Safety Awareness at Sea: Perspectives from Marine Unit, Royal Malaysian Custom Department

Abstract

Law enforcement officers face many dangerous and stressful situations in the line of duty. Some, such as gun violence, are obvious; other dangers (e.g., fatalities while working at sea) are hidden but common and can hinder officer performance. Officer performance is also affected by training and other factors. This article uses best-practice research to examine the relationship between safety culture, safety training, employee involvement, and safety awareness at the workplace, specifically to law enforcement employees working at sea. Safety awareness considered a vital element in every organization to enhance their employees’ performance. Quantitative research methodology was applied to examine the relationship between independent variables and dependent variable. The questionnaire are divided into five sections, covering demographic factors, safety culture, marine safety training, employee involvement, and safety awareness at the workplace. A total of 30% of 550 employees from the Marine Unit of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department were selected randomly as respondents. This study indicates that safety culture, safety at sea training, and employee involvement have a significant positive relationship to safety awareness at the workplace. A recommendation is then offered for law-enforcement safety management that can apply to the Marine Enforcement Unit of Royal Malaysian Customs to eliminate accidents, injuries, and fatalities at sea in the marine enforcement profession. The Marine Customs law enforcement professionals may benefit from studying the safety practices and safety management systems implemented in other high-risk professions to develop more effective programs that prioritize safety and mitigate risk in the workplace, especially safety at sea. The high-risk environment and nature of work conducted by Marine Customs law enforcement officers demand a holistic and dedicated approach to safety to reduce fatalities and injuries throughout the profession.