Key Highlights of 2012

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

OF 2012


3/1222 OSHD ANNUAL REPORT 2012

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

22 OSHD ANNUAL REPORT 2012

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council formed

the National WAH Safety Taskforce in 2009 consisting of

various industry members. The taskforce, led by Mr Wong

Wen Sun, President and CEO, Sembcorp Marine Ltd,

focused their attention on three key strategies:

Create greater awareness of WAH

Build strong WAH capabilities for the industry

Enhance Regulatory Framework for WAH

In 2012, National WAH taskforce ramped up their efforts

to promote good WAH practices and educate the industry

through the development of the WAH competency

framework and various industry engagements.

NATIONAL WORK-AT-HEIGHTS (WAH)SAFETY TASKFORCE

WAH Taskforce Initiatives

The WAH Taskforce collaborated with the Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD) to roll out the following initiatives:

Create greater awareness of WAH

ProBE Plus Forum 2012The ProBE Plus Forum 2012 was held on 16 April 2012 and

kicked off a dedicated year-long effort in Work-at-Heights.

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for

Manpower, graced this event and announced the Ministrys

intent to explore a need for a dedicated WAH regulations.

He also launched the ladder safety campaign and the first

of three work-at-heights guidelines. Mr Suresh Navaratnam,

Project Director for WAH Taskforce, then outlined the key

initiatives in WAH Masterplan focusing on four key areas,

namely, Roof Works, Ladder Safety, Structures and Scaffold

/ Mechanical Elevated Work Platform (MEWP).


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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

WAH Conference

In conjunction with the Singapore WSH Conference, the inaugural

WAH Conference was held on 14 and 15 September 2012. This satellite

event aims to bring together both international and local experts,

leaders and professionals from the WAH community to discuss and

deliberate the challenges faced by the WAH community today, as well

as possible solutions to improve the safety standards for working at

heights. This Conference was supported by the WSH Council and the

Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Ladder Safety Campaign

Throughout the entire year, Ladder Safety was widely promoted at all

engagement events. A TV Interstitial released in December reinforced

the importance of safety ladder usage and promoted a national-wide

awareness in Ladder Safety. Two ladder suppliers (Golden Eagle and L&M),

who provide 70% of ladders in Singapore, also gave their full support to

the ladder safety campaign. They aided in promoting the ladder safety

message and distributing ladder safety packs to their customers.

Build strong WAH capabilitiesfor the industry

Safety Compliance Assistance Visit

(SCAV)Over 1,500 SCAV visits were conducted in 2012. WSH

Professionals conducted compliance assistance visits

to assist worksites and workplaces in educating their

on-site supervisors and workers on the potential

falling hazards posed when working at heights and

possible solutions to mitigate these hazards. In

addition, employers were encouraged to send their

supervisors to attend the MOM accredited WAH

course for Supervisors. To date, more than 11,500

industry participants had attended the WAH course

for Supervisors since its inception in 2010.

Roof Safety Forum

Close to 170 roofing contractors and contractors

involved in roof works attended the Roof Safety

Forum held by Singapore Contractors Association

Limited (SCAL) on 29 June 2012. The event was

structured to be an interactive forum where the

participants could share their experiences and

exchange ideas on mitigating the hazards when

working at heights. One key outcome derived from

this forum was the agreed practices required when

working on roofs.

MEWP Dialogue and FormworkWorkshop

In July 2012, another two interactive sessions were

conducted with suppliers, operators and contractors

under the respective ProBE priority areas to discuss

and explore potential initiatives to address the

WAH challenges faced by their industries. During

these sessions, the industry agreed on several

enhancements, such as the requirements to send

operators for the MEWP operator course, as well as

further enhancements to the WAH elements in the

Formwork Safety Supervisor Course which would

include case studies of WAH incidents and practices.

WAH Competency Framework

In addition to the various forums and workshops,

the WSH Council in collaboration with the Ministry

of Manpower embarked on the development of the

WAH Competency Framework. This Framework

outlines the basic WAH competencies required

at each level of personnel involved in work-at-

heights activities, namely the worker, supervisor,

assessor and manager. To date, the WAH courses

for workers and supervisors have been developed

and Accredited Training Providers (ATPs) are ready

to conduct these courses to meet the needs of

the industry. The WAH courses for assessors and

managers are being finalised and will be ready for

the industry in the later part of 2013.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

WAH Train-The-Trainer Programme

In line with building capabilities, the WSH

Council has also developed the WAH Train-

The-Trainer Programme to enhance the

competencies of the WAH trainers, enabling

them to provide greater clarity and advice to

participants attending the WAH courses on

WAH related applications.

WAH Compendium

To assist the industry in improving their WSH

performance, WAH taskforce had developed

three key guidelines for Work-At-Heights,

namely, the Guidelines for Working Safely

on Roofs; Guidelines for Anchorage, Lifelines

and Temporary Edge Protection Systems;

and Guidelines for Personal Protective

Equipment for Work-At-Heights. These 3guidelines provide key information to assist

employers in developing their work processes

and their selection of equipment for effective

fall prevention.

Enhance RegulatoryFramework for WAH

WSH Work-at-Heights Regulations

Since the announcement to develop adedicated WAH regulation, the Ministry,

together with the WSH Council undertook

an extensive 8-month engagement and

consultation process with various industry

leaders and stakeholders, to outline the

WAH legislative requirements. Based on

industry inputs, the Ministry had set the

scope of the requirements that form the

safety standards for the industry. The

regulations will be gazetted in April 2013

and implementation of the Permit-to-Work

system and fall prevention plan will come

into force in 2014, giving the industry ample

time to build up their WAH capabilities and

competencies.

The National Crane Safety Taskforce, formed in July 2009, is spearheading

a three-pronged approach to improve Crane Safety standards in Singapore

and to reduce the occurrence of such crane related incidents at the

workplace.

The Taskforce comprises key members from various stakeholder groups

in the value chain, including the government, crane manufacturers and

suppliers, as well as other interest groups. The Taskforce has undertaken the

following three-pronged strategy to improve the standards of Crane Safety

in Singapore:

Enhancing Competencies and Capabilities in Crane Safety

Enhancing Awareness on Crane Safety

Strengthening Standards and Practices in Crane Safety

Term 2 of the Taskforce commenced in December 2012 and will continue

for another 2 years till December 2014. The Taskforce (Term 2) comprises

new members representing key stakeholders in the value chain, including

Crane Manufacturers, Industry Associations, Professional Associationsas well as Government bodies. Notable new representatives include the

key public agencies, such as the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and the

Housing Development Board (HDB), who utilise a relatively sizeable chunk of

crane-related resources to support their building and infra-structure public

projects. Strategically, the Taskforce would gradually shift its focus towards

guiding effective implementation of initiatives that were rolled out in its first

term while continuing to put pressure and tackle persistent issues that were

plaguing the crane industry. At the same time, the Taskforce will scan the

operating landscape and detect new and emerging issues in Crane Safety.

The primary objective for the new Taskforce is to drive greater industry

ownership of Crane Safety such that the industry can continue to drive

Crane Safety efforts at the national level after the Taskforce stands down

in 2014. The following are some updates on the Taskforces initiatives and

programmes for 2012. The following are some updates on the Taskforces

initiatives and programmes for 2012.

NATIONAL CRANE

SAFETY TASKFORCE



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Enhancing Competencies and Capabilities in Crane Safety

New enhanced training courses targeting Crane Operators were rolled out. The enhanced course for Crane Operators

was launched in July this year.

The Lorry Crane Operator Course was developed and launched from October 2011, giving the Lorry Crane Operators

ample time to attend the Course before the requirement takes effect in September 2013. This course was transited to

a WDA WSQ Course and renamed WSQ Operate Lorry Crane Course.

The Taskforce, in collaboration with MOM and WSH Council, is working with WDA to explore the development of a

new training course for Overhead Travelling Cranes and Gantry Cranes under the Singapore Workforce Skills

Qualifications (WSQ) Framework administered by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA).

Enhancing Awareness on Crane Safety

Seminar on the Safe Use of Lorry Cranes 2012

A seminar on the Safe Use of Lorry Cranes, held on 22 May 2012, was jointly organised by MOM and WSH Council in

collaboration with the National Crane Safety Taskforce. The seminar was held in line with one of the initiatives by the Taskforceto promote greater awareness on Lorry Crane Safety. It was well attended and received by more than 280 participants. Through

this Seminar, participants gained a better understanding on the various aspects of Lorry Crane Operations, ranging from legal

requirements and case studies, to new training requirements as well as best practices on the maintenance and safe use of Lorry

Cranes. All who attended the Seminar benefitted immensely from the sharing of insights by the speakers.

Crane Safety Symposium 2012

MOM and WSH Council, in collaboration with the National Crane Safety Taskforce organised the Crane Safety Symposium 2012 on

24 September 2012. The event attracted over 450 participants consisting of various Crane Industry stakeholders. The Symposium

was graced by the Guest of Honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS) for Manpower and Education. In his

opening speech, SPS shared on the recent Crane-related WSH

performance as well as the key initiatives and programmes

rolled out by MOM, WSH Counciland the Taskforce. SPS also

highlighted the key findings of the recent Crane Enforcement

Operation, codenamed Operation Hornbill, which was

conducted by the Engineering Safety Branch of OSH Specialists

Department. SPS also shared the enhancements on the existing

courses for Tower and Mobile Crane operations using Crane

Simulators to allow trainees to experience the various types of

Crane operations realistically on different sites and conditions.

SPS also introduced the proposal in leveraging on Data Logger

Systems in Mobile Cranes to better monitor safe operations of

Cranes on the ground. The Symposium also saw the launch of the

new Pictorial Guide for Lorry Cranes Operations, a collaborative

effort by the Taskforce, WSH Council and MOM. The Symposium

also featured several eminent local speakers who shared the bestpractices for Crane Safety with participants. All who attended

the Seminar benefitted from the immense sharing of insights of

the speakers as well as the interesting and innovative products

and solutions showcased at the Exhibition booths.



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The Taskforce had worked closely with Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD) to provide inputs to the

enactment of the WSH (Operation of Cranes) Regulations 2011. The Taskforce also served as a platform for the Ministry

to consult and engage the industry on the various new initiatives such as the new requirement on establishment and

implementation of Lifting Plans, mandatory training for Lorry Crane Operators as well as data logger implementation for

Mobile Cranes.

Another initiative of the Taskforce for 2012 was the development of the new pictorial guide The Workers Safety Handbook

for Lorry Crane Operators. This handbook clearly depicted important DOs and DONTs while also demonstrating how

to operate lorry cranes through the aid of pictures. This allowed for such instructions to be easily understood by all

Operators.

In addition to these efforts, OSHD in collaboration with the Taskforce, is also exploring the idea of leveraging on technology

to better monitor safe operations of the Cranes on the ground. One particular area that MOM and the Taskforce have

been working on is the feasibility of installing Data Logger systems into Mobile Cranes used in Singapore. Akin to the

black box in an aircraft, the Data Logger is a recording device that monitors and records key operational parameters

and critical events performed on the Cranes. It can also be configured to record critical events such as the overloading

and bypassing of safety devices and thus offers many benefits. Several site implementation feasibility studies were

conducted at several worksites. OSHD together with the WSH Council also organised a public consultation on the use

of Data Loggers for Mobile Cranes from 24 September to 31 December 2012. OSHD will be collating the public feedback

and will announce its policy on the use of Data Loggers for Mobile Cranes in 2013.

Industry Seminar Series on Lifting Safety 2012

Following the enactment of the new WSH (Operation of

Cranes) Regulations 2011 which mandates the requirement

for the establishment and implementation of Lifting Plans,

WSH Council in collaboration with the National Crane Safety

Taskforce and MOM worked closely with the various industry

associations such as the SCAL, the Association of Singapore

Marine Industries (ASMI) and the HDB and to conduct a series

of seminars/workshops to provide practical guidance on the

implementation of Lifting Plans. These seminar series has

benefitted the industry as they received practical guidance

on the establishment and implementation of Lifting Plans for

lifting operations at their workplaces.

Strengthening Standards and Practices in Crane Safety



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

MAJOR HAZARDS INSTALLATION (MHI)ENGAGEMENT VISITOSHD remains strongly committed to engaging MHI in Singapore. A series of engagement visits by MOM and OSHDManagement was conducted to MHIs to engage the industry leaders and to further understand the industry.

These site visits comprising key MOM and OSH Management team members, Mr Augustin Lee (Deputy Secretary, Ministry of

Manpower), Er. Ho Siong Hin (The Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health), Mr Kevin Teoh (Director of Occupational

Safety and Health Inspectorate) and Mr Lai Poon Piau (Executive Director, Workplace Safety and Health Council), not only

served to increase awareness and emphasise the importance of Process Safety in MHIs, but also emphasised the need and

importance of commitment by the leaders in WSH.

Visit to Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore Pte Ltd

Visit to Shell Bukom Refinery



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Visit to ExxonMobil Singapore



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

The second biennial Singapore WSH Conference positioned

Singapore as a leading platform in Asia for key stakeholders

to discuss the latest trends and challenges and discover

solutions in the area of workplace safety and health.

The Conference theme, Changing Landscapes, Shaping a

Progressive WSH Culture, highlighted Singapores emphasis

on the WSH agenda and the need to develop sustainable

WSH strategies in a challenging economic climate.

Deputy Prime Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam shared

key global challenges, such as the rise of an ageing workforce

and global economic slowdown. He also emphasised

the importance of WSH as a competitive advantage for

businesses in the current climate.

Held from 12 13 September, the Conference welcomed

more than 700 participants from over 30 countries with a

common goal of creating safe and healthy workplaces. WSH

professionals, business leaders and government officials

benefitted from the critical insights and extensive discussions

shared during the Conference. Networking opportunities

were also forged as the delegates exchanged best practices

with other thought leaders in the field of WSH.

SINGAPORE WSH CONFERENCE 2012A slew of 10 satellite events covering topics from construction

safety to working at heights were also organised in

conjunction with the WSH Conference and added to the

diversity of the WSH focused week.

Building on the success of the Singapore WSH Conference

2012, the next Conference in 2014 is expected to bring greater

collaboration and participation to enhance Singapores

position as a global hub for WSH solutions.

SATELLITE EVENTS

ASEM OSH Symposium

OS+H Asia Exhibition

WAH Conference

IN-HOUSE DIALOGUES

With Institution of Occupational

Safety & Health (iOSH) [US]

Discussion on Workplace Safety &

Health Officer (WSHO) prospects

WSH collaboration

With Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL) andHealth & Safety Executive (HSE) [UK]

WSH collaboration especially in the

management of major hazards installations

With DGUV [Germany]

Discussion on work injury framework

Discussion on World Congress 2017

SISO Forum

Crane Safety Symposium



KEY HIGHLIGHTS

NATIONAL WSH CAMPAIGN 2012

CULTURESAFE PROGRAMMEDeveloped by the WSH Council, the CultureSAFEprogramme was launched during the Singapore

WSH Conference on 12 September 2012. The

programme was built on the WSH culture model

developed in 2011 by the Council to provide a

national framework on which an organisations

WSH culture can be based on.

Through a five-step cycle, the programme helps

organisations embark on a WSH journey beyond

infrastructure and competency, focusing on

inculcating a safety mindset in every employee.It allows companies to grow from a reactive

culture to a proactive and exemplary one where

all workers believe in and advocate safe working

behaviour through positive action.

To support the implementation of CultureSAFE,

several initiatives were also mooted:

The WSH Culture Fund (WCF)

Recognising that smaller companies may require

additional financial resources to start their WSH

culture building journey, a $8 million WCF was

launched to help SMEs defray the associated

costs to embark on the CultureSAFE programme.

CultureSAFE Consultancy Organisation/CultureSAFE Consultants (October toNovember 2012)

A total of 28 consultants from 6 consultancy organisations were approved

by the WSH Council as CultureSAFE Consultants to help organisations,

especially SMEs apply for the WSH Culture Fund and participate in

CultureSAFE. Their role as CultureSAFE Consultants include:

Engaging with the Top Management on alignment and expectation

of the CultureSAFE programme;

Facilitating the completion of the 5-step CultureSAFE cycle; and

Updating and reporting the project status and outcomes for each of

the defined milestones.

Online Diagnostic (E-Tool) Development

The CultureSAFE online diagnostic tool consists of toolkits for conducting

the WSH perception-based survey and evidence-based assessment.

It was launched on the iWSH Portal for companies to determine their

safety culture via the WSH culture model and WSH Culture Index

developed by the Council.

Companies can use the e-tool to report diagnostic results of their WSH

culture, document identified strengths and weaknesses, and address

workplace safety cultural gaps.

The National WSH Campaign 2012 was held on 26 April 2012 and kicked

off a year-long effort to raise WSH awareness and improve WSH practices

in Singapores workplaces. Themed Stop the Assumptions. Stop WorkAccidents, the message highlighted the need for everyone to take

personal responsibility towards WSH, and to avoid making assumptions

that all safety considerations have been addressed, or leaving the

responsibility to others.

To showcase the message, the WSH Council rolled out a new TV

commercial that focused on how all levels in the company have a role to

play in taking responsibility towards safety, and the consequences that

may result if assumptions are made. The commercial reached out to the

general workforce through its broadcast on both national and cable TV. Mr

Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister of State for Manpower and National Development,

emphasised the importance of the campaigns efforts in raising awareness

and competencies, addressing unsafe work practices and cultivating

safety mindsets to continue improving Singapores safety performance.

On top of raising awareness, the WSH Council also enhanced its industry

engagement approach by adopting a new Go-to approach to assist

small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on better implementation of risk

management. The convenience of having WSH awareness briefings and

road shows conducted at their premises allowed SMEs to learn how they

could better manage WSH.


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KEY HIGHLIGHTS

To develop Singapores WSH research capabilities, the WSH Institute has forgedstrong institutional partnerships with renowned WSH international centres.

On 24 February 2012, a delegate from the WSH Institute visited the National Institute

for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), USA and formalised our partnership

through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). NIOSH is an internationally renowned agency that conducts

research and makes recommendations for preventing work-related injuries and illnesses. Under the MOU signed, both

organisations will cooperate in common areas of interest, including sharing and exchanging of WSH related information,

exploring scientific activities such as research into WSH topics and identifying opportunities for transferring and promoting

WSH knowledge.

Other overseas MOU partners include:

Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Korea Occupational Safety

of German Social Accident Insurance and Health Agency

Finnish Institute of Occupational Health Health and Safety Laboratory, UK

The WSH Institute will continue to leverage on these partnerships and embark on joint research activities as well as facilitate

multi-party research collaborations involving local Institutes of Higher Learning.

MOU WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOROCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (NIOSH)

Documents

Key Highlights of 2012