BINTULU: The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must intensify occupational safety and health training, as occupational fatalities in Malaysia surpass those in Japan and Singapore.
“According to the Statistics Department, the number of occupational injuries increased by 58.9 per cent to 34,216 cases in 2022.
“Additionally, there were 317 fatal occupational injuries in 2022, a notable rise from 301 fatalities in 2021,” said NIOSH chairman Chong Chieng Jen in a press release.
Chong stated that in 2022, the workplace fatal injury rate per 100,000 workers was lower in Singapore at 1.3 compared to Japan’s rate of 1.42, indicating a slightly lower incidence of fatal occupational injuries in Singapore during that period.
Chong visited the NIOSH Bintulu office on today (May 21) with NIOSH Sarawak general manager Normiza Suhaili.
“Bintulu is the most important regional office of NIOSH Sarawak as it is a fast-growing industrial region.
“NIOSH’s mission is to provide training on occupational safety and health (OSH), consultative services, and the dissemination of information on OSH, as well as to create awareness among both employers and employees,” Chong said.
He added that the working environment and workers’ rights must improve as the nation progresses.
“The situation of occupational injury statistics worldwide demonstrates ongoing challenges in workplace safety. Therefore, as NIOSH is tasked to improve workplace safety, we will do our best to provide a safer environment for workers.”
