Internships should build careers, not cost lives

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THE tragic death last month of a final-year environmental science student from Universiti Putra Malaysia, who drowned while conducting maintenance work in a water reservoir as part of his industrial training, raised a difficult question: “Are internships still serving their purpose, or have some become a source of inexpensive labour with inadequate protection?”

A few months earlier, a mechanical engineering student at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) had lost his life in an explosion involving an air-conditioning compressor only days before completing his internship.

They were not experienced industrial workers; they were just students completing compulsory training as part of their university education.

But both paid the ultimate price while trying to gain workplace experience.

Unlike permanent employees, interns occupy a uniquely vulnerable position. Their academic grades, internship evaluations, recommendation letters and even future employment opportunities often depend on their supervisors.

This imbalance creates enormous pressure to comply with instructions even when they involve obvious risks.

Most students have little or no workplace experience and may not recognise unsafe practices. They naturally assume that if experienced employees are performing a task, it would be safe for them, too.

Many also fear that refusing an assignment could label them as uncooperative, weak or unsuitable for the profession. For a student who is eager to graduate, protecting one’s academic future may appear more urgent than questioning workplace safety.

But Malaysian law actually provides stronger protection than many students realise. Since the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022 came into force on June 1, 2024, workers, including interns, have the legal right to refuse work if they reasonably believe it presents an imminent danger of death or serious injury.

Under Section 26A of the Act, workers are allowed to remove themselves from dangerous situations without facing retaliation, provided their concerns are raised in good faith.

This protection is particularly relevant for high-risk activities such as entering confined spaces, handling hazardous chemicals, operating heavy machinery or working around high-voltage equipment without appropriate training, supervision and safety controls.

The preliminary findings on the water reservoir incident mentioned earlier have already highlighted possible concerns regarding safety procedures in confined spaces.

While investigations are still ongoing, the case serves as a powerful reminder that legal rights are meaningful only when workers know they exist and employers respect them.

Protecting interns requires more than legislation alone. Educational institutions must strengthen their oversight of industrial placements.

When selecting organisations or companies for student placements, they should not just look at the administrative arrangements.

They must also verify whether the host organisations or companies maintain proper occupational safety systems, conduct risk assessments and provide qualified supervision.

Those with poor safety records should not continue receiving interns simply because they are willing to offer placements.

Likewise, employers must recognise that interns are learners, not fully trained employees. Assigning interns hazardous work without adequate preparation not only violates the spirit of education but may also expose them to significant legal and reputational consequences.

At the national level, the Higher Education Ministry must coordinate with the Department of Occupational Safety and Health to establish a standardised industrial training safety framework applicable across all public and private higher education institutions.

Such a framework should include mandatory safety audits of host organisations, compulsory pre-placement OSH training for students, clear guidance on prohibited high-risk tasks, and a shared national database of companies found to have breached safety requirements.

Most importantly, every intern should understand that refusing dangerous work is not an act of insubordination; it is a legal right designed to protect lives.

The true measure of a successful internship is not how much work the students complete at the end of the placement but whether they gain knowledge, confidence and professional skills in a safe environment.

DR MAISARAH NASUTION WARAS

Head, OSH Unit

Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi