Is Your Ergonomics Risk Assessment Training Legally Recognised?
Article by Dr. Ts. Hari Krishnan
Many organisations are investing in Ergonomics Risk Assessment (ERA) Training to strengthen workplace safety and comply with Malaysia’s occupational safety and health requirements. However, one important issue continues to be overlooked.
The Ergonomics Trained Person (ETP) course, which qualifies participants to conduct Ergonomics Risk Assessments, must be conducted by a training provider approved by the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Malaysia.
Unfortunately, I have come across cases where organisations unknowingly engage training providers that are not approved to conduct this specific course. This is especially common for in-house training, where the Learning & Development or Human Resources department may repeatedly engage a familiar training provider without verifying whether the provider holds the required DOSH approval for the Ergonomics Trained Person programme.
As a result, participants often receive only a certificate of attendance, which does not qualify them as an Ergonomics Trained Person under the DOSH framework. This means they may not be recognised to perform Ergonomics Risk Assessments as required by the applicable legal requirements.
* Wasted training investment.
* Employees who are not recognised for the intended competency.
* Potential compliance gaps during regulatory inspections or audits.
* Additional costs and time to retrain employees through an approved provider.
This issue is entirely preventable.
Before awarding an in-house or public training programme, always verify that the provider is on the official DOSH list of registered training providers for the Ergonomics Management Course.
This is not about favouring one training provider over another. It is about ensuring compliance, protecting your organisation’s investment, and maintaining professional standards within the occupational safety and health industry.
I encourage every Learning & Development, Human Resources, Procurement, and Safety & Health team to make verification of DOSH approval a mandatory step before engaging any provider for Ergonomics Trained Person training.
Let’s uphold professionalism and ensure organisations receive training that is recognised, compliant, and fit for purpose.
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