Universities can recall student interns over safety risks

Universities can cancel internship placements and recall students if safety risks arise, says Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Higher learning institutions can cancel internship placements and recall students if safety concerns arise, Deputy Higher Education Minister Adam Adli Abd Halim said.

He said such measures could be taken following an assessment by the institutions or reports from students that highlight the need for urgent action.

“We deeply regret any accidents involving students taking part in industrial training. This is why we are constantly improving our monitoring and reporting systems,” he said during a question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.

He was answering a supplementary question from Senator Che Alias Hamid about monitoring measures to ensure companies providing training placements adhere to safety standards after a Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) industrial training student died while performing maintenance work at Saujana 1 water tower in Kuala Selangor on June 16.

Adam Adli said universities should conduct more thorough assessments of an organisation’s safety record, past reports and reputation before approving industrial training placements for students.

“For high-risk sectors, students will only be placed with organisations that fulfil safety requirements and have suitable safety management systems in place,” he said.

He said students in programmes involving high-risk workplaces must complete relevant safety courses or obtain related certifications before undertaking industrial training.

Before starting their placements, students must complete briefings and preparatory training on workplace safety and health, risk management, personal protective equipment, emergency procedures and incident reporting channels, Adam Adli said.

During the training period, students are monitored by academic and industry supervisors through physical or virtual visits, progress report checks and regular communication, he said.

Adam Adli said all industrial training students are protected under the University Group Insurance Scheme should they encounter accidents or untoward incidents during their training period.