Daily Express Online (10.10.2019) Socso scheme helps cut workers’ mishaps while commuting to work. Elopura Assemblyman, Calvin Chong, said awareness on road accidents involving workers heading to or from work is important. He said, according to a study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), about 30 to 40 per cent of accidents occur due to road users’ attitude.
The smart sharing programme between the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and employers helped reduce the rate of workers’ accidents while commuting to and from work.
Elopura Assemblyman, Calvin Chong, said awareness on road accidents involving workers heading to or from work is important.
He said, according to a study by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), about 30 to 40 per cent of accidents occur due to road users’ attitude.
“Safety issues should not be taken lightly,” he said when officiating the Commuting Safety Support Programme for Socso Contributors at the KHB Green Edible Oil Sdn Bhd factory, at Jalan POIC, here, Tuesday.
The event was jointly organised by Socso and Miros.
A total of 30 participants including factory workers took part in the programme with 10 facilitators from Miros.
At the same event, Chong presented 20 helmets from Socso to the factory staff.
Also present was KHB representative, Masran Hamzah, and Miros representatives. On the programme, Chong believes it can help improve riders’ safety while reducing the rate of road accidents involving motorcycles.
This is because previously, the programme also proved to be effective in reducing the rate of accidents involving motorcyclists when the percentage of accidents dropped by 70 per cent in companies who participated in the programme.
In addition, Socso will also strengthen workforce awareness on the safety of commuting to work through its 3E approach, namely Education, Enforcement and Engineering.
Through the educational element, Socso and Miros will carry out a variety of workplace safety and advocacy programmes.
The approach, he said, can be a catalyst for the implementation of the “Safety and Healthy Work Culture” among employers and workers, thus supporting the International Social Security Association’s (ISSA) policy in reducing accident rates and developing a healthy workforce.
Socso and Miros also saw the need to set up a Commuting Safety Support Programme for motorcycle taxis in an effort to reduce road accidents.
The programme in collaboration between Socso and Miros is to increase knowledge, awareness and skills on road safety issues especially the safety of working people who ride motorcycles to and from work.
Statistics from Miros showed 6,740 deaths recorded from 533,875 road accidents in 2017, resulting in the loss of nearly RM8.76 billion to the national economy.