Schools should have a safety and health committee, as well as conduct thorough safety audits, advised chairman of Malaysia’s National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
In a letter to The Star, Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye wrote that the school administration should remain vigilant and take measures in schools to prevent accidents from occurring.
Under a collaboration with the Ministry of Education, NIOSH is helping to create awareness on occupational safety and health (OSH) at schools.
Lee’s letter comes on the back of a string of recent accidents and tragedies occurring in schools across Malaysia.
“The relevant authorities… should cooperate with the school administration to do a thorough safety audit of all schools nationwide. It is advisable for the safety audit to be conducted every five years at new schools and annually for the older ones,” Lee wrote.
He added that schools should also have a safety and health committee as workplaces with more than 40 employees are required to do so – according to the country’s Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“All workplaces have hazards and risks that need to be addressed and it is the responsibility of those at the workplaces, including teachers and students in schools, to identify and take measures to prevent accidents and deaths from occurring,” he said.
Lee also encouraged schools to participate in the OSH in School program to increase awareness of safety and health among teachers, staff and students.
To date, more than 50 schools have participated in the programme which is a collaboration between the Human Resources Ministry and Education Ministry since 2015.
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