KUALA LUMPUR – The Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) has never been involved in providing training and as such, the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Bill 2020 will not turn the department into a training provider, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Saravanan said DOSH, as the law enforcement agency on occupational safety and health, only provided talks in advisory and promotional efforts on occupational safety and health.
In addition, to ensure workers received training courses as stated in Clause 31 of the bill, he said DOSH would regulate training services registered with the director-general of the department.
“This is important to ensure the quality of training and the training providers’ services are of a stipulated standard in terms of modules, teaching manpower, and facilities.”
He said this when winding up the debate on the bill in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Clause 31 of the bill aims to insert a new section, namely 31A on the power of the minister to carry out an order published in the gazette to require any class or description of people to attend occupational safety and health courses with the registered training provider under the act.
Meanwhile, Saravanan said that from January to August this year, DOSH had carried out 180,000 enforcement activities nationwide with 138 prosecution cases involving a total of RM1.56 million in penalties.
He said the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Bill 2020 is not only to improve the safety, health, and welfare of workers, but will also protect individuals against the safety and health risks associated with work activities.
The bill is to amend the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (Act 514), which contains 55 clauses, encompassing the addition of 27 new sections, the deletion of two sections and amendments to 35 existing sections.
It was then approved with a majority vote after 14 MPs took part in the debate, including Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun) who suggested that the government give appreciation and recognition in forms such as tax reliefs or financial incentives to employers or companies who meet the criteria of workplace safety and health.
“This measure is to prompt them to comply with the provisions in the act and show that the government is very serious in the matter. Errant employers will be penalised as suggested in the act,” he said.
The Dewan Rakyat also approved the Factories and Machinery (Repeal) Bill 2020 which was also tabled by Saravanan aimed at abolishing the Factories and Machinery Act 1967 (Act 139).
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues tomorrow. – Bernama, October 27, 2021
