KUALA LUMPUR: Both employers and employees should aim to enhance workplace safety by adopting the "Vision Zero" (VZ) initiative, says Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.
The Alliance for a Safe Community chairman said many workplaces are improving safety, and he hopes VZ will be adopted.
"VZ is a global prevention strategy where all accidents, diseases, and harm at work can be prevented.
"For Malaysia, at all workplaces, both employers and employees, with the help of the government, must make VZ an achievable necessity," he said on Saturday (April 19).
Lee then said that a world where safety is a core value embedded in every workplace should be the aim.
"This is the promise of VZ, a transformative approach introduced by the International Social Security Association (ISSA)," he added.
The initiative is based on several aspects, including commitment at all levels, controlling risks before they cause harm, and equipping employees with knowledge, Lee said.
"Every worker has the right to return home safely. No job should cost a life. Behind every statistic is a family, a community shattered by preventable loss," he added.
Lee said workplace injuries cost economies billions annually in healthcare, compensation, and lost productivity.
"Prevention is cheaper than cure; thus, investing in safety yields long-term returns," he said.
Countries like Germany and Sweden have reduced workplace fatalities using VZ principles.
"It’s not about perfection—it’s about continuous improvement and shared accountability," he said.
