PETALING JAYA, April 6 — The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) has urged the construction industry to use drones or remote sensing devices to reduce the risk of accidents at work.

DOSH director-general Zailee Dollah said the use of both technologies was seen to be effective in ensuring compliance with occupational health and safety.

"Besides that, the number of fatal accidents at construction sites in 2019 decreased by 22 per cent since the Construction Industry (Management) Safety and Health guidelines were introduced four years ago.

"A total of 189 cases were recorded in 2017, while in 2018 and 2019, 169 and 144 cases were recorded respectively,” he told reporters when met after officiating the annual conference on Safety and Health of the Master Builders Association of Malaysia (MBAM) here today.

Meanwhile, on the "project cartel” which was successfully crippled on Sunday, he said DOSH would leave it up to the relevant authorities to investigate the matter.

Yesterday, the MACC reportedly busted a syndicate involved with unlawfully obtaining government tenders for facility maintenance and development projects with the arrest of seven individuals including the mastermind.

The syndicate, which is said to have been operating since 2014, allegedly monopolised 354 tenders for projects from several ministries and government agencies nationwide worth RM3.8 billion. — Bernama