7

Safety and Health

at Work
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 The provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health

Act which affect employers
 The importance of encouraging safe work practices and
healthy lifestyles among employees
 Reducing incidences of sexual harassment at work
 The need for a planned programme to reduce violence
at the workplace
 Programmes and activities which can improve the
health and wellness of employees

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–3
 The Heavy Cost
of Accidents

 Medical bills
 Wages of workers on medical leave
 Damage to equipment and materials
 Overtime work
 Employee replacement costs, in case of fatal
accident

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–4
 The Heavy Cost
of Accidents (cont.)

 Time cost of supervisors, management and

colleagues
 Lowered morale of employees
 Poor public image

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–5
 The Occupational Safety and
Health Act (OSHA)

To ensure the safety and health of

persons at work, the Occupational Safety
and Health Act 1994 lays down a number
of requirements which must be complied
with by employers and employees.

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–6
 Safety Policies

All employers with more than five employees

are required under OSHA to:
 Draft a SAFETY POLICY
 Communicate it to employees
 Revise it as necessary

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–7
 Appointment of a Qualified
Safety Officer

Employers in designated industries are

required under OSHA to employ a
qualified safety officer.

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–8
 Appointment of a Qualified
Safety Officer (cont.)

Appointment compulsory in high-risk

industries:
 Building and engineering construction
 Ship building (with more than 100 workers)
 Gas and petroleum (with more than 100
workers)
 Chemical industry (with more than 100
workers)

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–9
 Appointment of a Qualified
Safety Officer (cont.)

 Metal industry (with more than 100 workers)

 Woodworking industry (with more than 100
workers)
 Cement industry (with more than 100 workers)
 Other manufacturing industries (with more than
500 workers)

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–10
 Qualified Safety Officers

A qualified safety officer is one who is

registered with DOSH.
To be eligible for registration, the applicant
must have:
 a recognized diploma in OSH, or
 a minimum of 10 years’ experience in OSH, or
 have completed a training programme in OSH
recognized by the Ministry of Human Resources.
Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–11
 Appointment of a Safety
Committee

OSHA requires all employers with 40 or more

employees to appoint a SAFETY COMMITTEE.

The committee must meet at least once in three

months. Minutes must be kept.

The committee members must be provided with

safety training by their employer.

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–12
 Appointment of a Safety
Committee (cont.)

The functions of the committee include:

 Establishing policies on safety and health
matters, including the setting of rules and
regulations
 Conducting an inspection of the workplace, at
least once in three months
 Analysing records on accidents and health
problems

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–13
 Appointment of a Safety
Committee (cont.)

 Investigating accidents and unsafe conditions

and making recommendations to prevent similar
occurrences
 Planning and executing safety and health
awareness programmes
 Recommending the purchase of suitable safety
equipment, where relevant

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–14
 Reporting Accidents

Accidents have to be reported to the relevant

authorities:
 When a Malaysian worker is involved in an
accident, or contracts an occupational disease,
his employer must report to SOCSO and DOSH.
 When a foreign worker is involved in an accident,
or contracts an occupational disease, his
employer must report to the Labour Department
and the relevant insurance company.

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–15
 Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment may be defined as:

Any unwanted conduct of a sexual nature having the
effect of verbal, non-verbal, visual, psychological or
physical harassment:
1. that might, on reasonable grounds, be perceived
by the recipient as placing a condition of a sexual
nature on her/his employment, or
2. that might, on reasonable grounds, be perceived
by the recipient as an offence or humiliation, or a
threat to her/his well-being, but has no link to
her/his employment
Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–16
 Steps to Reduce
Sexual Harassment

 Draft policy which prohibits sexual harassment

 Establish complaints procedure
 Conduct regular briefings/training on sexual
harassment
 Take disciplinary action against sexual
harassers

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–17
 Violence at Work

To reduce incidents of violence at work:

Conduct risk assessment
Establish zero-tolerance policy on violence
Prepare procedure for dealing with violent
incidents
Train all employees to implement procedures
relating to violence

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–18
 Wellness Programmes

Wellness programmes are an attempt to

encourage employees to have a healthy
lifestyle.

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–19
 Activities in a
Wellness Programme

 Fitness classes
 Talks on nutrition
 Briefings on common health issues
 Regular medical check-ups
 Stop-smoking campaigns

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–20
 Review

 The provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health

Act which affect employers
 The importance of encouraging safe work practices and
healthy lifestyles among employees
 Reducing incidences of sexual harassment at work
 The need for a planned programme to reduce violence
at the workplace
 Programmes and activities which can improve the
health and wellness of employees

Human Resource Management Principles and Practices (Fourth Edition) All Rights Reserved
© Oxford Fajar Sdn. Bhd. (008974-T), 2018 7–21