SHAH ALAM, May 4 – The Sungai Air Tawar road and bridge project linking Selangor and Perak has recorded one million man-hours without Lost Time Injury (LTI), marking a major occupational safety and health (OSH) milestone.
Selangor Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) deputy director Muhammad Nizam Ali said the achievement reflects consistent safety practices on site.
“Every hour without incident is not by chance, but the outcome of systematic planning, continuous monitoring, and strong commitment from management to workers on the ground,” he said during the ceremony to mark the milestone on Monday (April 27).
“For example, in the event of a fatality, officers are required to follow numerous procedures, including opening investigation papers (IP) for court proceedings.
“Attending court repeatedly can be exhausting for all parties. A significant amount of time is lost when punitive actions are taken, whereas that time could be better spent on planning high-impact programmes that benefit multiple stakeholders,” Nizam added in a statement issued by BBSB Holdings Sdn Bhd, the project’s principal works contractor.
The ceremony was also held in conjunction with the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, celebrated annually on April 28.
He noted that in the first quarter of this year, Selangor recorded seven workplace fatalities, five of which were in the construction sector.
It further logged 16 cases of permanent disability, 524 non-permanent disability cases, 36 dangerous occurrences, and 576 occupational disease cases.
“These statistics indicate that the construction sector remains high-risk and requires continuous commitment from all stakeholders to strengthen prevention culture and compliance with safety standards,” Nizam said.
The project is expected to serve as a benchmark for other developments in achieving zero-accident targets.
Meanwhile, BBSB Holdings and the project’s main contractor Meranti Budiman Sdn Bhd are implementing the ‘1001 Mangrove Planting: One Tree, A Million Hopes’ initiative.
BBSB Holdings executive director Tan Tze Tung said the programme ensures that infrastructure development goes hand in hand with environmental protection, particularly in the Sungai Bernam estuary, which is affected by the bridge construction.
Approximately 1,001 mangrove trees will be planted in collaboration with the Global Environment Centre, Sahabat Bakau, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, with works carried out in two phases from 2026 to 2027.
