IPOH, Sept 3 — The Sessions Court here fined a mining firm RM40,000 after its chief safety officer pleaded guilty to negligence in the accidental death of a senior supervisor.

Rahman Hydraulic Tin Sdn Bhd’s head of safety, Mohd Hafiz Tarmizi Hamzah, entered a guilty plea to the charge under Section 15 (1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 before judge Norashima Khalid.

The offence is punishable by a fine of not more than RM50, 000, a jail sentence of not more than two years, or both.

According to the charge sheet, the firm is accused of failing to ensure safe workplace conditions at around 9.44am of March 8 in a mining area at Klian Intan, Pengkalan Hulu, which resulted in an accident that killed 54-year-old Rosli Osman.

Rosli was hit by a lorry carrying ore while he had been supervising works.

Investigation officers from the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) noted that the victim had worn black and ridden a motorcycle with worn tyres. The driver of the lorry that hit Rosli also had his view obstructed by a strip across the windscreen.

The officers also noted that there were no speed bumps at the site of the incident.

DOSH prosecuting officer Razali Shaffiee earlier requested for the maximum punishment under the law.

The judge then fined Rahman Hydraulic RM40,000.