety and health in the construction sector," said Sariah. "This is just one of the many initiatives that we and other relevant authorities and bodies have taken to address this issue."
The MCIEA, will celebrate its 14th anniversary on September 19 with a total of 20 awards under six categories, compared to 13 awards under five categories last year.
It is intended to be the Malaysian premier accolades for all-round excellence and an effort to recognise construction players' achievements in the sector.
Sariah said MCIEA provides a platform for healthy competition among industry players in the quest for excellence by showcasing the best practices in project implementation.
For industry stakeholders, MCIEA should be further promoted as many are still unaware of its existence, despite its significant contribution towards the development of the country's construction sector.
"It deserves the attention like the glamorous Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian and Anugerah Juara Lagu have," said Zafrul Fazry Mohd Fauzi, engineer and head of the hillslope development and maintenance division of Ampang Jaya Municipal Council.
"This award is significant as it gives deserving recognition to construction sector players, who play a key role in the development of the country, especially as Malaysia is heading towards the developed nation status by 2020," he added.
Last year, the five categories of awards were The Best Contractor Award, The Best Project Award, International Achievement Award, Individual Awards and Builder of the Year Award.
This year, a new category will be introduced - The Special Awards - in the areas of safety and health, green construction, industrialised building system and innovation.
Projects to be submitted for the awards must be completed between January 1 2012 and June 30 2013 with a written statement on why they deserve to receive the awards.
Sub-contractors are also eligible to participate with prior written consent from their main contractors.
"We are expecting about 500 participants this year," he said, adding that 212 submissions were received last year.
CIDB coordinates all activities in the construction industry with the aim to increase the industry's competitiveness.
Under the law, all construction companies must be registered with CIDB.
To date, there are 64,000 companies registered with CIDB.
