The Asean delegation during the Asean Occupational Safety and Health Network (Asean-OSHNET) Coordinating Board Meeting in Thailand. - Photo: SHENA
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei Darussalam has reaffirmed its commitment to advancing regional cooperation in workplace safety and health through its participation in a series of Asean Occupational Safety and Health Network (Asean-OSHNET) events hosted in Bangkok, Thailand, from Sept 2 to 4, according to a press release from the Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA).
The Brunei delegation was led by Director of the Compliance and International Division at SHENA Noryasmin Mohd Noor, accompanied by two SHENA officials and two representatives from the Department of Labour, Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA).
The programme brought together representatives from Asean Member States and Timor-Leste, the Asean Secretariat, partners from Japan, South Korea and China, as well as international organisations such as the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI), and the Asia Pacific Occupational Safety & Health Organization (APOSHO).
The three-day event featured the Pre-Work Session on the Development of the Asean OSH Scorecard, which aims to improve data collection and benchmarking across the region by enhancing the scorecard website’s content and user interface.
At the 6th Asean-OSHNET Awards (AOA 6), 14 companies from the region were recognised for exemplary safety practices. Representing Brunei Darussalam, Adinin Works & Engineering Sdn Bhd received the Asean-OSHNET Excellence Award.
The 12th Asean-OSHNET Conference (AOC 12), themed “Advancing Innovation and Technology towards Sustainable Occupational Safety and Health,” highlighted the growing role of digital platforms, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and smart monitoring systems in preventing workplace accidents and promoting worker wellbeing.
The conference included presentations from the ILO, a panel discussion, and case studies from award-winning companies.
Meanwhile, the 26th Asean-OSHNET Coordinating Board Meeting (CBM 26) reviewed ongoing projects under the Asean-OSHNET Workplan 2021–2025 and initiated discussions on the next workplan for 2026–2030.
During the meeting, Brunei, through SHENA, confirmed its readiness to assume the role of Asean-OSHNET Secretariat for the 2026–2029 term, and also accepted the role of Coordinator of the Asean Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (Asean-BCA) for 2025–2027, under MoHA’s Department of Labour.
Thai Minister of Labour Pongkawin Jungrungruangkit, who officiated the events, underlined the importance of Asean-OSHNET as a platform to strengthen cooperation, share expertise, and raise workplace safety standards for the wellbeing of workers across the region. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
