Niosh urges tighter safety measures at construction sites after Bangsar incident

• “Risk management at construction sites should not only focus on protecting workers, but also on ensuring the safety of the public, especially in densely populated urban areas frequented by tourists.”

KUALA LUMPUR (June 12): The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) has urged for improved safety measures at construction sites following the discovery of a British traveller’s body at a site in Bangsar recently.

Niosh chairman Chong Chieng Jen said the incident raised questions about how the public could access the area and called for a review of existing safety protocols.

“Construction sites are inherently high-risk and should not, under any circumstances, be accessible to the public,” he said in a statement today.

On June 5, police confirmed that the body found the previous day at a construction site in Bangsar was that of the missing 25-year-old British national, last seen on May 27.

Chong said Section 15 of the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act (OSHA) 2022 spells out the duty of employers to ensure the safety, health and welfare of employees at the workplace, while Section 17 emphasises the responsibility to safeguard others present at the site.

“Employers and self-employed individuals are also required, as far as reasonably practicable, to ensure that their operations do not pose safety or health risks to non-employees.

“They must also provide information on any hazards that could affect the safety or health of individuals present at the worksite,” the statement said.

Chong reminded developers, contractors and all relevant parties to comply with the Act or risk being fined up to RM500,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

He said that preventive steps, such as effective perimeter fencing, adequate security surveillance, systematic access control, and clear warning signage, must be standard at all construction sites.

“Risk management at construction sites should not only focus on protecting workers, but also on ensuring the safety of the public, especially in densely populated urban areas frequented by tourists,” he said.

In addition, Niosh has called on the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) and the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation to identify any breach of standard operating procedures or provisions under OSHA.

Chong added that Niosh is ready to cooperate with authorities and the industry to promote a stronger safety culture through training, awareness programmes and a better understanding of the OSHA (Amendment) 2022.

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