2019 MESSAGE FROM DIRECTOR GENERAL DEPARTMENT OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (DOSH) MALAYSIA
Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,
Assalamualaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh and Salam Sejahtera.
At this opportunity, let us offer thanks to Allah Almighty for His mercy that we can celebrate this New Year 2019. Alhamdulillah we have been given the opportunity to carry out and fulfil our duty and responsibility towards ensuring a safe and healthy workplace.
The year 2019 is expected to be more challenging with the high expectations placed by our stakeholders pertaining to the services offered by the Department. Apart from the increase of accidents in high-risk sectors which require special attention, the transition and transformation of industrial activities towards Industrial Revolution 4.0 also should not be taken lightly. Immediate solutions should be sought to address this issue and ongoing efforts to prevent accidents should be enhanced. Enforcement of occupational safety and health (OSH) should be based on the principle of "Strict Enforcement and Zero Corruption". Additionally, the Department will continue its Occupational Safety and Health Master Plan 2016-2020 (OSHMP 2020) programmes and initiatives including the mainstreaming of occupational health to inculcate an OSH preventive culture in the workplace. Occupational accidents and diseases in the workplace can actually be controlled and avoided if comprehensive risk assessments are in place for effective control measures. The emphasis on risk assessment elements or better known as Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control (HIRARC) will be enforced by the Department at the workplace so that accidents and occupational diseases in the workplace can be reduced.
In 2019, the Department aims to reduce the workplace accident rate to 2.59 per 1,000 workers and the fatality accident rate to 4.46 per 100,000 workers. I urge all parties to work together with the Department to implement effective OSH programmes at work so that these goals and targets can be achieved. It is the intention of the Department to ensure that this effort is in line with the realization of Zero Accidents at Work.
Finally, with the spirit of the new year of 2019, I urge all DOSH officers to enhance their determination, innovation, creativity, effort, discipline and integrity so that we can ensure the Department continue to be relevant in driving OSH towards the next level and eventually achieve OSHMP 2020 goals. To the OSH community outside there including employers, employees, OSH practitioners and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), I would like to wish a Happy New Year 2019. Hopefully we can continue to work closely towards improving the OSH standard not only in Malaysia but also internationally.
Thank you.
Ir. Hj. Omar bin Mat Piah
Director General
Department of Occupational Safety and Health Malaysia
