Health and safety boost for SC staff

2010/05/24
V. Josephine
streets@nstp.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The 650 staff of the Securities Commission Malaysia in Bukit Kiara participated in the SC's annual health and safety week which ended last Friday.
Besides starting off each work day with a healthy breakfast, they had health screening, attended a health talk, signed up for organ donation, donated blood, and attended a talk on crime prevention, safe driving and car maintenance during the week at their office.
Health and Safety Week committee and adviser Dr Amar Singh said the healthy breakfast concept meant there would be no nasi lemak, mee goreng, roti canai or any other food which could raise the staff's cholesterol level. Instead, there were low-fat sandwiches, cereals, salads, low-fat fresh milk, fruit juices, eggs, porridge, soup noodles and plenty of fresh fruits.The week kicked off with a talk on safe driving and car maintenance. Two experts shared their views and gave tips on how to carry out simple checks on cars which could save money and time.
The National Transplant Resource Centre, Hospital KL gave a talk on organ donation. Although more people are now aware of what organ donation entails, the number of people willing to donate is still small.
"This is where we propagate the message that it is safe to donate organs," said Dr Amar.
Dr Amar, who is also the medical/health adviser of the SC's corporate resources, said it was SC policy to ensure that all its staff worked in a safe and healthy environment in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Act.SC human resources department (compensation & benefits) head Catherine Leong said the health and safety week had been an annual affair for the past six years, albeit on a small scale. This year, the talks were included to give the staff a wider perspective on what health and safety was all about.
The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) conducted a health screening exercise under the "Early Detection & Prevention Saves Lives" programme.
All the staff checked their blood pressures, body mass index, waist circumference, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and took a urinalysis, followed by a counselling session.
On the last day of the week, the staff attended a talk on crime prevention by the Crime Prevention Foundation, and a blood donation campaign by the Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL).
"As a caring employer, we take health and safety issues very seriously. The management and staff must share the responsibility of creating a better working environment for everyone," said Leong.Leong said the health campaign was an opportunity for the SC to give back to the community and by working closely with the NGOs .