Deputy Human Resources Minister Maznah Mazlan reminded employers to take serious view of worker safety at the workplace.
She said costs incurred from accidents are of higher value than the cost to ensure safety at the workplace and gives a bad image to the organisation and nation.
“The cost of treatment and compensation to victims’ families have to be made while the industry loses a skilled workers. Production will suffer and it may lead to civil action,” she said after launching Small and Medium Enterprises Occupational Safety and Health Seminar 2011 today.
The Social Security Organisation (Socso) paid RM1.678bil in compensation involving 57,656 accident cases and 1,221 occupational disease cases last year.
Maznah said the amount was a 23.9 percent or RM0.234 billion increase compared with 2009.
“It is not a small amount. Many families suffered as they lost their source of income to death, disabilities and diseases,” she added.
– Bernama