BERNAMA – TOURISM SECURITY AWARENESS STILL LOW

ALOR GAJAH, June 29 (Bernama) – The tourism industry’s awareness of safety aspects remains low despite the rapid development of the sector, especially in Sabah and Melaka.

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Executive Secretary Maj. Hanif Maidin noted that the tourism industry largely still views safety issues as minor compared to issues in the construction and manufacturing sectors.

“The reality is that risk and danger are present everywhere. We observe that the awareness level in the tourism industry is still low,” he told reporters at the NIOSH Corporate Social Responsibility Program – Beach Cleanup at Pantai Padang Kemunting, Pengkalan Balak, today.

He said NIOSH will begin providing more detailed information to travel industry stakeholders on the Occupational Health and Safety (Amendment) Act 2022, which came into effect on June 1.

NIOSH will also work with the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and tourism agencies in each state, he added.

He explained that under the amended Act, which now covers the tourism industry, employers are required to conduct a risk assessment in the workplace and appoint occupational health and safety coordinators.

“We consider this to be crucial, especially in the case of tourism in beach and island areas, where safety aspects are often overlooked despite known and recognised risks.

“That is why we want to see safety measures put in place before tourism activities begin, as well as increased security in terms of boats, designated bathing areas and safety equipment,” he said.

He also noted that between January and October 2023, the Department of Occupational Health and Safety recorded 176 permanent disability accidents in the hospitality industry.

Earlier, more than 100 volunteers from NIOSH and students from the Melaka Advanced Technology Training Centre collected 39.5kg of rubbish from almost one kilometre of the Pantai Kemunting shoreline.

–BERNAMA