KEPALA BATAS: A foreign worker died after falling from a height of 18 meters at a construction site here on Monday.
This incident follows reports of a similar incident on the same day, where another foreign worker died after falling from the eighth floor while exiting from a gondola at a construction site in Bayan Lepas.
The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Penang said a team of investigators was sent to the site for investigation.
It said preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was a general worker from a subcontractor company hired to remove the formwork on the roof structure of a ventilation shaft in a building known as a "dog house" for workers at the construction site.
"The victim reportedly fell from the ventilation shaft while working on the formwork.
"He was found on the lower level with a piece of plywood that had fallen with him and was pronounced dead at the scene.
"An immediate stop-work notice has been issued for all activities involving the ventilation structures at the site until the investigation is completed," it said in a statement today.
DOSH said they had also instructed the employer to conduct an internal investigation to identify the cause of the incident and recommend improvements and to present their findings to them.
"We (DOSH) will conduct a follow-up investigation by obtaining relevant documents and recording statements from identified witnesses, along with a site visit after improvement and preventive actions are taken by the employer.
"It is the employer's responsibility under Section 15(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 to ensure safety and health in the workplace.
"Employers with full control over any workplace activities must perform risk assessments and implement effective risk controls before any work activities commence.
"This is to eliminate or reduce safety risks to workers and the public, and to prevent accidents during work activities," it added.
According to DOSH, it takes every workplace accident and occupational illness seriously across all sectors.
"We are committed to improving occupational safety and health standards in the country," it added.