Employers advised to stop field work if haze levels worsen

Employers advised to stop field work if haze levels worsen
Business & Markets 2013
Written by Bernama
Monday, 24 June 2013 13:28

PUTRAJAYA (June 24): Employers have been advised to reduce or stop field work should Air Pollutant Index (API) readings remain at worrying levels, said Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) director-general Datuk Dr Johari Basri.

He said this was necessary so that the health of workers continued to be protected.

"We hope that at certain API levels, employers will take action especially for their workers in the field and CONSTRUCTION [] sites.

"Workers who operate cranes, for example, will experience low visibility due to the haze and this will endanger them," he told Bernama, here today.

According to Johari, employers in all sectors were advised to prepare a guideline on safety and health for their workers which could be implemented with cooperation from the Health Ministry and Department of Environment (DOE).

He added that employees must also give consideration for their safety and health first.

"They need to be more careful when driving or riding a motorcycle," he said.

According to reports from the DOE, API readings in Muar, which was declared as an emergency area, showed a positive development with readings of 148 as at 7am today compared to 507 at 4pm yesterday.

Only one area remains as hazardous which is Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan with API reading of 335, while Bukit Rambai, Melaka, and Kemaman, Terengganu, still have unhealthy levels of 260 and 249.

Unhealthy API readings are found in 19 areas, 28 areas are moderate and one categorised as good. – Bernama