Background In Malaysia, surveillance of fatal occupational injuries is fragmented. We therefore analyzed an alternative data source from Malaysia’s Social Security organization, the PERKESO. Methods We conducted a secondary data analysis of the PERKESO database comprised of 7 million employees from 2002 to 2006. Results Overall, the average annual incidence was 9.2 fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers. During the five-year period, there was a decrease in the absolute number of fatal injuries by 16% and the incidence by 34%. The transportation sector reported the highest incidence of fatal injuries (35.1/100,000), followed by agriculture (30.5/100,000) and construction (19.3/100,000) sectors. Persons of Indian ethnicity were more likely to sustain fatal injuries compared to other ethnic groups. Conclusions Government and industry should develop rigorous strategies to detect hazards in the workplace, especially in sectors that continuously record high injury rates. Targeted interventions emphasizing worker empowerment coupled with systematic monitoring and evaluation is critical to ensure success in prevention and control measures.

We analyzed data on non-fatal occupational injuries reported to Malaysia's social security organization from 2002 to 2006. There was a decrease in both the absolute number and the incidence rates of these injuries over time. About 40% of cases occurred in the manufacturing sector followed by the service (17%) and trading (17%) sectors. The agriculture sector reported the highest incidence rate (24.1/1,000), followed by the manufacturing sector subcategories of wood-product manufacturing (22.1/1,000) and non-metallic industries (20.8/1,000). Men age 40 to 59 and persons of Indian ethnicity had a greater tendency to sustain injuries. Government and nongovernmental organizations should strive to develop strategies to reduce the occupational injuries targeting vulnerable groups. Enforcement of safety measures will further play an important role to ensure that both employees and employers take special precautions to address workplace hazards.Keywords occupational injuries; surveillance; industry; wood products; agriculture; service sector; Malaysia Globally, an estimated 100 million occupational injuries occur each year; 1 such injuries account for an estimated 350,000 deaths. 2 Most data pertaining to occupational injuries come from developed countries. Data on occupational injuries in Southeast Asia are limited to a few countries. Approximately 3% to 4% of workers registered with Thailand's Workmen's Compensation Fund were reported to have sustained occupational injuries each year from 1992 to 2001. 3 Singapore's Ministry of Manpower reported 10,018 cases of workplace injuries for 2007, with 53% of these cases arising from manufacturing and construction. 4 In Vietnam, the highest burden of work-related injuries was noted among farmers. 5 Handling machinery and being struck by falling objects were the main causes of occupational injuries for persons admitted to the hospital emergency departments in the Putuo District, China. 6 Most occupational injuries are preventable; therefore, an improved understanding of occupational injuries can pave the way for more effective preventive strategies. In the absence of systematic occupational injuries surveillance, particularly in developing countries, data collected by governmental agencies or industry is potentially useful in identifying the distribution patterns of occupational injuries. In Malaysia, surveillance of non-fatal occupational injuries is fragmented. We explored alternative sources that may provide information on non-fatal occupational injuries in the country. Malaysia's Social Security Organization, PERKESO (Pertubuhar Keselamatan Sosia) was first set up in 1971 to provide socioeconomic security for working Malaysian citizens in non-governmental jobs. 7 Workers in Malaysia contribute to PERKESO for the purpose of claiming benefits in the event of an occupational injury. We therefore undertook to analyze data from PERKESO. No previous study has assessed patterns of non-fatal occupational injuries using the PERKESO data. We have previously analyzed the P...

In the absence of systematic occupational disease surveillance, other data collected by governmental agencies or industry is useful in the identification of occupational diseases and their control. We examined data on occupational diseases reported by non-governmental employees to the national workers' social security organization in Malaysia, 2002-2006. The overall incidence rate of occupational disease was 2.8 per 100,000 workers. There was an increase in the annual number and rates of occupational disease over time. The most frequently reported conditions were hearing impairment (32%) and musculoskeletal disorders (28%). Workers in the non-metallic manufacturing industry had the highest average incidence rate of hearing impairment (12.7 per 100,000 workers) and musculoskeletal disorders (3.5 per 100,000 workers), compared to all other industries. Preventive measures should focus on safety education, engineering control and workplace ergonomics. Enforcing workplace standards and incorporating an ongoing surveillance system will facilitate the control and reduction of occupational disease.

We analyzed data on non-fatal occupational injuries reported to Malaysia’s social security organization from 2002 to 2006. There was a decrease in both the absolute number and the incidence rates of these injuries over time. About 40% of cases occurred in the manufacturing sector followed by the service (17%) and trading (17%) sectors. The agriculture sector reported the highest incidence rate (24.1/1,000), followed by the manufacturing sector subcategories of wood-product manufacturing (22.1/1,000) and non-metallic industries (20.8/1,000). Men age 40 to 59 and persons of Indian ethnicity had a greater tendency to sustain injuries. Government and non-governmental organizations should strive to develop strategies to reduce the occupational injuries targeting vulnerable groups. Enforcement of safety measures will further play an important role to ensure that both employees and employers take special precautions to address workplace hazards.

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