Report and pix: Abd Raai Osman

BANGI, 16 November 2015 – The concept of safe schools should not be limited to just disciplinary problems such as crime, threats to students, bullying and thuggery.

The concept of safe schools should include health and safety aspects in learning activities, curriculum, buildings, equipment and facilities, said the  Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences (FSK) Prof Dr Zamratol-Mai Sarah Mukari.

The school is a place that can create a comfortable learning surrounding,  free from hazardous elements, said Prof Siti Samratol-Mai, when launching the 2015 Occupational Safety and Health campaign, or ‘OSH in Schools’ at the Taman Dato Harun secondary school in Petaling Jaya, Selangor on September 15.

“Students should be exposed to safety and health programmes so that they are aware about related to their safety and health issues in schools,” she stressed.

She said ‘OSH In School’ aims to inculcate safety and health practices in  pupils, teachers and support staff.

According to her, teachers, staff and visitors during their visit at a school should be aware of the importance of  ‘OSH In School’ to ensure the safety, health and welfare of students.

Apart from that, it also promotes the Faculty of Health Sciences of UKM.

In the meantime, Dr Anuar Ithnin, an expert in Occupational Health and Safety, Industrial Safety Management (OSH-ISM) as the director of ‘OSH in School’ explained that SMK Taman Dato Harun was selected because it was the site of a landfill.

There were complaints about foul odour from the waste sludge when it rained, said Dr Anuar.

According to him, studies done by UKM that use community grants about the impact of the site on the surrounding community had been published in two journals.

A programme like this had been held in  Pagoh, Muar Johor by undergraduates studying environmental health at FSK.