About 60,000 accident case reports covering accidents at work, accidents on the way to and from work and service illnesses are received by the Social Security Organization (PERKESO) every year.
Deputy Minister of Human Resources Mustapha Sakmud said that last year 64,168 accident cases were reported to SOCSO and of that number, 35,015 cases were industrial accidents or workplace accidents while 29,153 cases were travel accidents and commuting to work.
“During that period a total of 864 workers died with industrial accidents causing 255 deaths while travel accidents caused 609 workers to die, which is an increase from the 525 workers who died in road accidents last year.”
“If we observe this data, we can see that on average almost two workers are killed every day as a result of travel accidents in this country,” he told the media after the 2023 SOCSO Aid Grant Presentation Ceremony for Institutions and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today.
Mustapha said the Ministry of Human Resources always takes the issue of occupational safety and health (OKH) seriously in this country because every occupational disaster is a cost to the community and the country.
This year, he said PERKESO allocated Financial Assistance Grants amounting to RM3.7 million to 38 NGOs and institutions to implement 600 accident prevention and OSH awareness programs.
PERKESO Chief Executive Datuk Seri Dr Mohammed Azman Aziz Mohammed said grant allocations to relevant institutions and NGOs have been implemented annually since 2001 as a continuous initiative to empower awareness of the PPE, reduce the accident rate, and further improve the well-being of workers including the self-employed.
