LETTERS: When implementing occupational safety and health (OSH) practices, attention must be given to preventing corruption and promoting integrity.
In what ways can unethical and corrupt practices affect safety and health at work? What is the impact of corruption on workplace safety and public wellbeing?
Ethics, honesty and morals are key elements of integrity. At the workplace, those who act with integrity always tell the truth, are accountable, transparent, reliable, and treat co-workers, stakeholders, and customers with respect.
When someone acts with integrity, they do the right thing even when no one is watching. Civil servants, employees of government-linked companies (GLCs) and those in the corporate sector should uphold integrity and avoid corrupt practices.
Integrity should be instilled in them when they join an organisation, making it an integral part of their identity over time.
According to the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia (BEIM), eliminating fraud is crucial for sustainable safety management, particularly in OSH and the prevention of accidents in the workplace.
The following are examples of fraudulent practices that can impact safety:
PURCHASE of low-quality personal protective equipment (PPEs) or tools increases the risk of injury for employees and the public;
INACCURATE records, leading to improper assessment of hazardous situations or product characteristics, or misappropriation of necessary support to address risky environments;
TAKING shortcuts and circumventing standard operating procedures, resulting in unsafe practices;
ABUSE of power, exploiting vulnerable individuals by subjecting them to dangerous, unclean and demanding work environments to achieve personal goals; and
CONFLICT of interest that favours less competent vendors when awarding contracts, which creates safety hazards and exposes employees to hazardous environments without adequate protection.
Honesty and integrity are essential to address these problems and prevent corrupt practices.
We should not tolerate corruption and allow it to persist, especially among OSH practitioners. In the fight against corruption, it is crucial to integrate integrity, good governance and ethical behaviour into the safety training syllabi.
OSH practitioners should be educated to embrace integrity and reject corruption. Emphasising moral values will help them understand the importance of avoiding unethical and corrupt practices in the workplace.
While efforts by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to combat corruption are welcome, it is evident that the fight should also extend to the workplace. Corruption, in any form, must never be tolerated, as it impoverishes the country, causes hardship to the people and hampers economic growth.
If corruption involves OSH practitioners and agencies, it can lead to accidents resulting in injury or death.
We cannot afford to be indifferent or complacent about corruption, as it undermines not only the economic and social fabric of society but also the moral foundations of the nation.
Continuous efforts should be made to instil integrity and ethical values, as individuals with high integrity are less likely to engage in corrupt practices.
The crucial point to emphasise is that OSH excellence should be pursued with integrity.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Chairman,Alliance For A Safe Community
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times