Expressing concern over too many construction site accidents of late, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairperson Lee Lam Thye says contractors need to review safety aspects at their construction sites to ensure the safety of workers and the public.

Lamenting that some contractors were not investing enough in safety and health at the workplace because of the cost factor, he said such accidents led to either injuries or fatalities.

“This results not only in stop-work orders but also brings pain and agony, especially to the families of the victims concerned.

“Contractors must implement good OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) practices at their construction sites, including adopting Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control. This will help workers and their supervisors to identify hazards and risks and find ways to avoid them,” he said in a statement here.

Lee (centre in photo) was referring to the latest fatal incident on Wednesday involving a Bangladeshi worker who was killed on the spot when an incomplete cement flooring below him gave way at the Tenaga Nasional Berhad substation, located next to the Cochrane Mass Rapid Transit station in Kuala Lumpur.

Statistics from the Social Security Organisation indicates that 7,338 accident cases were reported in the construction industry in 2016, as compared to 4,330 cases in 2011, which is an increase of 69.47 percent.

“Based on the Department of Occupational Safety and Health records, 106 deaths were reported in the construction industry last year as compared with 88 in 2015. In the first seven months of last year, 40 deaths were reported in the sector,” said Lee.

He said the Occupational Safety and Health Act (Osha) 1994 stated that training was mandatory and continuous effort must be taken to ensure the safety and health of workers at the workplace, including construction sites.

- Bernama