SIBU: The Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Dosh) has issued 62 notices, 41 of them stop work order, to 16 construction sites in Sibu, Sarikei and Mukah.

Dosh Sarawak head of construction works section Shahrul Azhar Mustaffa told a press conference at University College of Technology Sarawak here yesterday that the notices were issued during their two-day ‘Ops Cegah Runtuh’ on Aug 12 and 13.

“There were those among the stop work order issued where we required the construction sites to cease operation immediately.

“Then, there were those which we stopped for a certain period of time. The balance of 21 notices was related to making improvement at the construction sites,” he said.

Shahrul added from the 62 notices, there were nine on housekeeping which comprised stagnant water which could become Aedes mosquito breeding ground, access planks, nails and other items scattered around.

Meanwhile, Dosh Sibu branch chief Chai Chong Foong said among the major non-compliance detected during the operation was one related to not engaging a competent person to erect scaffolding.

They also noted there was no guarding on open edges in some instances, which could result in workers falling.

He recalled just two weeks ago, enforcement officers from Dosh visited 20 premises in the state, taking the total sites visited to 36 thus far this year.

He said notices were also issued to construction sites in Sarikei, Sibu and Mukah which did not register with Dosh.

“From 2011 till 2013, 471 construction sites in Sarawak have registered with the department. Last year, we inspected 220 sites throughout Sarawak.”

Chai also said they issued 305 notices and 702 order letters last year.

He said it was mandatory for all construction sites to register with Dosh irrespective of project sum, adding that they had to do so within seven days from commencement of work.

Chai explained that the Factory and Machinery Act 1967 stated that contractors were required to send JKJ103 form to the department not more than seven days from the commencement of operation for registration purpose.

“And as stipulated under the Occupational Safety and Healthy Act (Osha) 1994, any construction sites with the project sum exceeding RM20 million, the contractor needs to engage a safety and health officer (SHO).”

He said the requirement was not confined to construction sites but included construction sites of shop houses, shopping centres, roads and bridges and the building of tunnels.

Dosh Sarawak assistant inspector for factories and machinery, R Buvaneswaran chipped in, saying that all construction sites where the project period was more than six weeks and utilised machinery having to register with them.

Earlier in speech, Chai said the fourth ‘Ops Cegah Runtuh’ was the second of such operation carried out by Dosh in Sarawak.

The first and second ones were held in Kuching and Miri last year while the third operation was carried out in Bintulu in June this year.

The operations was carried out following the collapse of several scaffolding in the country which resulted in deaths and injuries such as at the construction structure of the second Penang bridge in 2013.

Project manager from Hock Peng Furniture & General Contractor, Hu Tie Leong also spoke at the closing of the fourth ‘Ops Cegah Runtuh’.

Later, Chai officiated at the closing ceremony.