Workplace Accidents And Underreporting Among The Oil Palm Workers: A Pilot Study

• Main Authors: Azmi, Hassan, Tengku Mohammad Ariff, Raja Hussin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: HD Industries. Land use. Labor
• Online Access: http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6157/1/FH02-ICODE-18-19087.pdf; http://eprints.unisza.edu.my/6157/
• Institution: Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin

The study examines the socio-demographic profile and the workplace accident as well as accident underreporting among the oil palm workers. Data was gathered using self-administered questionnaires from 100 oil palm workers who work as fresh fruit harvesters in the FELDA oil palm plantations located in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. Findings revealed that the workers are mostly men, aged between 25 and 35 years old, married with more than one dependent, and have an at least a secondary school education. The prevalence of workplace accidents among the workers was 9.46%, but the underreporting was 39.27%. In general, the findings indicate that the rate of workplace accidents among the FELDA oil palm workers were relatively low but the underreporting was at an alarming rate. Interventions to improve the safety and health reporting among the workers are crucial to reduce this issue, hence a further study to identify the predictors for the safety and health reporting is recommended.