Image from: Sime Darby Property

Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “Company”) has expressed its aim to become a stronger proponent of workplace safety and health in the property development industry in Malaysia. In conjunction with the Company’s recent inaugural Safety and Sustainability Convention 2022, Sime Darby Property pledges to enforce greater precautionary measures and introduce innovative solutions to reduce safety-related incidents in its business operations.

Sime Darby Property Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican said that the Company has reviewed its historical safety and health performance and is now rolling-out efforts to implement minimum Health, Safety, Security and Environment (”HSSE”) mandatory requirements across its business. These requirements will focus on the Company’s construction activities to form the bedrock of its long-term HSSE implementation.

Dato’ Azmir said, “The nature of our business exposes the company to a plethora of safety risks, and we are responsible to comply with regulatory requirements at all our work sites. To manage the HSSE risks effectively, we will collaborate with our contractors in the value chain to tackle their biggest risks as well as provide the necessary resources and support to mitigate them. Our work sites will institute a low tolerance for basic HSSE violations as we aim to safeguard the well-being of our contractors’ workforce.”

“In an organisation of our size, where at our peak in 2021 had over 70 construction projects running simultaneously, clarity to deliver and execute our HSSE standards is a top priority. We have rolled-out the Company’s playbook for safety and sustainability to better align our efforts for the year in advancing our leadership in this space.”

Razif Yusoff, Sime Darby Property’s Head of Safety & Sustainability added, “Our safety and sustainability playbook has been designed to systemise multiple HSSE standards and practices that will enable our workforce to plan and track the progress of the Company’s HSSE objectives and targets. The goal is to strengthen Sime Darby Property’s HSSE priorities through on-site safety standards, supervision, self-regulation, and basic safety compliance and reporting. The playbook will also help the Company tackle our biggest risks effectively across all projects and developments.”

Sime Darby Property has also initiated innovative solutions to improve workplace safety, through a series of ‘Learning from Incidents’ trainings and online learning modules to educate employees on various HSSE topics for its diverse workforce. Last year, the Company established its ‘Workers’ Quarters Hygiene Standard’ which meets government regulations and is further strengthened through best practices adopted from global standards, including from beyond the property industry.

Dato’ Azmir added, “By collaborating with our contractors and other stakeholders in the value chain, we have been able to introduce the Company’s Workers’ Quarters Hygiene Standard at 14 work sites to date through a pilot phase. We are pleased to record over 90% compliance and will actively continue to achieve our business priorities and strengthen social impact performance.”