Prioritising OSH, PERKESO Extends Wide Protection For Workers

In 1988, two years after taking the job, he was diagnosed with a slipped disc (L3L4) and had to undergo surgery the following year.

Sometime in 1990, he switched to a career in occupational safety and health, taking up a position as a safety personnel in the shipyard and oil and gas engineering industry. The job occasionally required him to perform manual lifting and assume awkward postures.

“As a result of the work I did, in 1998 I had to undergo another surgery for the slipped disc (L3L4), and a third one in 2011 when the same problem became more serious. Since then, my physical condition as well as the strength to stand, walk, run and play sports declined. A few years later, I was diagnosed with a cervical slipped disc (C3C4), which caused numbness in both my hands and neck pain, leading to yet another surgery.

“In 2024, I underwent radiofrequency ablation treatment for my lumbar slipped disc, and in May (this year), as my condition worsened, I had to undergo another surgery to treat the cervical slipped disc,” he told Bernama recently.

 

Now 62, and working and living in Johor, Mohd Zahruddin is the group safety director of a company in the building construction and property development industry, a position he has held since 2012. The father of two shared that the physical toll of his occupational hazards had significantly limited both his work and social activities.

“Initially, I was emotionally affected because I used to be very active in sports and adventurous activities. Suddenly, everything became restricted. What hurt the most was that after getting married, family activities like going on vacations also had to be limited.

“Financially, it was also quite tough because of the cost of treatments. Although the specialist hospital treatments were covered by insurance, I had to bear the cost of follow-up treatments myself,” he said, adding that Aug 10 was his first day back at work after his latest surgery.

Mohd Zahruddin said in the early years of his working life, awareness about occupational safety and health was lacking, including standard operating procedures (SOPs), ergonomic issues, training and so on.

He said last year, he applied for assistance from the Social Security Organisation (PERKESO). After his application was processed and he was assessed by PERKESO’s medical panel, he was certified as having a seven percent permanent disability.

“Thankfully, the application process was easy as I had all the required supporting documents as stated in the application form. The process, from application to approval, took about two months.

“Since I was over 60 at the time of application, I was not eligible for PERKESO’s Invalidity Pension Scheme, but instead received benefits under its Employment Injury Scheme in the form of rehabilitation treatment and one-off financial assistance. I’m now continuing with occupational therapy, physiotherapy and hydrotherapy sessions three times a week at IHT Rehab, a rehabilitation centre in Nusajaya, Johor.

“This assistance has been very helpful in my recovery process, allowing me to continue with work and daily activities,” he said, adding his employer has also been very supportive in enabling him to continue the treatments recommended by his specialist doctor.

 

Commenting on workplace accidents, Malaysian Society for Occupational Safety and Health (MSOSH) president Datuk Wira Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar Ismail said most of them stem from employers’ failure to recognise the importance of occupational safety and health (OSH). These include the failure to carry out comprehensive risk assessments, cutting corners on safety costs and ignoring workers’ complaints.

Other contributing factors are human-related (workers who are inadequately trained or fail to follow SOPs), physical hazards (vehicles moving without proper safety controls or objects falling from heights), exposure to hazardous substances (toxic chemicals, harmful vapours and industrial dust, with no proper ventilation systems in place), management failures (weak implementation of Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control; incomplete emergency procedures; and lack of supervision), and organisational factors (pressure to complete projects quickly and weak enforcement of safety regulations).

“Many employers still neglect workplace safety because they see it as a cost rather than an investment. They also lack awareness of their legal obligations and believe (their premises are safe as) nothing (untoward) has happened before,” he said, adding many also lack competent safety officers.

He said the level of OSH awareness varies by sector, but based on industry experience, only about 50 to 60 percent of employers in Malaysia have full practical awareness of workplace safety.

“Effective action begins with employers’ awareness that OSH is a core element of any organisation. OSH must be viewed as a strategic investment rather than a waste of money because it ensures smooth operations, reduces disruptions caused by accidents and enhances the company’s reputation,” he said.

Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar added that two key steps have proven effective in preventing workplace accidents: incorporating OSH from the earliest stages of operational planning to enable employers to identify and eliminate potential hazards; and allocating sufficient financial resources for OSH implementation, covering employee training, purchase of quality personal protective equipment, installation of safety systems and regular audits.

“Through these two measures, employers not only comply with the relevant laws but also build a safe and sustainable work culture,” he said.

 

Encouraging workers to ensure their safety by following all safe work procedures, complying with employers’ OSH-related instructions, staying alert to hazards around them, and immediately reporting risks, he also stressed that employers hold the primary responsibility of ensuring that all operational aspects are planned safely.

According to him, employers must ensure that all workers receive adequate OSH training appropriate to their job risks, and integrate OSH as a key factor at every stage of operational planning, including workplace design, work processes and equipment purchases.

“Through this approach, both parties can work together to ensure a safe work environment and reduce accident risks, thereby preventing disasters from occurring,” he said.

Believing that existing laws are sufficient to protect workers’ safety at the workplace, Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar said this is especially true with the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022, which came into effect on June 1, 2024, and raised the maximum fine to RM500,000 compared to RM50,000 previously for violations under the Act.

Human Resources Minister Steven Sim previously said the Act was amended in line with the MADANI government’s commitment to ensuring that all workers in the country can work in a safe, healthy, conducive and productive environment. It also ensures that workers’ safety, health and welfare are prioritised, while workplaces remain free of accidents and occupational diseases.

However, Ahmad Fakhrul Anuar said the law’s implementation is based on the concept of self-regulation, which requires the cooperation of all stakeholders, including employers, employees and enforcement bodies, to effectively cultivate a safe working culture.

“The government must take a more serious approach to ensure that employers, who are the backbone of industry, truly understand the concept and requirements of OSH through mandatory training programmes and regular audits,” he said.

He also called for stricter enforcement and prison sentences for employers who fail to ensure workplace safety, resulting in workers’ deaths.

“The penalty rate for repeated offences should also be increased – employers who repeatedly commit the same violations must face heavier fines or temporary suspension of operations,” he said.

He also said integrating OSH into technical and vocational education curricula is vital to ensure that future workers entering the industry have basic safety awareness and skills.

 

Meanwhile, based on statistics from PERKESO, between January and June this year, a total of 21,042 cases of industrial accidents and 21,487 commuting accidents involving workers were recorded nationwide.

The sectors recording the highest numbers of workplace accidents were construction, wholesale and retail trade, and transportation and storage.

PERKESO provides comprehensive protection under its Employment Injury Scheme, which covers a wide range of benefits for affected contributors. Among them are medical benefits to cover the cost of medical treatment arising from occupational accidents or service-related illnesses.

In 2025, as of June, a total of 10,142 PERKESO contributors have received medical benefits amounting to a cumulative payment of RM3.51 million.

“The Temporary Disablement Benefit (TDB) is also provided to contributors during the period of medical leave, which must be certified by a doctor, provided the leave is not less than four days, including the day of the accident,” PERKESO said.

From January to June 2025, a total of 44,863 contributors received TDB payments amounting to RM172.32 million.

“For contributors who suffer permanent disablement due to workplace accidents, PERKESO provides the Permanent Disablement Benefit, with 36,027 contributors having received such payments totalling RM252.54 million (from January to June this year),” the organisation said.

The protection offered is not limited to financial assistance alone – PERKESO is also committed to helping contributors affected by workplace accidents to recover and reintegrate into society.

 

In addition to protection for employment-related accidents, PERKESO also provides coverage for those involved in non-occupational accidents.

“This year up to June, a total of 11,573 eligible dependents have received funeral benefit payments amounting to RM32.17 million. This benefit is given when a contributor passes away due to either occupational or non-occupational causes,” the organisation said.

On the process of filing employment injury claims, PERKESO said employers are required to submit an official report to the organisation within 48 hours after being notified of the accident, using Form 34. Reports can be submitted online via PERKESO’s official portal or delivered directly to the nearest PERKESO office.

“Employees or employers must provide supporting documents such as a copy of the employee’s identity card, police report (if it is a work-related road accident) and medical certificate for the purpose of making a claim.

“Eligibility for claims is open to all categories of workers, including Malaysian citizens, permanent residents and foreign workers, with claim processing times varying according to the type of benefit,” the organisation added.

 

Meanwhile, PERKESO’s Disability Management Programme (PHU) – a holistic initiative to help contributors who suffer from physical or cognitive disabilities due to injury or illness – adopts a biopsychosocial approach through comprehensive physical and vocational rehabilitation referrals. The goal is to restore their optimal functional capacity so they can be independent and return to work.

Since its launch in 2007, the programme has helped 95,631 contributors with disabilities improve their physical and cognitive functionality through physical and vocational rehabilitation referrals. They were able to return to work through the Return to Work (RTW) programme. This year, up to June, 24,320 individuals have benefited from this initiative with total payments of RM217.95 million.

Among those who benefited from PHU was an agricultural general worker who was involved in a road accident in June 2022. He sustained serious injuries, including a closed fracture of the left wrist (distal end radius and ulna), an open fracture of the left leg (proximal tibia), a closed fracture of the right tibia, and a fracture of the left clavicle. The worker filed a claim with PERKESO and was referred to PHU for rehabilitation purposes and to return to work.

The case was managed by a PERKESO PHU officer who implemented an integrated intervention which included an intensive rehabilitation programme and regular monitoring, and collaborating with therapists, doctors, the employer and family members.

As a result of this holistic approach, the worker successfully returned to work with the same employer in January 2024 – just 16 months after the accident, compared to the initial target of 24 months or longer. His level of permanent disablement was also low as his functional capacity was restored to optimum levels.

“The Disability Management Programme has a positive impact not only on individual recovery but also on employers’ operational continuity and productivity. Early intervention, continuous monitoring, and close collaboration between PERKESO and workers, employers and healthcare providers are key to ensuring workers return to work with optimum functional capacity within a controlled timeframe,” the organisation explained.

Meanwhile, the Employment Injury Treatment Programme provides free medical treatment at PERKESO panel clinics for contributors injured due to workplace accidents.

The treatments provided include emergency treatment, clinical consultation, referrals and X-ray examinations. The programme also offers two free follow-up sessions for moderate to severe injuries.

Contributors’ eligibility can be verified by PERKESO panel clinics via the SEHATi platform, using the identity card number for citizens and the social security number for foreign workers. As of Aug 12, PERKESO had a total of 2,366 panel clinics nationwide.

 

PERKESO also provides a Dependents’ Benefit, a form of financial assistance for the dependents of employees or contributors who die due to employment-related accidents. Between January and June this year, PERKESO disbursed RM215.69 million in Dependents’ Benefit payments to 48,730 recipients.

The daily rate for the payment is 90 percent of the contributor’s average assumed daily wage, subject to a minimum of RM30 per day and a maximum of RM178. 50 per day.

“For dependants, the daily benefit distribution is based on priority. Widows or widowers are entitled to three-fifths of the benefit, payable for life, even if they remarry (from or after May 1, 2005).

“All eligible children qualify, including biological children, dependent stepchildren, adopted children or illegitimate children, who will receive two-fifths (if the widow or widower is deceased, the children’s share becomes three-fifths).

“Children are entitled to the benefit until the age of 21 or marriage, whichever comes first. If enrolled in higher education, benefits continue until the first degree is obtained or marriage, whichever comes first. For children with mental disabilities or permanent physical disabilities who are unable to support themselves, the benefit is payable for as long as they remain incapacitated,” the organisation said.

As for PERKESO’s Funeral Benefit, effective June 1, 2024, RM3,000 is provided to eligible dependents to cover funeral expenses. If there are no dependents, the benefit is paid to the party who bears the funeral costs.

 

Highlighting that PERKESO takes employers’ failure to report workplace accidents seriously, the organisation said under the Employees’ Social Security Act (Act 4) and its regulations, employers are required to report any workplace accident within 48 hours after being notified of the accident, failing which they may face fines up to RM10,000, imprisonment of up to two years, or both if convicted.

“PERKESO undertakes various initiatives to raise OSH awareness and reduce workplace accidents, including continuous advocacy programmes either directly or in collaboration with stakeholders, and social media outreach.

“Other intervention programmes include the Vision Zero Support Programme and the Work-Related Road Safety Support Programme. We also conduct safety training and workshops for employers and employees.

“PERKESO also carries out workplace inspections and occupational risk audits to identify and control potential hazards. Organisations demonstrating excellent safety performance are given incentives and recognition,” said the organisation, adding that PERKESO also leverages technology and accident data analysis to design more precise and effective interventions, particularly for high-risk employers.