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Malaysia’s Human Resources Minister, Steven Sim Chee Keong has announced that the much awaited Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022 will commence on the 1st of June 2024.
According to a report from Bernama, Sim stated that the act will further increase the level of safety and health at offices nationwide.
Every office with five or more employees to have a health safety coordinator
Sim recently signed the gazette that allows the new amendment to take effect, speeding up the process of commencement of the new act, as it has been delayed for more than two years since it was first drawn up.
Under the new act, which was first passed by the Parliament in March 2022, every office with five or more employees will be required by law to appoint a health safety coordinator.
Amended act provide workers with the right to remove themselves from an unsafe work environment
Part of the responsibility of this health safety coordinator will be to analyse risks in the workplace, and make it safer for everyone.
The amended OSHA provides employees with the right to remove themselves from an unsafe work environment if the employer fails to take the necessary steps to do so.
Sim made the announcement after officiating the World Day for Safety and Health celebration, which took place at Cyberjaya yesterday.
Nationwide Occupational Mental Health First Aid training programme
Following the announcement, he also stated that a total of 13,000 workers will attend the Occupational Mental Health First Aid training programme throughout the country this year.
Sim stated that the programme, which was first launched in February this year has been well received by the people, with 4000 workers already trained for it.
When the programme was first launched, Sim stated that lack of awareness led to just one reported psychosocial case in the 2022 National Occupational Accident and Disease Statistics.
