ROMPIN, Jan 22 (Bernama) — The government has warned employers of stern action if they fail to adhere to provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994, especially pertaining to lodging reports on accidents at the workplace.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said 145 companies were prosecuted last year for ignoring workers’ safety and health under the Act.

“The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has sent over 4,000 stopwork notices to employers who failed to adhere to the Act last year,” she told reporters after visiting the First Diary Farm (M) Sdn Bhd in Muadzam Shah near here Friday. Also present was DOSH director-general Datuk Johari Basri.

Maznah asked all employers to ensure that their workers’ safety and health were at the best level possible in line with the government’s aspiration to achieve zero accident at the workplace by 2015.

Meanwhile, Johari said OSHA 1994 stipulated that workers were under the protection of their employers and the company when they were at the workplace.

So far, the level of obedience to the Act by most companies was satisfactory, he said, adding that DOSH would conduct audit and counselling sessions for errant employers.

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