DOSH begins probe into fatal stadium fall in Johor

JOHOR BAHRU: A team from the Johor Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) has already commenced investigations into yesterday's incident in which two men who were carrying out maintenance work at the Sultan Ibrahim Stadium in Iskandar Puteri fell to their death.

Department director Husdin Che Amat said the team found that the victims, both local technicians, were conducting cleaning works before falling from the canvas roof and landing on the British Reinforced Concrete (BRC) fence of the stadium.

The incident happened at about 12.30 pm.

The duo, aged 34 and 35 respectively, had been assigned in pairs to clean the stadium's canvas roof using the rope access technique near the Gate A entrance in front of the Johor Darul Ta'zim Club Headquarters (JDT).

"They fell from a height of 27 metres and died at the scene," Husdin said in a statement today.

Husdin said the department took seriously all incidents involving occupational safety and health and further investigations would be carried out to complete the findings.

Legal action would be taken under the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 against those responsible if safety laws had been violated, he said.

"Those working at high altitudes are exposed to danger, however, it can be reduced if employers use systematic instruments along with three main processes, namely hazard identification, risk assessment and risk control (HIRARC).

"Besides that, employers can also refer to the Guidelines for the Prevention of Falls at Workplaces issued by DOSH in 2007," he added.

-- BERNAMA