Socso introduces Malaysian standard on road traffic safety for gig workers

The Star

The Social Security Organisation (Socso) has introduced the Malaysian Standard 2756 - Good Practices for Platform Providers in Implementing Work-Related Road Traffic Safety Management (MS 2756:2023), as a tool to achieve the government's target to improve road safety in line with the development of the digital economy and gig workers.  Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar said in his speech at the closing ceremony of the Vision Zero Malaysia Seminar 2023 on Wednesday (Aug 23) that MS 2756:2023, which was initially proposed by Socso and developed through a working group under the national standards development infrastructure, was intended as a guideline for good practices to platform providers to ensure safer management of work travel.  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00 to one V Sivakumar, Minister of Human Resources, to deliver his closing remarks.

00:05 Accident involving workers in Malaysia is still a cause of concern, especially commuting accidents.

00:22 In 2022, the total number of accidents reported to Pragaso was 72,149 cases, of which 45.7%

00:37 of 32,976 cases were commuting accidents. Of this, there were 651 deaths due to commuting accidents

00:55 compared with 281 fatalities caused by industrial accidents. The figure is alarming

01:06 because on average, out of three occupational deaths reported to Pragaso in a day,

01:13 two deaths are attributable to commuting accidents while one death is due to workplace accidents.

01:26 The Ministry of Human Resources is very serious in reducing accidents among Malaysian workers.

01:35 Many cases of accidents in which human factor has been identified as the primary cause

01:42 have made children lose their parents and vice versa. Employers lost their skilled workers

01:52 while the nation lost high potential human resources. Ladies and gentlemen,

02:00 the objective of this seminar is to foster a culture of safety and well-being in our workplaces.

02:09 Throughout this event, I believe all the participants have engaged in various topics

02:17 ranging from occupational safety and health to mental well-being. I hope this two-day seminar

02:30 has imparted greater awareness on what Vision Zero is. Vision Zero is not just a concept,

02:40 it is a philosophy, a commitment and a call to action. It originated as a road safety initiative

02:53 seeking to eliminate all traffic-related fatalities and severe injuries. However,

03:00 its principles extend far beyond the realm of road safety, making it a powerful tool

03:09 for prevention in social security. At the heart of Vision Zero is the belief that

03:19 no loss of life or serious injuries is acceptable. The philosophy challenges us to rethink our

03:29 strategies, to go beyond traditional boundaries and to strive for a culture of prevention

03:38 in the workplace where occupational accidents, injuries and diseases are not inevitable but

03:47 preventable. I would like to highlight key elements of Vision Zero as a tool for

03:56 prevention in social security. Shared responsibility. Vision Zero

04:06 embodies the principle that safety is everyone's responsibility.

04:13 Just as drivers, pedestrians and city planners collaborate to create safer roads,

04:19 all stakeholders within our occupational safety and health framework must unite

04:28 to safeguard the well-being of our workers. On that note, I am glad to see

04:38 representatives from government agencies, employers, associations, workers' unions

04:46 and NGOs are all here participating in this seminar. Successful implementation of Vision

05:01 Zero requires the engagement of all stakeholders. By fostering a sense of ownership

05:09 and collaboration, we can build a society where safety and well-being are shared goals,

05:17 not an isolated responsibility. Systemic approach.

05:25 Within the framework of Vision Zero, it is evident that an individual's behaviour

05:32 often serves as an indicator of underlying systemic deficiencies within the workplace.

05:40 Throughout the application of the Vision Zero assessment tool, focusing on the root cause of

05:49 accidents, we can engineer solutions that address these issues proactively.

05:56 Also, by collecting and analysing comprehensive data, we can identify trends,

06:04 predict potential threats and allocate resources where they are needed most,

06:14 and ensuring that our prevention efforts are precise and effective.

06:20 Continuous improvement. Just as Vision Zero envisions a workplace with zero fatalities,

06:32 it also demands continuous improvement in our preventive measures.

06:41 We must commit to an ongoing cycle of evaluation, learning and adaptation,

06:49 refining our strategies as we gain new insights. Vision Zero also encourages us

06:59 to think creatively and embrace innovation.

07:04 Thank you.

07:04 [END]

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