Workplace Safety Requires Culture Of Prevention - Lee

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct  3 (Bernama) -- The true measure of a successful organisation lies not only in productivity, profitability or achieving corporate targets, but also in ensuring its workforce returns home safely and in good health every day, said safety advocate Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye.

He said workplace safety should not be addressed only after an accident occurs, but embedded in a culture of prevention driven by leadership, commitment and accountability at every level.

Workplace hazards can include chemicals, electricity, working at heights and vehicles, while less visible risks such as fatigue, stress, excessive workloads, poor ergonomics, bullying, harassment and other psychosocial factors can also affect workers’ safety and wellbeing.

Lee said such risks existed across all workplaces, including factories, construction sites, offices, hospitals, schools, warehouses, plantations and government departments.

“The focus should not be on whether accidents can happen, but on what can be done to prevent them. An accident is rarely simply ‘an accident’.

“Behind many incidents are unsafe conditions, inadequate training, poor supervision, fatigue, weak communication or failure to learn from previous incidents. This is why prevention must come before reaction,” he said in a statement today

Lee, who is also Alliance for a Safe Community chairman, said safety inspections, risk assessments, maintenance, safe operating procedures, training, personal protective equipment and emergency preparedness were not bureaucratic requirements but life-saving measures.

He said management must provide leadership, supervisors proper guidance, and workers follow safe work practices and speak up when they identify hazards.

Workers should also be able to report hazards and near misses without fear of blame or punishment, he said, adding that near misses should be treated as early warnings and opportunities to prevent more serious incidents.

Lee said organisations should focus on identifying the root causes of incidents and preventing their recurrence rather than simply finding someone to blame.

He also stressed that workplace health extended beyond physical injuries, as stress, burnout, excessive workloads, bullying, harassment and other psychosocial risks could affect workers’ wellbeing and performance.

Safety, he said, should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, as preventing accidents could reduce medical and compensation expenses, equipment damage, production losses and reputational harm, while improving morale, productivity, employee retention and confidence.

Lee noted that rapid developments in automation, artificial intelligence (AI), new technologies, flexible working arrangements and changing workforce demographics required organisations to continuously adapt their safety approaches.

“New technology should not merely make work faster. It should make work safer,” he said, adding that technology should be used to identify hazards, improve training, strengthen emergency response and reduce workers’ exposure to dangerous tasks.

-- BERNAMA