Ethics and integrity are vital for good occupational safety and health (OSH) practices at workplaces.
I have often been asked in what way can unethical and corrupt practices affect safety and health at work.
Ethics, honesty and morals are key elements to integrity. In the workplace, those who act with integrity will always tell the truth, are accountable, transparent and reliable, and treat co-workers, stakeholders and customers with respect.
Civil servants, employees of government-linked companies (GLCs) and the corporate sector should always uphold integrity and avoid corrupt practices.
Integrity must be instilled when they join an organisation so that over time it will become part of their identity. If someone acts with integrity, he or she will do the right thing even when no one is watching.
According to the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia, fraud elimination is an important aspect of sustainable safety management, especially in managing OSH, accidents or near misses at the workplace.
Fraudulent or unethical practices could impact safety outcomes in one way or another.
Only honesty, integrity and morals can prevent corruption.
We should not tolerate corruption and allow it to become a culture in our society, especially among OSH practitioners.
In the fight against corruption, integrity, governance, morals and ethics should be integrated into safety training.
All OSH practitioners must embrace integrity and loathe corruption. They need to uphold ethical and moral values so that when they are at the workplace, they would realise the importance of not getting involved in corruption.
While efforts by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to fight corruption are welcome, this effort should include all workplaces. Corruption in Malaysia is at a worrying level and action needs to be intensified to address this menace.
Corruption in whatever form must never be tolerated as it impoverishes the country, and causes hardship to the people and the economy to decline. If it involves OSH practitioners and agencies, it may result in accidents that could cause injury or death.
We cannot be unconcerned and complacent about corruption because it attacks not only the economic and social fabrics of society but also its moral foundation.
Efforts should be continuously made to instil integrity and ethical values because people of high integrity will shun corrupt practices.
TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE
Member, Malaysian Institute of Integrity, Kuala Lumpur
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times