While safety at work on construction projects is never a debatable topic, its implementation in full most certainly is. This remains a fact even with the existence of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA), the main legislation in Malaysia that governs safety and health in the construction industry.
The level of awareness and compliance is generally low, although it is a comprehensive set of standards. The responsibilities of employers are clearly stipulated in the Act, whereby they are obliged to provide information, instructions, training and supervision to ensure the safety and health of their employees. This refers to the Duty of Care which in this context includes both the moral and legal obligations of an employer.
One of the missions of the International SOS Foundation is to encourage the development of an international instrument to address the prevention and mitigation of the risks as well as guidance on what should be done when an accident, illness or security situation occurs. Hence, this publication aims at providing guidance to employers in the construction sector in Malaysia, on workplace safety and health best practices. Its intention is to help organisations implement Duty of Care in action, as the prevention of accidents and the mitigation of their impact to the workers and possibly the public, brings tangible returns to the business.