Companies need to report near misses at the workplace and encourage workers to highlight hazards, in order to reduce the number of injuries resulting from industrial accidents. Speaking at the launch of Safe Hands Campaign 2019 on Thurs, Minister of State for Manpower and National Development, Zaqy Mohamad, said such near-miss reports will plug gaps in existing safety procedures. The campaign, an initiative by WSH Council, focuses on the prevention of machinery-related hand and finger injuries in the workplace. He said for a near-miss reporting programme to be successful, a blame-free environment is critical. “Workers should be encouraged to proactively flag out hazards without fear of reprisal,” added Mr Zaqy. Besides reporting near misses, he said companies should also enforce appropriate control measures. While the number of hand and finger amputation cases in the workplace decreased from 140 in 2016 to 103 in 2018, Mr Zaqy said all of the injuries last year were preventable.... Continue Reading