PUTRAJAYA, Feb 2 — The Social Security Organisation (Socso) receives about 60,000 reports of work-related and commuting accidents and occupational diseases every year, said Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud.
He said 64,168 cases were reported to Socso last year, of which 35,015 cases involved industrial or workplace mishaps, whereas 29,153 cases were commuting accidents.
“During this period (2022), a total of 864 workers died — 255 due to industrial accidents and 609 due to commuting accidents, an increase from 525 workers who died due to road accidents the previous year (2021).
“From this data, we see on average nearly two workers die each day while commuting to and from work,” he told reporters after attending the Soco Grants Presentation Ceremony to Institutions and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) here today.
Mustapha said the Human Resources Ministry takes a serious view of occupational safety and health (OSH) issues in this country because every workplace injury is a cost to the community and country.
In the meantime, he said Socso allocated the Financial Assistance Grant, amounting to RM3.7 million, to 38 NGOs and institutions to implement 600 accident prevention and OSH awareness programmes.
Sosco chief executive Datuk Seri Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said the provision of grants to relevant institutions and NGOs has been implemented annually since 2001 as a continuous initiative to increase awareness of OSH and reduce accident rates, thus improving the well-being of workers, including the self-employed.
— Bernama
