Malaysia Employment Law : Occupational Safety And Health Act.
WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT ?
The Occupational Safety and Health Act is an Act which provides the legislative framework to secure the safety, health and welfare among all Malaysian workforce and to protect others against risks to safety or health in connection with the activities of persons at work.
This Act was gazetted on 24th February 1994 and may be cited as the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994. This Act is a practical tool superimposed on existing safety and health legislation.
The aims of this Act are
- to secure the safety, health and welfare of persons at work against risks to safety or health arising out of the activities of persons at work
- to protect person at a place of work other than persons at work against risks to safety or health arising out of the activities of persons at work
- to promote an occupational environment for persons at work which is adapted to their physiological and psychological needs
- to provide the means whereby the associated occupational safety and health legislation may be progressively replaced by a system of regulations and approved industry codes of practice operating in combination with the provisions of this Act designed to maintain or improve the standards of safety and health.
The provision of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 are based on the self-regulation scheme. Its primary responsibility is to ensure safety and health of work lies with those who create the risks and those who work with the risks.
Through self-regulating scheme that is designed to suit the particular industry or organization, this Act also aims to establish effective safety and health organization and performance.
The concept of self-regulation encourages cooperation, consultation and participation of employees and management in efforts to upgrade the standards of safety and health at the workplace.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 is enforced by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), a government department under the Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will ensure through enforcement and promotional works that employers, self-employed persons, manufacturers, designers, importers, suppliers and employees always practise safe and health work culture, and always comply with existing legislation, guidelines and codes of practice.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) will also formulate and review legislation, policies, guidelines and codes of practice pertaining to occupational safety, health and welfare as a basis in ensuring safety and health at work.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) is also the secretariat to National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, a council established under section 8 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994.
The National Council for Occupational Safety and He
