IN any workplace, occupational safety and health (OSH) must be treated as an investment and not an expense as this is in line with the maxim “safety is good business”.
Management or employers must recognise OSH as an integral part of business management. OSH issues at the workplace must be looked at with equal gravity as with the bottom line. After all, they are both concerned with the viability of the business enterprise.
Employees are often regarded by the management to be the most important asset of any organisation. Hence, it makes sense that this particular asset should be protected in terms of health and safety, and nurtured to ensure that it continues to be productive.
In any business enterprise, the issue of preserving and retaining employees is most critical. Management must take a hard look at their asset and actively show how much they value their employees, with a responsible OSH policy, backed up by the necessary organisation and systems to implement accident prevention programmes.
Many people are not conscious of the importance of OSH until an accident, injury or death occurs.
Some industries do not want to invest in safety and health at the workplace because of the cost factor.
They do not seem to realise that if accidents or deaths occur due to their disregard for OSH, the costs they have to bear will be greater.
Common sense tells us that “safety is good business”. If a company gives priority to safety at the workplace, it will be beneficial to the business.
Companies must seek to adopt a work safety culture and do more to prevent or minimise industrial accidents through good OSH practices.
OSH education and training are of paramount importance and employers should see training as an investment and not an expense.
In the global economy, OSH issues are among the key determinants of a company’s competitiveness through productivity enhancement and efficiency.
Observations and evidence have shown that increase in productivity and improvement in the workplace environment are results of good safety and health work practices and the adoption of a workplace safety culture.
Safety culture is part of the overall corporate culture, which must be given the highest priority. A culture is an environment that has a philosophy that permeates the daily activities of an organisation. An organisation plays a vital role and should take the lead in shaping the safety culture of its employees.
Safety needs to be embraced and practised by the top level of management. Employers need to develop a culture of trust and encourage their employees to change behavioural attitudes and negative perceptions towards safety.
Both employers and employees should work side by side to nurture a positive attitude towards safety and seek empowerment to challenge unsafe behaviours in others.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Chairman
Alliance for a Safe Community
