ALOR GAJAH, June 29 — The tourism industry’s awareness of safety aspects remains low, despite the sector’s rapid growth, particularly in Sabah and Melaka.
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) executive secretary, Major (R) Hanif Maidin, observed that the tourism industry largely still perceives safety issues as minor compared to those in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
“The reality is that risks and dangers are present everywhere. We observe that awareness levels are still low in the tourism industry,” he told reporters during Niosh’s corporate social responsibility programme — Beach Cleanup at Pantai Padang Kemunting, Pengkalan Balak, today.
He stated that Niosh will start providing more detailed briefings to tourism industry players on the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022, which came into force on June 1.
Niosh will also collaborate with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, and the tourism agencies in each state, he added.
He explained that under the amended Act, which now includes the tourism sector, employers are required to conduct risk assessments at the workplace and appoint health and safety coordinators.
“We see this as crucial, especially for tourism in beach or island areas, where safety aspects are often overlooked despite the known and recognised risks.
“Therefore, we want safety measures to be in place before engaging in tourism activities, and enhanced safety in terms of boats, designated swimming areas, and safety equipment,” he said.
He also noted that between January and October 2023, the Department of Occupational Safety and Health recorded 176 non-permanent disability accident cases in the hotel and restaurant sector.
Earlier, over 100 volunteers from Niosh and students from the Advanced Technology Training Centre in Melaka collected 39.5 kgs of rubbish along nearly one kilometre of Pantai Kemunting’s shoreline. — Bernama
