All stakeholders must be held accountable for progress to be made, expert says

By Yanika Liew

The construction industry has long been known as one of Malaysia’s largest industries, acting as one of the country’s top three major economic sectors. On the flip side, it is unfortunately also known as the sector consistently leading in occupational fatalities.

The sector has generally remained number one when it comes to occupational fatalities, with analysis from the DOSH noting that this had remained a long-term stable trend over the past decade.

“A variety of up-to-date training programmes, guides, coaching, and supervision on high-risk activities are made available to the construction industry,” Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) president Oliver HC Wee said.

“However, training alone may not be sufficient as strict compliance and effective communication are also necessary to ensure that workers understand the instructions given to them such as the Dos and Don'ts at the construction site,” he added.

“Enhancing awareness and safety culture is also crucial in promoting safety in the construction industry. Safety culture is driven by stakeholders and everyone, and they must have the initiative to impart such culture at the construction site. A top-down approach is a must in ensuring safety is prioritised in all construction development and projects.

“Besides that, safety should also be incorporated as the core value of a company’s branding strategy. By making safety a top priority, construction companies would not only be able to improve safety conditions for construction workers but also uphold their reputation in the construction industry,” he said.

Designing for safety

While Wee considered the current regulations for safety in the construction industry to be sufficient, he noted that it was the approach and compliance to such regulations and acts that needed to be enforced.

“Trainers should ensure that all information and knowledge is well delivered to the participants and that the employer should evaluate the employees on the application of the training to ensure that the training is effective and suitable,” Wee said.

“On-the-job training should also be encouraged, where toolbox talks and pre-task briefings are conducted before the undertaking of any work in the construction site as well as the close supervision on high-risk activities,” he added.

When it comes to Malaysia’s construction sector, much of the onus is placed on the workers themselves to learn and create a safe environment. External factors such as their managers, the site itself and equipment are seldom taken into consideration. 

However, the construction of projects can be designed to be safer from the outset. Safe by design is the process of integrating safety measures early into the design of the project, including facilities, equipment, materials, layout, and more. A safe design incorporates not just the safety of the intended customer base, but also those who work on it such as construction staff.

Designers, referring to architects and consulting engineers, are required to comply with their OSH duties by advising their clients on the importance of incorporating safety and health features in the project not only at the design stage but also during the construction stage, OSH Dynamics managing director Wan Hock Leong said.

These measures could include building designs that take into account the position of electric lines and designing components that can be assembled off-site to reduce working from a height. 

“In my opinion, more attention should be directed to the following stakeholders to enhance safety and health compliance, enforcement, monitoring and performance in the construction sector,” Wan said.

He pointed out that many clients leave the safety of projects to the main contractors even though the Guidelines on Occupational Safety and Health In Construction Industry (Management) 2017 requires the client to make suitable arrangements for managing the project’s safety and health legal requirements. 

“Since this is not complied with earnestly, the responsible authority should make clients accountable by enforcing the guidelines strictly. Construction industry associations should also actively promote occupational safety and health (OSH) compliance by their members,” Wan said.

“Though OSH compliance is mandatory, numerous main and sub-contractors execute their construction projects with inadequate safety and health planning, implementation, inspections, supervision, training and commitment,” he added.

Adhering to guidelines

Wan noted that construction project managers should be required to attend at least a two days OSH course outlining their duties and responsibilities. It should also be mandatory for every construction site supervisor to attend OSH training once every year. As the immediate superior, the site supervisor can play a very significant role in monitoring its compliance by workers.

The project manager should ensure that Safe Work Method Statements are prepared for all scopes of work and that workers are to be instructed to execute their tasks following proper work procedures.

“Within the last 25 years, DOSH had introduced many new OSH Regulations and Guidelines to cater for the challenges brought about by Malaysia’s growing economy. A number of fatalities involving workers and the general public however were recorded. In my opinion, it is important for heavier penalties to be imposed on those that have been convicted of OSH offences,” Wan said.

“This alone can trigger a change in mindsets that it is important for employees to work in a safe and healthy environment,”

With consistent fatality numbers across the years, Wan called for stricter punishment by the Construction Industry Development Corporation (CIDB), wherein those convicted for a safety offence, especially involving a fatality, should be penalised and blacklisted, including the downgrading of their grade.

It is important for heavier penalties to be imposed on those that have been convicted of OSH offences, Wan said.

“Enhancing awareness and safety culture is also crucial in promoting safety in the construction industry,” Wee said.

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