ETHICS and integrity are vital for good OSH (Occupational Safety and Health) practices at all workplaces.
I have often been asked in what way can unethical and corrupt practices affect safety and health at work. What is the impact of corruption on the safety at the workplace and that of the public?
Ethics, honesty and morals are key elements of the concept of integrity. In the workplace, those who act with integrity will always tell the truth, are accountable, transparent and reliable, and treat co-workers, stakeholders and customers with respect.
Civil servants, employees of government-linked companies and those from the corporate sector should always uphold integrity and avoid corrupt practices.
Integrity must be instilled when they join an organisation, so that over time it will become part of their identity. If someone acts with integrity, he or she will do the right thing even when no one is watching.
According to the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia, fraud elimination is an important aspect of sustainable safety management, especially in managing OSH, accidents or near misses at the workplace.
The following are some examples of fraudulent practices which can impact safety outcomes in one way or another:
i) Purchase of low-quality or sub-standard PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) or tools/equipment, increasing the risk of injury of the employees.
ii) Inaccurate records, resulting in a wrong assessment of a hazardous situation or characteristics of a product, or wrong appropriation of much-needed support to fix a risky environment.
iii) Taking shortcuts, circum-venting SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures), resulting in unsafe practices and unsafe acts.
iv) Abuse of power, resulting in the exploitation of weaker beings to work in dangerous, dirty and demanding work environments, to achieve personal goals.
v) Conflict of interest, rewarding contracts to less competent vendors, creating safety hazards and exposing employees to handling a hazardous environment without adequate protections.
It cannot be denied that only honesty, integrity and morals can help to address the above-mentioned problems and prevent corrupt practices.
We should not tolerate corruption and allow it to become a culture in our society, especially among OSH practitioners.
In the fight against corruption, the elements of integrity, governance process, morals and ethical behaviour should be integrated into the existing safety training syllabus.
All OSH practitioners must embrace integrity and loathe corruption.
While efforts by the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission to fight corruption are welcomed, it should include all workplaces.
Corruption in Malaysia is at a worrying level and action needs to be intensified to address this menace in our society.
Corruption in whatever form must never be tolerated as it impoverishes the country, causes hardship to the people and leads to economic decline. If it involves OSH practitioners and agencies, it may result in accidents that could cause injury or death.
We cannot be unconcerned and complacent about corruption because it attacks not only the economic and social fabric of society but also the moral foundations of order.
Efforts should be continuously made to instil integrity and ethical values because people of high integrity are not likely to commit corrupt practices under any circumstances.
It should be the aim of all OSH practitioners to drive OSH excellence with integrity for the future.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Alliance for a Safe Community
