“TRANSFORMING BORNEO FOR A RESILIENT TOMORROW”
Rapid development in Borneo, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak regions, is evident in many sectors with the emergence of mega projects that are set to transform the industrial and business landscape apart from creating new challenges at workplace.
The Federal Government’s decision to transfer the regulatory power for oil and gas supply to Sarawak and Sabah will also fuel the transformation process, together with the completion of Pan Borneo Highway and the relocation of Indonesia’s new capital to East Kalimantan.
However, rapid development has also raised concerns on the occupational safety and health (OSH) aspect, which must be upgraded and transformed in order to meet the requirements and demands from a more challenging working environment. In its effort to meet the new demands, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) will once again organise the Borneo Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health for this year, known as BOSH 2023.
NIOSH has chosen “Transforming Borneo for a Resilient Tomorrow” as the theme for BOSH 2023, in line with the government’s vision to improve the level of safety and health in the workplace under the OSH Master Plan 2021-2025 (OSHMP25). It is also in accordance with the decision m a d e by the International Labour Conference last year to include “a safe and healthy working environment” in the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) framework of fundamental principles and rights at work.
In this regard, it has become more pertinent and relevant for BOSH 2023 t odiscuss and share the experience, expertise and ideas on how Borneo should improve the OSH approaches and standard to meet the new requirements due to the overall economic, human resource and infrastructural development. Every region a n d culture requires different OSH approaches a n d in Borneo particularly and Malaysia in general, professional technical competency must always be supported by the tripartite process, which includes the government, workers and employers and the “Total Worker Health’ concept.
As what being promoted by the ILO, NIOSH believes that stepping up OSH investments in people at all levels and market segments of society is the only way to create a sustainable OSH practices a n d a brighter future for all, especially in the fast-growing Borneo.