PLANTATIONS TOLD TO APPOINT OFFICERS TO LOOK INTO WORKERS SAFETY AND HEALTH

KLUANG (Malaysia), Dec 13 (Bernama) -- Plantation owners are required to
appoint special officers to supervise and manage matters pertaining to their
workers' safety and health to avoid any untoward incidents, Human Resources
Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said Saturday.

He said the appointment of such an officer would be part of the
occupational safety and health management system at all plantations.

"This way, a more effective planning on occupational safety and health can
be implemented," he said at the opening of a carnival on occupational safety and
health in agriculture sector organised by the Department of Occupational Safety
and Health (DOSH)at a plantation in this southern town.

Until now, there are 3,037 oil palm plantations registered under DOSH,
involving 140,936 workers nationwide.

Dr Subramaniam said that besides the implementation of the occupational
safety and health management system, maintenance culture should also be
instilled among workers.

"Each workers should know their role and responsibilities, the equipment
they have to use, the types of dangerous chemicals they are going to use,
handling of machinery and others," he added.

He said that among accidents which normally occurred in oil palm
plantations were workers being hit by falling oil palm fronds, pricked by thorns
of oil palm fruits and cuts when using sickles.
-- BERNAMA