Works Minister Baru Bian (above) has warned the subcontractors working on the Pan-Borneo Highway from Miri to Sibu that his ministry will be keeping a close eye on them after an on-site incident yesterday caused two workers to be injured.

"I understand the challenges faced by the contractors, but I am giving a stern warning today to the (subcontractors) that my ministry will be monitoring all works (sic) very closely and I will not compromise on this," Baru said in a statement posted on his Facebook page today.

He had driven from Miri to Bintulu last night, and from Bintulu to Sibu this morning along the highway to conduct a spot-check on its conditions as he had received many complaints, he said.

Baru, who is also the Selangau MP, said he had wanted to experience the Selangau stretch for himself and the work packages from Miri to Sibu.

"I want to say I am not happy. There are many potholes and these pose dangers to road users, especially at night when visibility is poor.

"I am very concerned over the safety of road users," he said.

His site visit comes after the Works Ministry yesterday confirmed that two workers were injured when a beam collapsed at a Pan-Borneo Highway construction site in Miri yesterday.

The incident, which took place at 2.40pm, occurred when a girder beam collapsed at the Pujut section of Package 11 of the Pan-Borneo Highway construction site in Miri, Sarawak.

Both wrokers were reportedly rushed to Miri Hospital for emergency treatment.

Work at the accident site has been stopped with immediate effect to facilitate further investigation and to prevent further accidents, the ministry had said.

In a separate statement, the Human Resources Ministry said they have been working with the Department of Occupational Safety and Wellbeing (JKKP) to create a more comprehensive law to address the safety of employees, especially in the construction sector.

The Occupational Safety and Health (Construction Work) Design and Management) Regulations is expected to be gazetted in the first quarter of 2020 after engagement sessions with main stakeholders in the construction industry in the country, they said.

The regulations will emphasise the mandatory responsibilities and involvement of the duty-holder, including the project owner, the designer and the contractor.

"It is done based on the self-regulation philosophy, the responsibility to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the workers at the workplace is on those who create and work with the relevant risks.

"The scope of this regulation will be wider compared to existing regulations because it encompasses the entire life cycle of the building from the design, construction, operations, maintenance, all the way to the bulldozing phase," the ministry said in a joint statement with the Miri branch of JKKP today.

The ministry also pointed out that the Occupational Safety and Health in Construction Industry (Management) Guideline (OSHCIM) had been issued in 2017.