Occupational health and safety a top priority at Curtin Sarawak

Miri – 1 February 2011 – To support its commitment to providing and maintaining high standards of safety and health in the workplace, Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently held its Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Workshop for members of its OSH Committee and other key personnel on 26 January 2011.

Also in attendance were the university’s Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alistair Inglis, Chief Operating Officer James Ng, and other senior management staff.

Whilst previous OSH workshops at the university focused on teaching technical skills such as first aid, fire-fighting and emergency evacuation, this latest workshop was the first devoted to the understanding of occupational safety and health policies and legislation, and discussion of related issues affecting the university.

The workshop was facilitated by Mageswary Packiry, a lecturer for the Diploma in Occupational Health and Safety programme in Curtin Sarawak’s School of Foundation and Continuing Studies, and Julin Sujang, Laboratory Manager at the School of Engineering and Science.

Mageswary said the workshop was designed to raise awareness of risks in the workplace and ways to safeguard the safety and health of the university’s employees.

“Everyone must be aware that danger lurks not only in our laboratories, but also in tutorial rooms, at staff workstations; literally every part of the university,” she said.

Following presentations by Mageswary and Julin on the occupational safety and health situation in Malaysia, legislation under the OSH Act 1994 and risk management in OSH, the participants were divided into several discussion groups to identify potential hazards on the campus and recommend ways of tackling them.

At the close of the workshop, Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive, Professor Ian Kerr, signed a plaque inscribed with Curtin Sarawak’s Occupational Safety and Health Policy. The plaque will be displayed in the lobby of the John Curtin Building, the university’s main administrative building, as a reminder to staff and students of the university’s commitment to maintaining high standards of safety and health on its campus.

The Curtin Sarawak Occupational Safety and Health Policy commits the university and its staff and students to continually improve systems to promote and nurture an organisational culture that adopts safety and health as an integral component of its management philosophy; develop comprehensive annual plans for safety and health; establish an effective mechanism for consultation; maintain a process for resolving safety and health issues and responsibly managing hazards; and identify safety and health training needs and develop a complementary annual training programme.

For more information on Curtin Sarawak’s Occupational Health and Safety policy and initiatives, visit its OSH webpage at www.curtin.edu.my/osh/ or call 085-443939.

Participants of the workshop with James Ng, Prof Alistair Inglis and Prof Ian Kerr (4th – 6th left, 2nd row).

Prof Ian Kerr signing plaque while James Ng and Prof Alistair Inglis look on.

Julin briefing participants on OSH legislation.

A discussion group presenting its findings.