THE Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has transcended its traditional role as a regulatory enforcer, evolving into a key collaborator with various industries in a mission to create a safe and healthy work culture.
DOSH director-general Ir. Mohd Hatta Zakaria said the transformation was driven by the imperative to adapt to evolving workplaces, as highlighted by the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994).
He said DOSH has broadened its focus from the manufacturing sector to encompass diverse economic sectors, including oil and gas, manufacturing, and construction.
"The development and environmental changes in the workplace have made it necessary to provide control over employees and people who may be affected by activities stemming from the workplace.
"With the introduction of OSHA 1994, the activities of the department that were previously focused on the manufacturing sector have changed and currently include all other economic sectors," he said.
Hatta highlighted the DOSH-Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) collaboration in the Special Scheme of Inspection (SSI) implementation has resulted in a significant value creation in PETRONAS alone through optimising the interval and scope of plant shutdowns, minimising Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) risk exposure during plant shutdowns for inspection and maintenance work, and enhancing equipment and plant integrity performance.
The SSI Regulations, introduced by DOSH in June 2014, allowed industries the opportunity to extend the validity period of certification of fitness for pressure vessels up to 75 months.
"Utilising the "PRBI DOSH Module" system, successfully applied for the extension of Certification of Fitness (CoF) via an online method.
"A pivotal development in this collaboration was the establishment of the PETRONAS-DOSH Special Scheme Inspection Working Committee (PDSSIWC) in 2016."
Comprising members from the Petroleum Safety Division (PSD), DOSH, and Project Delivery & Technology (PD&T) at PETRONAS, the committee's objective was to discuss all aspects of SSI Regulations, ensuring regulation compliance and implementation.
PDSSIWC consolidates, reviews, and proposes solutions for emerging issues related to SSI rollout and certification renewal.
Recently, PDSSIWC published the SSI Regulation Guidelines, providing valuable insights for industries applying for the SSI Scheme.
"The collaboration has not only opened up job opportunities for various industry players but has also contributed to skills and knowledge improvement among employees in related industries."
PETRONAS has also integrated its standardised Risk Based Inspection methodology and system with DOSH online modules, ensuring transparency and an auditable system.
"The standardised methodology adopted by PETRONAS allows DOSH to benchmark practices in managing Asset Integrity, providing pertinent machinery integrity data and risk prioritisation.
"The training programmes conducted under this collaboration contribute significantly to fostering a generative HSE culture.
"Competency gained through these programmes ensures effective implementation of the Risk Based Inspection programme, promoting self-regulation within the industry."
Meanwhile, to achieve the mission of creating a safe and healthy work culture, three important activities are currently undertaken by the department that involve its headquarters, 15 state offices and five branch offices, Hatta said.
"The three principal activities are Standard Setting, Enforcement and Promotion.
"Activities at the headquarters are focused on Standard Setting, Approval, Accreditation and Data Analysis.
"On the other hand, the state and branch offices focus more on enforcement of acts and regulations, inspection and legal proceedings."
Standard Setting: Standards which are related to occupational safety, health and welfare are revised, amended and prepared from time to time to ensure that the standards are relevant to safety and health at the workplace.
Enforcement: The department's enforcement activities are intended to ensure the safety, health and welfare of people at work and also to protect others from the dangers arising from occupational activities and are covered by the following Acts :
- The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 [Act 514]
- The Factories and Machinery Act 1967 [Act 139];
- and The Petroleum (Safety Measures) Act 1984 [Act 302]
Promotional Activities: To promote occupational safety and health awareness among employees, employers and clients, information and guidance related to the safety and health legislation are constantly conducted by the Department.
This is to ensure compliance with all legislation related to occupational safety and health.
Among the promotional and publicity activities carried out by DOSH are talks, briefings and training related to occupational safety and health; campaigns and exhibitions related to occupational safety and health;
Providing expertise services on occupational safety and health to public agencies, private sector, employer and employee associations and professional groups;
Collection and preparation of informative materials related to occupational safety and health for references, loan and distribution.
With the vision "To be the leader of Occupational Safety and Health", DOSH also aims to prevent industrial accidents and occupational diseases by 2025.
The objective is targeted through the reduction in the rate of fatalities to 2.93/100,000 employees; a reduction in the rate of accidents to 2.13/1000 employees; and an increase in reporting of occupational diseases and poisoning among employees by 30 per cent.
In enhancing collaboration with industry players, DOSH has introduced initiatives that apply to all industries such as the Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2021-2025 (OSH- MP 2025), Systematic Occupational Health Enhancement Level Programme (SOHELP), OSH Compliance Support, and active involvement of OSH practitioners in helping employers to comply with OSH Regulations and its requirements.
These initiatives, Hatta added, were a continuation of the previous two OSH strategic plans started in 2006 which were premised on the nurturing of a Safe and Healthy Work Culture among employers and employees.
"Safe and Healthy Work Culture is a cornerstone in making workplaces safer and healthier in Malaysia through a strategic programme to prevent accidents and occupational diseases.
"This strategy inculcates good practice and culture of DOSH at the workplace. This approach will involve the principle of responsibility and self-regulation to bolster the nurturing of a Safe and Healthy Work Culture among employers and employees.
"To dignify the practice and culture of OSH (generative culture), it demands tripartite participation and commitment of authorities, employers and employees," he said.