BINTULU: Tanjong Batu assemblyman Johnny Pang has pledged to work towards beefing-up safety guidelines at local enterprises and factories.
He said in this regard he would be following up with the relevant departments to prevent industrial incidents like the chemical factory explosion in the Samalaju Industrial Zone which claimed one life last Thursday.
Expressing grief over the death of Mohd Fadillah Saliman, one of the victims of the chemical factory explosion he said another is still receiving treatment at Bintulu Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“The hospital informed that the victim’s condition is stable but still needs to be monitored, while the other injured individuals have been discharged,” he said in a statement.
Pang revealed that he had several conversations with officials from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) after the accident to get more information.
He stressed that industrial accidents should be taken seriously and that this issue will be raised in the State Assembly where he will propose legislation on industrial safety.
“Only through stricter regulations and legal constraints, can large companies be forced to create a safe environment for all workers,” he said.
In addition, Pang will also demand that related companies provide reasonable compensation to the victims’ families.
Mohd Fadillah, 33, who was a senior technician at the factory involved, suffered the most serious injuries because he was closest to the site of the explosion.
In the incident that occurred on Aug 14, ten people were injured, including four with burns, as a result of a fire involving a ‘bottom reactor’ tank at the factory.
