Why Intern Safety Is Your Responsibility

You open your business every day to serve customers and meet deadlines. When you take on an intern, you’re adding a learner to your team. But in Malaysia, two recent tragedies show what happens when that relationship goes wrong.

In June 2026, Muhammad Adam Danish, a UPM student, drowned while cleaning a water reservoir during his internship. Months earlier, Soo Yu Jian died in a compressor explosion. These weren’t employees with years of experience. They were students trying to learn.

For SME owners, this hits close to home. You might not think of your office or workshop as a dangerous place. But if you have interns, you have a duty to keep them safe. It’s not just ethical—it’s the law.

TL;DR

Your interns have legal rights under the Occupational Safety and Health (Amendment) Act 2022 source. This includes Section 26A, which allows them to refuse work they believe could cause imminent danger. As an SME owner, you must provide safety training, proper supervision, and respect these rights. The recent deaths highlight that non-compliance is not an option.

What This Means for You

Since June 1, 2024, the law has included interns under worker protections. This means you are legally responsible for their safety just like any employee. Section 26A specifically says workers can withdraw from dangerous situations without retaliation. For you, this means creating an environment where interns can voice concerns without fear.

Before this amendment, interns were often in a gray area. Now, the law is crystal clear. If an intern is injured or dies due to negligence, you face serious legal consequences. The cases of Muhammad Adam Danish and Soo Yu Jian could have been prevented with proper risk assessments.

Many SME owners overlook this because they think interns are temporary or not “real” workers. But the law sees them as learners on a job placement. You are expected to train them, not just use them for labor. If your business involves physical tasks, you must ensure no harm comes to them.

Internships are meant to bridge education and work. But that bridge must be safe. The article from Business Today confirms this: “Industrial training is intended to bridge classroom learning and professional practice.” Your role is to provide that guidance with safety as a foundation.

How This Applies to Malaysian SMEs

Let me give you examples from real SME scenarios. In a small factory in Johor, you might have an engineering intern operating drills. Without proper shielding and instruction, one slip can cause severe injury. Start by tagging machinery as “for trained staff only” and giving interns observation roles first.

In a retail or food business, interns often handle stock or cleaning. In a fridge or freezer unit, they might face confined space risks if they need to repair something. Never send an intern into a cold room without proper checks. Train them on safe use of pallet jacks and ladders.

For service-based SMEs like a marketing agency or IT firm, risks are less obvious but still present. Electrical equipment, long hours on screens, and stress can cause issues. Provide ergonomic setups and breaks. More importantly, train them on data security if they handle client information.

The key insight is that every business has risks. The size of your SME doesn’t excuse you from safety. In fact, smaller businesses often have fewer formal safety structures, making it even more crucial to plan.

Universities also play a role. They should vet host companies, but as an SME, you can proactively document your safety measures. This helps students and protects you. The article mentions that “companies with poor safety records should not continue receiving interns.” So build a good record.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

One common mistake is assigning interns to high-risk tasks without training. Some owners think “they can learn on the job.” But for tasks like confined space entry or electrical repairs, that’s deadly. Always start with observation and build up slowly.

Another mistake is not documenting safety steps. Without records, if an incident occurs, you have no proof of training or supervision. Keep a simple log of safety briefings and risk assessments.

Practical Takeaways

• Train Immediately: On their first day, give an orientation covering emergency exits, fire extinguishers, and hazard reporting.
• Assign a Mentor: Pair the intern with an experienced employee who monitors them closely.
• Risk Assessment for Tasks: List all tasks the intern will do and identify hazards. Remove high-risk tasks from their scope.
• Know the Law: Display Section 26A of the OSH Act in your workplace. Let interns know they can refuse dangerous work.
• Walk the Talk: Your safety culture starts with you. If you ignore risks, your team will too.

The Bigger Picture

Malaysia is moving towards a structured internship safety framework. The Ministry of Higher Education and DOSH are considering mandatory safety audits and pre-placement training. This is coming. For SMEs, adapting early gives you a head start.

Beyond compliance, a safe workplace boosts your reputation. Students and universities prefer companies that care. This can attract better talent, especially for technical roles. It also reduces turnover and accident disruptions, which for an SME are often devastating.

In the long run, every business benefits from a safety culture. It’s not about bureaucracy; it’s about responsibility. As the article says: “No degree programme should require students to gamble with their lives before graduation.” You can ensure they don’t gamble with yours either.

Key Insight

“The true measure of a successful internship is not how much work a student completes, but whether they gain knowledge, confidence and professional skills in a safe environment.” — Dr Maisarah Nasution Waras, Pusat Kanser Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, USM, from Business Today Malaysia

Table: Common Intern Tasks and Associated Risks

Task	Risk	Safe Approach
Operating heavy machinery	Crushing, entanglement	Supervised training with lockout/tagout procedures
Handling hazardous chemicals	Burns, respiratory issues	Provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Working at heights	Falls	Use harnesses, scaffolds, or assign trained staff only
Confined spaces e.g., tanks	Drowning, asphyxiation	Prohibit entry; use only trained personnel
Electrical repairs	Shock, fire	Allow only licensed electricians; interns can observe from a safe distance

These tragedies are a wake-up call. As an SME owner, you can make a difference. Review your internship practices today. It takes little effort to save a life.

For more details, read the full article: Internship Should Build Careers, Not Cost Lives.

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