Reference no: EM132982333

Make all workplaces safe from Covid-19 transmission

As more economic sectors and activities are set to resume and workplaces begin to open their doors, the Alliance for Safe Community urges industries and companies and all workplaces to ensure all employees can return to work safely to prevent emergence of new Covid-19 cases. The topmost priority should be to make all workplaces safe from transmission of Covid-19 as required by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is essential to ensure that all safety precautions are put in place before work resumes. With this in mind, employers should adhere to the SOPs set by the Health Ministry and practice social distancing by not requiring all their staff to be back at the workplace with some working from home until the coast is clear. In this connection, safety and health committees at all places of work which have been mandated under OSHA must focus on Covid-19 prevention in addition to its core duty which is to ensure the practice of safety and health and promote OSH at the workplace. The war against Covid-19 is not over. We have not won the war yet. We must not let our guard down. In the final analysis, what is urgently needed in the fight against Covid-19 is people empowerment and this includes the employers and employees, fully understanding the serious threat and danger of Covid-19 and taking initiatives to keep themselves safe at all times. The constant reminder from Health director-general of Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah on the importance of community empowerment to combat Covid-19 is most crucial and must be taken seriously.

a. Assess and explain the main reasons for employers to be concerned with safety and health of employees under Occupational Safety and Health Act, ever since the pandemic Covid-19 emerged worldwide.