850 OCCUPATIONAL HEARING LOSS CASES RECORDED IN PERAK IN 2023 - EXCO

IPOH, July 11 (Bernama) -- The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Perak branch recorded 850 cases of workers losing their hearing due to exposure to loud noises at work last year.

State Human Resources, Health, Indian Community Affairs, and National Integration Committee chairman A. Sivanesan, said that this makes it the highest occupational hazard in Perak.

He added that the statistics show workers affected are primarily from the manufacturing and production sectors.

bootstrap slideshow

“In 2023, we received 905 cases related to occupational hazards and poisoning, and 94 per cent of these cases involved hearing loss, a consistently high figure every year.

“As of June, DOSH has received 261 reported cases of occupational hazards and poisoning, with 95 of them involving hearing problems,” he said, after the launch of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Week 2024, here, today.

He added that 880 cases of occupational injury were recorded statewide, throughout 2023.

bootstrap slideshow

“Of these, 13 cases resulted in fatalities, while 39 cases involved permanent disability, and 828 cases involved non-permanent disability.

“For the first six months of this year, 491 cases of occupational injury were reported to the state DOSH, with four of them being fatal, 13 involving permanent disability, and 452 involving non-permanent disability,” he said.

Sivanesan added that to reduce the risk of such cases, DOSH is working to enhance punitive measures to raise awareness among industry players.

“Accident statistics reported to the state DOSH show an increasing number of cases involving both types of disability.

“Employers, employees, and stakeholders are urged to commit and cooperate in reducing workplace accidents,” he said.

The state DOSH also issued 2,866 directives and 658 notices, with 52 offences recorded under the Factories and Machinery Act 1967, amounting to RM183,000 in compounds. Additionally, 31 court actions were taken, with total fines of RM369,400.

“In terms of legal actions, as of June this year, 31 cases have been compounded, with a total of RM67,000, while 15 cases have been prosecuted in court, with total fines amounting to RM261,900,” he said.

-- BERNAMA