PETALING JAYA: There was an increase in the number of accidents and deaths in the construction sector last year compared to 2017, according to data from the Social Security Organisation (Socso).
There were 143 deaths and 8,191 accidents in the construction sector from January to November last year.
The figures show an increase from 2017, which saw 120 deaths from January to November and 7,870 accidents for the whole year.
Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) president Datuk Abdul Halim Mansor said besides amending laws and imposing heftier penalties, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) needed to conduct more frequent checks on construction sites nationwide as part of efforts to prevent disasters.
It was reported recently that the agency tasked by DOSH to oversee some 14,000 active construction sites in the country only has 100 officers nationwide.
“What is really needed is stronger enforcement from DOSH to monitor the sites to ensure that they are in compliance.
“There’s no use in only inspecting the sites once an accident has occurred,” said Abdul Halim.
A number of widely reported cases of death at construction sites have led to public outrage over safety for workers.
In October last year, nine migrant workers were killed and four others injured in a landslide that occurred at a construction site at the Bukit Kukus paired road project in Paya Terubong, Penang.
In July last year, two construction workers were crushed to death when concrete slabs on the 15th floor of a building they were working on in Jalan Dewan Sultan Sulaiman, Kuala Lumpur, collapsed.
On Jan 13, a 38-year-old Bangladeshi foreign worker was killed when he fell from the 20th floor of a building under construction and landed on the roof of a two-storey house in Jalan Ong Keng Hoon, Melaka.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Get 20% OFF The Star Digital Access
Cancel anytime. Ad-free. Unlimited access with perks.
