Kota Kinabalu: Participation of companies in the national Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) award competition is vital to gauge their level of OSH practices at the workplace, said Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud.
He said the lack of participation by companies in Sabah - be it private or government-linked companies (GLCs) - in the OSH award was posing a challenge to the Ministry to better understand their position towards OSH.
With greater participation, he said, it would be easier for the Ministry to assess companies on their level of understanding as well as commitment.
“I urge companies in Sabah to participate in the national awards (for OSH practices) as their involvement is still low.
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Also present were National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) Chairperson A. Maniam, Niosh Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ayop Salleh, Sabah Department of Safety and Health Director Zulkifli Yahya and Sabah Social Security Organisation (Socso) Director Dr Mohd Ali Hindia.
Mustapha said active participation of companies in OSH programmes would not only enable the Ministry to gauge and understand the level of the respective companies’ OSH practices but also to determine the need for improvement.
“This will ensure necessary collaboration with these companies to further improve their abilities and understanding towards OSH,” he added.
A total of 350 participants from Sabah, Sarawak, the Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei Darussalam attended the BOSH 2023.
In his speech earlier, Mustapha said the two-day conference would help to unlock the immense potential of Sabah and Sarawak as the two states are strategically located within the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines East Asean Growth Area (Bimp-Eaga), which is a dynamic and growing economic region.
By bringing together stakeholders from all over Bimp-Eaga, the conference will provide a platform for sharing ideas and best practices, as well as build partnerships that will help boost economic growth and development in Sabah and Sarawak, he said.
“The theme ‘Transforming Borneo for a resilient tomorrow’ aligns with Sabah Maju Jaya and our shared commitment to worker safety,” he said, adding the conference brought stakeholders from various sectors to discuss the latest trends, best practices and innovative solutions in occupational safety and health.
Mustapha said that it is the Government’s hope that critical issues such as the mental health support system at the workplace as well as challenges brought about future technologies be discussed by the participants of the conference.
“The results of the discussions and forums during this conference will help the Government in drafting new policies or improving existing policies for the benefit of the employers and employees,” he said.
Mustapha also called on Niosh to move forward and work together with the agencies and companies to provide comprehensive training and consultation services on occupational health and safety to employers and employees in the Bimp-Eaga region.
“I hope Niosh can also consider organising future BOSH in other districts in Sabah,” he said.
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