RI companies lax in preventing accidents at work<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): A senior official of the Ministry of Manpower
\nsaid yesterday he was not impressed by the performance of
\nIndonesian companies in ensuring the safety of their workers.<\/p>\n
Director General for Industrial Relations and Labor Standards
\nSuwarto, opening a seminar on health and occupational safety,
\nsaid that the number of industrial accidents in Indonesia this
\nyear is relatively high.<\/p>\n
The ministry, Suwarto added, recorded nine major industrial
\naccidents in 1995. A total of 30 people were killed and 54 others
\nwere injured in those nine accidents.<\/p>\n
These accidents, he said, also left companies with billions of
\nrupiah in financial losses, both through production stoppage and
\ncompensation for the workers affected.<\/p>\n
The nine biggest workplace accidents this year were:<\/p>\n
* A fire at a batik factory in Solo, Central Java.<\/p>\n
* A toxic gas leakage at the pulp and paper plant of PT Inti
\nIndo Rayon in North Sumatra.<\/p>\n
* An explosion at a fireworks factory in Brebes, Central Java.<\/p>\n
* A fire at an oil refinery in Cilacap, Central Java.<\/p>\n
* An accident at Aryaduta Hotel in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
* An accident at an excavation site in Ciracas, East Jakarta,<\/p>\n
* An explosion on a ship in East Kalimantan,<\/p>\n
* The explosion of a steam boiler in a factory in East Java,<\/p>\n
* A fire at PT Eka Daya Niaga in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Suwarto underlined the need for all companies to abide by the
\n1972 Law on Health and Occupation to minimize the number of
\nindustrial accidents.<\/p>\n
He said that it is the duty of corporate managements, and not
\nthe government, to ensure that their workers are properly
\nprotected against the possibility of accidents.<\/p>\n
\"Occupational accidents will cause material losses to
\nmanagement and decrease corporate productivity,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Companies, he said, should abide by the 1972 law out of their
\nown concern and not because of pressure from the government.<\/p>\n
Noncompliance with the law could mean a maximum imprisonment
\nof three months or a fine of Rp 100,000 (US$43).<\/p>\n
The government's approach to the problem is a campaign to
\ndevelop the awareness of company management and workers of the
\nneed for occupational safety, Suwarto said.<\/p>\n
Besides, industries can no longer ignore occupational safety
\nrequirements because it will become an important factor in
\ninternational standard certification such as ISO 9000 and ISO
\n14000.<\/p>\n
ISO is the acronym for International Standardization
\nOrganization, an international institution that certifies the
\nquality of products. (rms).<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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