The relevance of occupational health and safety training in hospitality education: a Malaysian perspective

This article examines students’ perceptions towards occupational health and safety training in their hospitality education in Malaysia. The findings suggest that the majority considered such training to be relevant to their actual working environment. However, many students knowingly neglected safety precautions while working as interns. Further, the majority of students were not very aware about their rights to a safe work environment – many did not know the health and safety policies of the relevant hotels. They were also not aware of the appropriate channel of recompense in the event that they sustained work-related injuries. In short, the occupational health and safety training that the students had undergone did not lead to strong awareness regarding employees’ rights in terms of occupational health and safety. Moreover, personal security at work was not sufficiently emphasised in occupational health and safety training. This study highlights the need for hospitality education to address violence at work.