Keeping our people and premises safe - Petronas

In a statement posted on its website, the national oil company said this measure was taken to curb, reduce and eliminate the spread of COVID-19 infections within its premises and among its employees for operational and business continuity.

"Petronas has a duty, as stipulated in the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 (OSHA 1994), to ensure the safety, health and welfare of all of its employees, including the provision of a working environment which is safe and without risks to health," it said.

Petronas continues to uphold this commitment and expects all employees, contractors and third parties to fully cooperate and comply with the entry requirement imposed by the company, it added.

Asked to comment on the statement, Petronas senior vice-president of group human resource management Farehana Hanapiah said: "It is self-explanatory, really. It underscores our commitment towards keeping our people safe, towards providing a working environment with reduced risks to health, particularly with the current COVID-19 situation."

Confirming that the entry requirement has been imposed since October, she said it is one of the many decisive measures Petronas has implemented to manage and reduce the risk of COVID-19 exposure and transmission.

"Our measures, coupled with strict requirements and clear standard operation procedures (SOPs), have allowed our employees to gradually and safely return to their respective workplace, boosting morale and improving teamwork and camaraderie after months of working remotely and away from each other.

"The high vaccination rate among our employees also provides additional levels of confidence for them to physically perform their work together and help in the implementation of other important initiatives by Petronas," Farehana said.

A case in point is Petronas' current efforts to provide relief to thousands of Malaysians affected by the recent floods for which the group has pledged RM25 million in assistance.

"We have received tremendous support from thousands of our employees who have stepped up to volunteer in the various relief efforts -- either the ones directly spearheaded by the company or units within the group, or those implemented by third parties.

"We are indeed very proud that they have been able to volunteer effectively and participate safely,'' she added.