KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 — Higher learning institutions can cancel internship placements and recall students if safety concerns arise, said Higher Education Deputy Minister Adam Adli Abdul Halim.
Such measures can be taken following an assessment by the institutions or reports from students that highlight the need for urgent action.
“We deeply regret any accidents involving students taking part in industrial training. This is why we are constantly improving our monitoring and reporting systems,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
Adam was responding to Senator Che Alias Hamid's query on monitoring measures to ensure companies providing training placements adhere to safety standards after a Universiti Putra Malaysia industrial training student died while performing maintenance work at the Saujana 1 water tower in Kuala Selangor on June 16.
He added that universities should conduct more thorough assessments of an organisation’s safety record, past reports and reputation before approving industrial training placements for students.
“For high-risk sectors, students will only be placed with organisations that fulfil safety requirements and have suitable safety management systems in place,” Adam said.
Students in programmes involving high-risk workplaces must complete relevant safety courses or obtain related certifications before undertaking industrial training.
Before starting their placements, they must complete briefings and preparatory training on workplace health and safety, risk management, personal protective equipment, emergency procedures, and incident reporting channels.
During the training period, students are monitored by academic and industry supervisors through physical or virtual visits, progress report checks and regular communication, he said.
Adam noted that all industrial training students are protected under the University Group Insurance Scheme should they encounter accidents or untoward incidents during their training period.
