Ensuring safety important at all times, not just at work, says Lee

KUALA LUMPUR: Safety must be instilled as a personal value and not just practised within the boundaries of the workplace, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said safety should be held as a cherished personal value.

"Safety must be practised not only within the boundaries of the workplace but in all aspects of our lives whether on the road, in the home, in our schools, in sports and recreation or on holiday overseas.

"Companies stand to lose just as much whether a worker is injured and incapacitated at or out of the workplace," he said in a statement on Saturday (Dec 2).

He said a company that truly believes in employee safety would impress upon employees to take precautions and avoid danger in all aspects of their lives.

"For safety to effectively encompass all aspects of life and be reinforced as a shared value, lifestyle and attitude, it is vital that there be participation by the community.

"This can be achieved through community outreach educational programmes organised by various government agencies and professional bodies and non-government organisations," he said.

Lee said such educational programmes should also target the elderly, housewives, hawkers, shopkeepers and young children especially.

"In communities in which there is a strong safety culture, the community will have high expectations on safety standards and low or no tolerance of anything that poses a hazard," said Lee, adding that they should quickly inform authorities to remove the threat before an accident happens.

Lee also said safety professionals have a key role to play in the forging of safe communities.