KUCHING: Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak Kumbong has backed the motion to increase fines and jail sentences to offenders under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“This clearly shows that the government is serious in ensuring every workplace in the country is safe,” he said in his debate speech on the motion today (Oct 27).
However, Ugak noted that there are several factors that need to be considered.
“The Occupational Safety and Health Department (JKKP) as a trustee and enforcement unit as stipulated in the Act must be focused on its enforcement activities.
“It will be meaningless to increase the fines and jail sentences if there is no enforcement action.
“The delay in processing machinery and equipment permits, shortage of manpower and poor investigation skills are the major causes of concern.
“There is no denying that the main cause of accidents in the workplace is due to weak enforcement.
“And this is due to the shortage of manpower. As an example, in a news report dated Jan 17, 2019, it was reported that there were only 100 enforcement personnel available to monitor 14,000 project sites,” said Ugak, who is also the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health chairman.
On the backlog of permits, he disclosed that for every 400,000 machinery and equipment such as forklifts and escalators that require permits to operate, there were only 173 JKKP inspectors.
He added that based on the information he received in 2019, only 60 percent of these assets managed to be given permits.
Similarly, besides enforcing the Act, Ugak also disclosed the other tasks and roles undertaken by JKKP, including carrying out research and development, publicity and acting as a secretariat to the National Occupational and Safety and Health Council.
