Embrace and practise safety at work

IN any workplace, occupational safety and health (OSH) must be treated as an investment and not an expense, as this is in line with the maxim “Safety is good business”.

Management or employers must recognise OSH as an integral part of business management. Concerns for the bottom line must be looked at with equal gravity with OSH issues at the workplace. After all, they are both concerned with the viability of the business enterprise.

Employees are often regarded by the management to be the most important asset of any organisation.

Hence, it makes sense that this particular asset should be protected in terms of health and safety and nurtured to ensure that it continues to be productive.

In any business enterprise, the issue of preserving and retaining employees is most critical. Management must take a hard look at this asset and actively show how much they value their employees with a responsible OSH policy, backed up by the necessary organisation and systems to implement accident prevention programmes.

Many people are not conscious of the importance of OSH until an accident, injury or death occurs.

There are industries which do not want to invest in safety and health at the workplace because of the cost factor.

They do not seem to realise that if accidents or deaths occur due to their disregard for OSH, the costs they have to bear will be much heavier.

Common sense tells us that “Safety is good business”. If a company gives priority to safety issues at workplace, it will certainly be beneficial to the business.

Companies must seek to adopt a work safety culture and do more to prevent or minimise industrial accidents through good OSH practices.

OSH education and training is of paramount importance and employers should see training as an investment and not an expense.

In the global economy, OSH issues are among the key determinants of a company’s competitiveness though productivity enhancement and efficiency.

Observations and evidence have shown that an increase in productivity and an improvement in workplace environment were the results of good safety and health work practices and the adoption of a work safety culture.

Safety culture is really a part of the overall corporate culture and must be given the highest priority. A culture is an environment that has a philosophy that permeates the daily activities of the organisation. An organisation plays a vital role and should take the lead in shaping the safety culture of its employees.

Safety needs to be embraced and practised by the top level of management. Employers need to develop the culture of trust and to encourage their employees to change behavioural attitudes and their negative perception towards safety.

Both employer and employee should work side by side to nurture a positive attitude towards safety and seek empowerment to challenge unsafe behaviours in others.

TAN SRI LEE LAM THYE

Chairman

Alliance for a Safe Community