Driver of a garbage truck in Bangsar, Malaysia, claims brake failure

Those who lived in the building where the garbage truck got loose were quite fortunate to avoid harm. Needless to say, the damage to the property is extensive and will be quite inconvenient for the occupants. Alam Flora (AF), a major trash and environmental management firm with significant concessions in Malaysia, is in charge of the truck. Malakoff is Malaysia’s largest independent Energy & Environmental organisation, and AF is a wholly owned subsidiary. Since this goes to the very heart of AF’s vehicle operating standard, it will be a source of great embarrassment for the company and its leadership. Evidently, the tenants plan to file a police report, which will result in a thorough investigation, damage assessment, disruption management, and compensation tally.

The situation may have been “catastrophic,” thus it required careful consideration. Because of this incident, AF should reevaluate the quality of its maintenance procedures and call in all of its trucks for inspections. This should be considered a “severe near miss” under the AF’s duty of care obligation. There was a very real chance that everyone on the road, including the driver, the occupants of the damaged building, and any passersby or their belongings, could have been killed as the truck careened out of control. Due to the size of the fleet AF maintains, this occurrence should prompt a review of the current standards for operating vehicles and, by extension, the procedures that should be in place to ensure the safety of AF’s employees and the general public. Malakoff may reevaluate the importance it places on “members of the public” and add them to the list of stakeholders.