Occupational Safety and Health Division Annual Report 2013

Occupational Safety and Health Division Annual Report 2013

84Forecast

76WSH Performance

34OSHD 2013 Work Overview

90People @ OSHD

04About OSHD

02Director’s Message

14Our WSH Framework

20Key Highlights for 2013

Contents

Er Ho Siong Hin

Divisional Director and Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE

Many a times, when we look at accidents in the workplace, we get caught up in the numbers and statistics but neglect what truly matters. Every single life lost to an entirely preventable work incident is indeed regrettable.

In many of these accident invest igat ions conducted by my division, we witnessed the shock, grief and disbelief of those co-workers and loved ones of the injured or deceased worker. Some wished that they could have done more to prevent the accident, while others mentioned that they lost many nights of sleep wondering what went wrong in the system that they have learnt to work and rely on. Injuries or deaths at the workplace therefore not only affect the victim, but also many others who are related to him or her.

As we reflect on Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) journey, we are heartened by the significant strides made in reducing the fatality rate from 4.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees in 2004 to 2.1 per 100,000 employees in 2013. Nevertheless, we remain cautious as there were 22 construction fatalities in the second half of last year. This was twice as many fatalities compared to the first half of the year, and 5 more compared to the same period in 2012.

The Editorial team of Annual Report 2013 has adopted the theme “WSH is Our Way of Life” and I personally feel that it cannot be more apt. We need to strengthen personal ownership of WSH, where everyone sees WSH as a way of life, taking responsibility for their own safety and health and that of those around them. This is only possible when we believe that every injury and ill-health arising from work is preventable.

To engender this, it has become important for us in recent years to be thorough in our engagement and outreach efforts – and 2013 was no exception. Ranging from our annual National WSH campaign, the inaugural Hospitality and Entertainment Industries WSH Challenge, the launch of our Work Injury Compensation Orientation programme to industry forums and enforcement operations accompl ished through Programme-based

We need to strengthen personal ownership of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH), where everyone sees WSH as a way of life, taking responsibility for their own safety and health and that of those around them. This is only possible when we believe that every injury and ill-health arising from work is preventable.

Engagement (ProBE) Plus, we have not only successfully managed to reach out to our stakeholders but also actively educate them to adopt good WSH practices. Our WSH advertisement, “This could be You”, was voted the viewers’ favourite national TV commercial for 2013. Winning the Laurels Awards is indeed an honourable testament of our WSH efforts that resonates with Singaporeans.

With the extension of the WSH Act in September 2011 to cover all workplaces, there have also been efforts to improve work-related Traffic Safety. In March 2013, following a spate of high-profile work-related traffic accidents, MOM had considered making such accidents reportable under the WSH (Incident Reporting) Regulations. This would send a clear signal that employers need to do their part to better manage traffic safety for their employees on the road. After a round of public consultations in September 2013 on proposed amendments to address this issue, we are pleased to report that there was a consensus supporting the amendments and the law was amended in January 2014 to make reporting of work-related traffic accidents compulsory.

To ensure that our programmes introduced over the years remains relevant to the industry, we conduct regular periodic reviews. One such example is the WSH Council’s bizSAFE programme. In January 2013, the WSH Institute initiated a study to evaluate the effectiveness of bizSAFE which was developed in 2007 to promote good WSH practices by helping companies build their WSH capabilities. The study revealed that 81% of companies which engaged bizSAFE enterprises prefer to engage them again because they assessed that bizSAFE enterprises were better at managing WSH and they could see the benefits in engaging bizSAFE enterprises. 9 out of 10 bizSAFE enterprises also agreed that bizSAFE had helped them to improve the safety and health of their workplaces, and would recommend others to join.

However, the study also revealed that 28% of employers from non-bizSAFE enterprises have not implemented risk assessment in their workplace. Often the day-to-day demands of running a business means that risk management practices get passed over as something we don’t have time for. Companies should treat risk management programme as part of their organisation’s culture.

Once risk assessment is ingrained in your consciousness, it will become a lot more manageable; it will become a way of life. Just as workplace safety reduces your employment-related injuries and costs, so too can risk management tools be used to reduce errors that lead to accidents. The translation from assessment to implementation was also another area of concern. To address these gaps, my division will be reviewing the Risk Management framework to enhance its coverage and effectiveness. More details will be released when the working group has completed its review.

Notwithstanding, Singapore is at a juncture where she appears to be seeing a plateau in her WSH performance and outcomes. In order to reach our target of less than 1.8 in 2018,

we must strive for a breakthrough. We have identified ‘Total WSH’ and ‘Vision Zero’ as two important approaches that we believe will propel us in the next phase of our WSH journey.

Ensuring workplace safety represents only one half of the WSH equation. As workplace health affects a worker’s wellbeing and his capacity to work, equal emphasis must be placed on both workplace safety and occupational health to ensure that all aspects of safety, health and employees’ wellbeing are addressed holistically which is known as Total WSH.

A new Tripartite Oversight Committee on Workplace Health chaired by Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, Dr Amy Khor (with senior representatives from Ministry of Health, Ministry of Manpower, Health Promotion Board and WSH Council) has been formed to propagate this initiative. The Committee will work towards raising awareness of Total WSH, develop the relevant industry capabilities and incentivise its adoption among employers.

Adopting a Vision Zero mindset is the other important building block to chart the way forward in WSH for Singapore. Vision Zero is the belief that no loss of life or ill health arising from work is acceptable and that all workplace incidents are preventable. Singapore is the first country in Asia that has made reference to the basic principles of the Vision Zero.

Hence, to gain a deeper understanding on the concept, the WSH institute had the privilege to host distinguished WSH thought leaders and experts from Singapore, Europe, Canada and Australia to a forum in September 2013. Entitled the “Next WSH Frontier”, the forum provided an opportune platform to gain greater clarity and broad consensus among stakeholders on how Vision Zero for WSH could be applied in Singapore.

For us to realise our WSH 2018 vision of a country that is fully committed to a safe and healthy work environment, your support is crucial. Simple actions to ensure safety and health at work can go a long way to protecting our employees and our future workforce as well.

I hope this Annual Report will provide a glimpse of our work in making a difference to peoples’ lives and we trust that it will be an enriching read for you.

DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE OSHD Annual Report 2013

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ABOUT OSHD The Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD) is a division under the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) that promotes Occupational Safety and Health at the national level. OSHD works with employers, employees and all other stakeholders to identify, assess, and manage Workplace Safety and Health risks so as to eliminate death, injury and ill-health.

OSHD is also the WHO Collaborating Centre for Occupational Health, and the ILO CIS National Centre for Singapore.

OUR VISIONA safe and healthy work environment for everyone; and a country renowned for best practices in Workplace Safety and Health.

OUR MISSIONTo eliminate death, injury and ill-health from all workplaces.

Our Senior Management

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1. Er Ho Siong Hin 6. Mr Lai Poon Piau

4. Mr Chan Yew Kwong 9. Er Mohd Ismadi

2. Dr Gan Siok Lin

10. Mr Woon Cheng Peng5. Dr Jukka Takala

7. Ms Ho Lai Fung3. Mr Winston Yew 8. Dr Lee Hock Siang

ABOUT OSHD

Our Departments

Departments in OSHD

These departments work together with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and the WSH Institute.

The OSH Policy, Information and Corporate Services Department (PICS) is the central co-ordinating department within OSHD.

The department drives the divisional efforts through sound policies & strategic planning while striving for organisation excellence, and analyses and identifies emerging WSH trends and risks by leveraging on effective information systems, quality resources and astute business intelligence. The department also enhances organisational excellence through developing organisational capability, increasing staff competency level, improving staff engagement and Work-Life Harmony as well as ensuring continuous improvement in customer responsiveness with the monitoring of customer standards.

The department provides specialist support in the development of WSH standards and best practices, as well as the investigation of complex accidents and occupational diseases. The department conducts operational research, develops and implements strategies and targeted programmes for specific WSH hazards and industries. The department also collaborates with international organisations and national institutes in projects, information exchange, visits and training.

The department administers the system that ensures the right of employees to compensation in the event of work-related injury, death or occupational disease under the Work Injury

Compensation Act (WICA). Covering all employees in Singapore, the WICA provides

access to a low-cost, fair and expeditious alternative to common law for employees to settle claims for work-related injuries. The department also administers the Incident Reporting system for the reporting of workplace accidents, dangerous occurrences and occupational diseases.

The Inspectorate focuses on reducing safety and health risks at workplaces by conducting inspections, surveillance of workplaces and enforcing the law when necessary, to ensure that workplaces maintain an acceptable level of safety and health standard. The Inspectorate also investigates accidents and lessons learnt from the accidents are shared with the industry.

OSH Policy, Information &

Corporate Services Department

OSH Inspectorate

OSH Specialist Department

Work Injury Compensation

Department

OSH Policy, Information & Corporate Services Department

OSH Inspectorate

OSH Specialist Department

Work Injury Compensation Department

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ABOUT OSHD OSHD Annual Report 2013

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council Office is the secretariat office for the WSH Council.

Established on 1 April 2008, the WSH Council comprises 18 leaders from the major industry sectors (including construction, metalworking and manufacturing, marine, healthcare, chemicals, logistics and hospitality industries), the government, unions and professionals from the legal, insurance and academic fields.

The Council works closely with MOM and other government agencies, the industry, unions and professional associations to develop strategies to raise WSH standards in Singapore and to realise the national WSH 2018 strategy.

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute was set up in April 2011 as part of Singapore’s WSH 2018 strategy to strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in safeguarding the safety and health of persons at work, and put us on par with global leaders. The WSH Institute will help MOM and WSH Council recalibrate and ensure policies and programmes continue to stay relevant and effective. Businesses in Singapore can look to the WSH Institute for strategies and solutions to help them address WSH issues. In addition, the Institute will also work with the WSH Council to equip business leaders and WSH professionals with the competencies to better manage safety and health at their workplaces.

Main Functions The Council’s main functions are to:

• Buildindustrycapabilitiestobettermanage WSH;

•SetacceptableWSHpractices;and

•Promotesafetyandhealthatworkandrecognise companies with good WSH records.

Departments The WSH Council Office comprises of three departments:

The Industry Practices, Sensing and Engagement (IPS&E) department drives the development and adoption of good WSH practices and proposes solutions to achieve sustainable improvement in WSH. IPS&E also collaborates with industry stakeholders to promote and raise industry-driven efforts in WSH.

The IndustryCapabilityBuilding(ICB) department drives WSH capability building efforts at both the organisational and individual levels. It implements initiatives such as bizSAFE, Risk Management Assistance Fund (RMAF), WSH Assist and CultureSAFE programmes to raise WSH capability in businesses. It also oversees the development of competency frameworks for WSH professionals and the workforce as well as the administration of accredited WSH training providers to ensure that business enterprises and their workforce are well equipped to deal with operational risks at their workplaces.

The Strategy and Management (S&M) department provides policy guidance, and oversees the work planning, budget allocation and business performance monitoring functions of the Council Office. S&M also works with MOM to monitor critical milestones in the implementation of WSH 2018 strategies.

IPS&EIndustry Practices, Sensing and Engagement

ICBIndustry CapabilityBuilding

S&MStrategy and Management

VISION A leading institute for WSH Knowledge and Innovation

OUTCOMES Centre of WSH Knowledge

Centre of WSH Research and

Solutions

Centre of WSH Leadership and

Professional Development

STRATEGIES Inform Policies and Strategies

Create WSH Solutions for Businesses

Transform and NurtureCapabilities

of Leaders and Professionals

Strategies and Functions To realise our vision of a leading institute for WSH knowledge and innovation and achieve the corresponding strategic outcomes, the Institute will adopt the following three key strategies:

• informingWSHpoliciesandstrategies;

•CreatingWSHsolutionsforbusinessesand;

• Transformingandnurturingcapabilitiesofleaders and professionals.

GovernanceWith effect from April 2012, WSH Institute came under the purview of the WSH Council. A nine-member Governing Board, appointed by the WSH Council, was formed to provide governance to the WSH Institute. The WSH Institute Governing board provides strategic guidance and directive to facilitate efficient governing of the Institute. It consists of members from the industry, the labour movement, government and institutions of higher learning. The board will ensure that the Institute's work is relevant to industry, government and workers, tapping on expertise distributed across organisations with capabilities in research, education and training. The Institute also taps on the advice of MOM's International Advisory Panel (IAP), which comprises of WSH experts from countries with similar but more mature set-ups. These include Germany, Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Vision: A safe and healthy workplace for everyone; and a country renowned for best practices in WSH

Mission: To lead industry efforts in strengthening capabilities and building a progressive culture in WSH

Vision: A leading Institute for WSH Knowledge and Innovations

Mission: Enhancing WSH through Knowledge, Innovations and Solutions


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Er Ho Siong HinDivisional Director and

Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health

Dr Gan Siok LinExecutive Director

Dr Jukka TakalaSenior Consultant for

Workplace Safety and Health

Our Organisational Structure

Occupational Safety and Health Division

Mr Lai Poon PiauExecutive Director

Workplace Safety and Health Council Office

Workplace Safety and Health Institute

With effect from March 2014

•ResearchandSolutions

•KnowledgeHub

•Leadershipand Professional

Development

•PlanningandEvaluation

Er Mohd IsmadiDirector

•IncidentReportingand Investigation

•Claims Management

Mr Woon Cheng PengDeputy Director

Work Injury Compensation

•EngineeringSafety

•MajorHazardInstallations

•OccupationalHygiene

•OccupationalMedicine

•InternationalCollaboration

Dr Lee Hock SiangDirector

OSH SpecialistPolicy, Information

and Corporate Services

•ConstructionOperations and

Surveillance

•ConstructionInvestigations

and Enforcement Capability

•OperationsPlanningand Licensing

•GeneralWorkplaces

OSH Inspectorate

Mr Chan Yew Kwong Director

•CorporateDevelopment

•InformationManagement

•PolicyandPlanning

Ms Ho Lai FungDirector

Industry Practices, Sensing and Engagement

•IndustrySensingandDevelopment

•WSHPractices

•MarketingCommunications and Engagement

•StrategyandDevelopment (Construction)

Mr Lai Poon PiauExecutive Director

Strategy and Management

•WSHManpower CapabilityBuilding

•WSHCompetencyStandards

and Accreditation

•EnterpriseCapabilityBuilding

•IndustryProgrammeManagement

Mr Winston YewDeputy Director

IndustryCapability Building


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OUR WSH FRAMEWORK

Principles of OSHD’s Workplace Safety and Health Framework

The Workplace Safety and Health Act

To support the WSH framework, the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) was enacted in 2006 – replacing the Factories Act. The Act moves away from taking a prescriptive stance under the former legislation and introduces a performance-based regime. It emphasizes the importance of managing WSH proactively by requiring stakeholders to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of workers and other persons that are affected by the work being carried out.

4 FEATURES OF WSHA2

It focuses on WSH systems and outcomes, rather than

merely on compliance.

1Itplacestheresponsibilityfor workplace safety on all stakeholders along lines of control at the workplace.

3It facilitates effective

enforcement through the issuance of remedial orders.

4It imposes higher penalties

for non-compliance and riskybehaviour.

KEY PRINCIPLES

First conceptualised in 2005, Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) framework guides the management of WSH by all stakeholders including the government, industry, as well as all employees.

The framework is based on three key principles that are designed to bring about greater industry ownership of WSH outcomes, and be more proactive in preventing accidents by identifying and mitigating WSH risks at source. Collectively, it aims to cultivate a shift in the mindset of all stakeholders towards WSH, and have them adopt a proactive approach to ensuring the safety and health of all individuals at the workplace – from top management to the last worker.

PRINCIPLE 1: Reduce risks at source by requiring all stakeholders

to eliminate or minimise the risks they create

• Identifying and eliminating risks before they are created

PRINCIPLE 3: Greater industry ownership

of WSH outcomes • Proactive planning to achieve a safe

and healthy workplace

PRINCIPLE 2: Prevent accidents through

higher penalties for poor safety and health

management• Poor safety and health management

is costlier Manufacturers or Suppliers

of machinery, equipment or hazardous substances used at work in the workplace.

Persons at Workincludes employee, i.e. one employed under a contract of service, volunteer or any other person training or working under the employer such as an industrial attachment student.

Self-employed Persons

who work but is not under a contract of service.

WSHA also assigns liability to those who create and have management and control over WSH risks.

The stakeholder groups include:

Employerswho employ the service of any person to do work.

Occupiers who occupy or have control over the management of the workplace.

Principalswho engage another person other than those under a contract of service to either supply labour or to do any work for gain or reward.

Owners, Installers or Erectors

of machinery for use at work in the workplace.

OVERVIEW OF OUR WSH FRAMEWORK OSHD Annual Report 2013

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The Work Injury Compensation Act WSH 2018: Visions, Outcomes and Strategies

For more information:Details of our WSH 2018 National Strategy, the Strategic Outcomes and the key focus areas of the four Strategies can be located at the following link:https://www.wshc.sg/wps/portal/wsh2018

WSH 2018 VISIONSafe and Healthy Workplace for everyone and a country

renowned for best practices in Workplace Safety and Health

STRATEGIC OUTCOMES

Reduction in workplace fatalities

and injury rates

WSH is an integral part of business

Singapore is renowned as a centre of

excellence for WSH

A progressive and pervasive WSH culture

STRATEGIES

STRATEGY 1 STRATEGY 2 STRATEGY 3 STRATEGY 4

DO YOU KNOW?

As an employer, you are responsible for the safety and health of your employees.

It is important that your employees know what to do if they are injured at work:

MC

Pass original Medical Certificate (MC) and medical bills to your

employer after each treatment

Notify Employer as soon as possible

INJURY

It is not necessary to engage a lawyer to file a claim under

WICA and MOM can assist

MOM

WICA CLAIM

The national target for WSH is to achieve

a workplace fatality rate of less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018.

To support this target, MOM together with WSH Council launched the National WSH 2018 strategy document in 2009.

Itoutlinesthefourstrategicoutcomesthatcontributetoourvision,ofa“SafeandHealthyWorkplaceforeveryoneandacountryrenownedforbestpracticesinWorkplace Safety and Health”, as well as the four strategies to achieve these outcomes.

Implement an effective regulatory

framework

Build strong capabilities

to manage WSH

Promote the benefits of WSH and recognise

best practices

Develop strong partnerships locally and internationally

The Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) is another legal instrument that governs WSH in Singapore. It provides injured employees with a low-cost and expeditious alternative to common law to settle compensation claims.

The WICA allows employees who have sustained injuries in a work-related accident or contracted an occupational disease to claim work injury compensation. Dependants of employees who died in a work-related accident are also eligible for compensation. Claimable compensation includes medical leave wages, medical expenses and for permanent incapacity (if any) or death. Engaging a lawyer to file a WICA claim is not required and there is no cost involved in filing a work injury compensation claim with MOM.

Unlike civil claims under the common law, the employer (or employer’s insurer) is liable to pay the compensation under WICA regardless of whether the employer or the employee is at fault, as long as the employee had suffered an injury by accident arising out of and in the course of his employment or had contracted an occupational disease as defined in WICA. The compensation also applies even after the employment has ceased or the Work Pass (of a foreign worker) has been cancelled. The amount of compensation is computed based on a fixed formula and is subject to caps.

An injured employee can claim from either WICA or common law, but not from both.

OVERVIEW OF OUR WSH FRAMEWORK OSHD Annual Report 2013

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2013

National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign

Hospitality & Entertainment Industries WSH Challenge To increase WSH awareness in the Hospitality and Entertainment Industries (H&EI), the inaugural H&EI WSH Challenge was organised on 28 August 2013. Held at Resorts World Sentosa, participants raced in a competition against time tackling various workplace hazards. Apart from the competition, more than 200 audience guests viewed interactive exhibits like “Spot the Hazards” and augmented reality displays. Prizes were awarded for the top three teams who completed the challenge within the shortest time and in the safest manner.

The annual campaign that sets the stage for Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council’s year-long WSH outreach efforts and highlights the key messages and plans for the year ahead was launched on 20 May 2013 at The Cube, Asia Square by Guest-of-Honour, Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong.

In his opening speech, PM Lee highlighted the importance of WSH and the role everyone could play to instill safety consciousness and work safety in the workplace. He explained that while Singapore’s fatality rate had halved — from 4.0 per 100,000 employees in 2005 to 2.1 per 100,000 in 2012, there was still room for improvement as Singapore’s WSH fatality rate generally lagged behind that of developed countries. At the launch, 37 government agencies showed their support for WSH with a commitment to raise safety standards in public construction and development projects by setting and enforcing WSH rules.

Chairman of the WSH Council, Mr Lee Tzu Yang, also shared in his opening address that this year’s campaign aimed to remind all workers that accidents could happen to anyone and when they do happen, the worker’s loved ones would also be adversely affected.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2013 OSHD Annual Report 2013

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As part of their sensing effort, a number of companies were interviewed and through the feedback and observations gathered, the workgroup explored and introduced a number of initiatives under the above-mentioned 3 key focus areas.

In summary, the Traffic Safety Workgroup supported by the TP and Singapore Road Safety Council (SRSC) embarked on the following key initiatives for the year:

WSH Guidelines on Workplace Traffic Safety Management

Safe Driving of Vehicles Video: A A WSH promotional video promotional video targeting heavy vehicle drivers was developed to educate the drivers

on traffic safety.

Amendment of the WSH (Incident Reporting) Regulations to require

the reporting of work-related traffic accidents

Fleet Management System Trial to track vehicle travelling speed and location

Workplace Traffic Safety Management Forum

Risk Management Workshops on Traffic Safety Management to provide practical guidance to the industry on

operational traffic management issues.

Work-Related Traffic Safety Management Work Injury Compensation Orientation Programme

Management of Traffic Safety has been traditionally left to the Traffic Police (TP), who is the main authority of Traffic Safety in Singapore. With the extension of the WSH Act to all workplaces in September 2011, we gradually adjusted processes to play a bigger role in Traffic Safety.

In March 2013, following a spate of high profile traffic accidents, a Traffic Safety workgroup was formed within OSHD, together with WSH Council and WSH Institute, to explore possible interventions to improve Traffic Safety. Through the WSH Act, MOM influences companies to play a bigger role in managing the safety of vocational drivers, who form a sizeable proportion of the traffic on public roads, while TP continues to regulate all road users, through the Road Traffic Act.

On the whole-of-government front, our Commissioner for WSH, Er Ho Siong Hin is also a member of the Safer Roads Industry Taskforce (SRIT). The SRIT serves as a platform for Government and Industry to work together in creating and implementing safe driving initiatives for vocational drivers and is chaired by Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Masagos Zulkifli. Moving forward, as efforts on work-related Traffic Safety progresses into steady state, programmes and initiatives would be planned for gradual transition into mainstream WSH Act, towards greater industry ownership.

Photo credit: Home Team News, Ministry of Home Affairs

The Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Department conducts a Work Injury Compensation Orientation Programme (WICOP) once a month in the MOM Services Centre for injured Bangladeshi workers who are placed on Special Pass. This programme arose from the MOM’s survey conducted for walk-in injured workers at the MOM Services Centre which showed that this group of workers lack understanding of the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) and its processes. The programme is hence aimed at providing Bangladeshi workers with a basic understanding of their entitlements under WICA, claims process, and the role and responsibilities as a WIC claimant.

WICOP was well-received by the participants. Most of them were of the view that the programme was very beneficial as they had little knowledge of their entitlements under WICA before attending the programme.

The Traffic Safety workgroup identified 3 key focus areas

Driver Management

Vehicle Management

Environment Management

Injured workers claiming for WIC would benefit from this session

The pace of the presentation was just right

I understood the claims process better

I find the briefing beneficial and useful

The presentation slides was easily understood

100%

YES Survey Results

Someverbatimquotesfromtheparticipants

"The advice is very good for

injured workers."

"We had a very good advice today. Thank you for all of

this talk!"

"This meeting is very beautiful.Alotof

unknown things we find out from discussion."

"I think this talk is good for us

and we all know many things"

"From today's discussion, we know many things and we couldbebeneficial."


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bizSAFEProgrammeEffectiveness Evaluation

The Next WSH Frontier

Background

In January 2013, the WSH Institute initiated a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the bizSAFE programme.

bizSAFE was developed by the WSH Council in 2007 to promote good WSH practices by helping companies build their WSH capabilities. Since the introduction of the programme seven years ago, the number of companies that have embarked on the bizSAFE journey has grown from 550 to more than 17,000 today. Thus, it was timely to review the programme to ensure it remains relevant to the industry.

Scope of the Study

The study saw the participation of 1,652 companies comprising 868 bizSAFE enterprises, 522 non-bizSAFE Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), and 262 bizSAFE Partners/Mentors and potential clients of SMEs. 68% of the participants were from the traditionally high-risk sectors such as construction, manufacturing and marine industries. The interviews were conducted via phone calls, onsite visits and electronic survey.

Key Findings

The study showed that bizSAFE enterprises performed better than non-bizSAFE enterprises in terms of building capability in managing WSH risks and demonstrating commitment towards WSH. The client companies saw value in engaging bizSAFE companies and indicated higher willingness to pay more for their services over non-bizSAFE companies. The key findings of the study are:

Conclusion

The study revealed that the bizSAFE programme has succeeded in meeting its objectives to raise awareness, and in helping companies build capabilities in managing WSH risks and build commitment towards WSH. It also found that bizSAFE has created business value for bizSAFE enterprises as clients preferred to engage them for their better management of WSH and their superior WSH performance.

9 out of 10 bizSAFE enterprises agreed that the bizSAFE programme has helped them improve the safety and health of their workplace, and the majority of all the enterprises would recommend others to join the programme.

81% of client companies said that bizSAFE enterprises managed WSH better than their non-bizSAFE counterparts, and would prefer to engage bizSAFE enterprises (over non-bizSAFE counterparts) for future contracts.

81%

97% of bizSAFE enterprises were aware of the safety and health risks in their workplaces, compared to 83% of non-bizSAFE companies.

61% of workers from bizSAFE enterprises were involved in the risk assessment process, as compared to 39% from non-bizSAFE companies.

97% 83%61% 39%

2/3 of these companies also responded that they would be willing to pay more to engage bizSAFE enterprises.

More bizSAFE enterprises had WSH programmes in place such as rewards and penalties to promote better WSH outcomes. They were also less likely to rush workers to meet tight deadlines as compared to non-bizSAFE companies (7% vs 28%).

At the individual level, management staff of bizSAFE enterprises demonstrated greater involvement and commitment to WSH, with 84% attending WSH committee meetings personally as compared to only 56% from the management of non-bizSAFE companies.

7% 28% 84% 56%

Close to 400 participants attended the Singapore WSH Institute Forum “The Next Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Frontier”, which was held on 11 September 2013. International Association for Labour Inspection (IALI) President Michele Patterson, Secretary-General Kevin Myers and Vice President Er Ho Siong Hin all participated in this event, which was organised by the WSH Institute with support from the WSH Council and MOM. The forum provided a platform for local and international WSH leaders and experts to discuss the growing international movement towards ‘Vision Zero’.

Dr Jukka Takala, then Executive Director of the WSH Institute, opened the Forum and reminded attendees of its two main objectives:

• To hear the thoughts of International WSH leaders and experts and to gain their different perspectives on ‘Vision Zero’

• To learn from the experiences of countries who have already started their own journey towards zero harm in workplaces

Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of the WSH Council, provided the opening address and called for a change of mindset from thinking that it was somehow ‘ok’ for people to be killed or injured in the workplace, or even to expect injuries to occur. The concept of ‘Vision Zero’ would be explored to discover how this could guide the next phase of Singapore’s National WSH 2018 Strategy to raise nationwide standards and performance.


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In May 2013, OSHD explored ways to enhance the management of Major Hazard Installations (MHI) through the review of MHI framework. The objective was to achieve a more rigorous, performance-based regulatory regime.

To learn about international best practices on the holistic management of MHI, Deputy Secretary for Manpower, Mr Augustin Lee, led a delegation comprising government agencies (Economic Development Board, Jurong Town Corporation, Ministry of Manpower, National Environment Agency, and Singapore Civil Defence Force), industry partners and union (WSH Council, Singapore Chemical Industry Council and National Trade Union Congress) on a study mission to Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in May 2013. The organisations visited included regulators, companies and industry associations. They shared on their journeys in the implementation of Seveso Directives, as well as their challenges and perspectives on the benefits of Seveso Directives.

Speakers included Dr Walter Eichendorf of German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and IALI Secretary-General Kevin Myers. Mr Myers spoke about the successful achievement of zero fatalities during construction of the London Olympic Park in 2012. He shared how the concept of '3 ships' – Leadership, Ownership and Partnership is instrumental in driving the culture change needed for WSH success. Leadership is crucially important in driving industry ownership of risks and turning concern into action. This will help to engrain a culture of self-regulation where effective management of health and safety issues is seen as an enabler for success of an organisation.

There was also a panel discussion about the concept of 'Vision Zero' with sharing on how different countries manage expectations and overcome challenges, including the key drivers towards its achievement. Ms Michelle Patterson, IALI President, explained that Vision Zero can be a combination of mindset, inspiration, process and habits. Everyone should be involved in the process and discussions should range from health and safety in the workplace to prevention efforts in the community. Mr Kevin Myers also emphasised the importance of organisational culture to Vision Zero, which he described as a journey and statement of intention for change rather than a final destination.

In his closing address, Commissioner for WSH and IALI Vice President, Er Ho Siong Hin, summarised the discussion by emphasising that ‘Vision Zero’ is not about setting a target of zero injuries but a change of mindsets. Beyond the Forum, Er Ho called for close collaborations among stakeholders to work together in shaping the WSH landscape, moving towards safer and healthier workplaces for Singapore.

Partnership

Ownership

Leadership

risk

risk risk

MajorHazardInstallations Study Mission to Europe

Synergising work processes among

regulatory agencies

Enhancing effectiveness of MHI management

framework

Building capability of MHI community

Facilitating open learning and sharing

among MHI

ThestudymissionprovidedvaluableinsightsinthefollowingareaswhichwillbeconsideredinthedeliberationtoenhancetheMHIframework:


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National Crane Safety Taskforce

The National Crane Safety Taskforce (“the Taskforce”), was formed in July 2009, spearhead improvement of standards of Crane Safety in Singapore and to address the occurrence of crane-related incidents at the workplace.

In its first term which ended in December 2012, the Taskforce focused on putting in place necessary system and structures for Crane Safety, covering the common types of cranes and relevant crane stakeholders. Term 2 of the Taskforce commenced in December 2012 with tenure of 2 years. There was a change in Chairmanship from Mr Tan Wee Seng (former Singapore Managing Director for Lend Lease) to Mr Akbar Kader, WSH Council Member and Managing Director for Nan Guan Construction Pte Ltd. In addition, the Taskforce was expanded to include more representatives from the Crane Industry. The focus of the Taskforce also shifted to guiding implementations of initiatives rolled out in the first term, as well as driving greater industry ownership.

The following are some updates on the Taskforce’s initiatives and programmes for 2013.

ii) WSH Forum for Authorised Examiners (Lifting Equipment)

On 11 April 2013, Engineering Safety Branch of OSH Specialist Department, in collaboration with WSH Council, organised a half-day WSH Forum for Authorised Examiners (Lifting Equipment) 2013. The Forum was attended by more than 60 Authorised Examiners (AEs). This served as a regular platform to update the Authorised Examiners on the recent WSH matters as well as to gather feedbacks on the existing regulatory regime for Lifting Equipment. The first part of the forum consisted of several OSHD speakers sharing on recent WSH updates on Cranes and Access Equipments. The second half of the Forum was an interactive session where the AEs were split into small groups to discuss and contribute feasible ideas and feedbacks to further enhance safety for Lifting Equipment. The sharing session was well-received by the AEs who found the session informative and beneficial to their work. As a follow-up after the Forum, OSHD shared the consolidated summary of the key discussion items with the AEs.

AbouttheTaskforce

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

Enhancing Awareness

Strengthening Standards and

Practices

2. Enhancing Awareness on Crane Safety

i)IES-MOM-WSHCTechnicalSeminarforMobileCrane

The Taskforce in collaboration with the Institute of Engineers Singapore (IES), MOM, WSH Council and Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA) organised the IES-MOM-WSH Council Technical Seminar for Mobile Cranes on 27 February 2013. This technical Seminar was attended by more than 125 participants. Our Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health, Er Ho Siong Hin was the Guest of Honour. In his speech, Er Ho highlighted the need to professionalise the Crane Industry as well as the importance of collaboration between Crane stakeholders to raise the standards of Crane Safety in Singapore. Mr Klaus Meissner, the President of the European Federation of Materials Handling (FEM) for Product Group Mobile Cranes and the Convenor of the Working Group for EN13000(the European Safety Standard for Mobile Cranes), delivered the keynote speech for the Seminar.

From the Singapore’s regulatory perspective, Er Mohd Ismadi, then Deputy Director of OSH Inspectorate, shared with the participants on the “Singapore’s collaborative approach in Raising Standards of Crane Safety in Singapore”. The Seminar served as an excellent platform for Mobile Crane Stakeholders to share technical knowledge. All who attended the Seminar benefitted from insights shared by the speakers.

1.EnhancingCompetenciesandCapabilitiesinCraneSafety

• Launched pilot 5-day Course on Appointed Person (AP) for Lifting Operations in May 2013.

• Launched pilot Practical Workshop for Lifting Personnel


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IV) Industry Seminar Series on Crane Safety

To assist the Industry to raise Crane Safety standards, WSH Council in collaboration with the Taskforce and MOM worked closely with the various industry associations and public agencies such as Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), Association of Singapore Marine Industries (ASMI), Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Land Transport Authority (LTA) and Housing Development Board (HDB) to conduct a series of seminars/workshops. As part of the series, the following events were held in 2013:

• On 21 March 2013, ASMI organised a “Workshop on Crane Safety in Marine Industry” whereby Ms Liew Wan Sien, Principal Specialist, shared with the Industry on “Salient Points on WSH (Operation of Cranes) Requirements and Accident Case Studies”. The latter part of the Workshop involved interactive group discussions on causes and lessons learnt from case studies on accidents involving cranes. The workshop was attended by more than 150 participants from the Marine Industry.

iii) Crane Safety Symposium

The Taskforce, in collaboration with the Industries, MOM and WSH Council, organised the Crane Safety Symposium on 29 October 2013. More than 400 industry stakeholders from the manufacturers, suppliers, approved crane contractors, owners, supervisors and safety personnel attended the Symposium which provided updates on the recent initiatives by the Taskforce. Guest of Honour Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Manpower and Education delivered the opening address. He highlighted the key findings of the Crane Enforcement Operation, codenamed “Operation Skylark”. SPS also highlighted the safety concerns in the Crane Industry and shared some of the Taskforce’s upcoming initiatives:

• Guidelines on the Establishment and Implementation of Lifting Plans

• Study of Accidents involving Crawler Cranes

• Continual Industry Engagement

• Use of Data Loggers on Cranes

All who attended the Symposium benefitted from the best practices for Crane Safety shared by the speakers as well as the interesting and innovative products and solutions showcased at the exhibition booths.

• On 14 May 2013, LTA organised a LTA Safety Workshop for its staff members. Er Mohd Ismadi, then Deputy Director of OSH Inspectorate, presented a paper on “Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) Plus on Crane Safety”. This event was organised in conjunction with MOM ProBE Plus Programme 2013, in which Crane Safety together with Work at Heights, had been identified as the key priority areas for 2013.

• On 26 April 2013, BCA organised a seminar on “Ensuring Safe Design and Construction – Contraventions and Enforcement” where Er Theresa Liew, Principal Specialist, presented a paper on “Raising Standards of Crane Safety in Singapore – A Collaborative Approach”.

• On 1 October 2013, HDB organised a dialogue session with its precast suppliers and invited OSHD’s Engineering Safety Branch to share on the technical requirements for gantry cranes in precast yards. This dialogue session aimed to inculcate a culture of good safety and health practices in precast plants and reinforce the message that poor crane safety management could lead to costly losses.

3. Strengthening Standards and Practices in Crane SafetyFrom findings in OSHD’s Crane enforcement operations, one of the top 5 contraventions found was the failure to develop/implement effective lifting plan. Hence the Taskforce identified the need to provide better guidance in this aspect. A workgroup comprising members from the Industry was formed under the Taskforce to address this need. The workgroup first reviewed the existing Code of Practice for Safe Lifting Operations and the amendment underwent a public consultation in December 2013. Subsequently, the workgroup would embark on launching a set of guidelines on Establishment and Implementation of Lifting Plan.

V) Inaugural Crane Carnival

In an effort to create a competent workforce in the Crane Industry, the Taskforce was actively involved in the organisation of the Inaugural Crane Carnival. Lead organisers Singapore Crane Association (SCA) and Singapore Contractors Association Limited (SCAL), with the support of BCA, MOM and WSH Council planned and launched this first Industry-led Crane Carnival on 17 November 2013 at BCA Academy. The Carnival attracted over 800 participants comprising industry stakeholders, their families and the public. Guest of Honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary of Manpower and Education, delivered the opening address. He shared two of SCA’s initiatives to ensure that the crane industry continues to have a pipeline of trained, qualified and safety-conscious Crane Operators by:

• Keeping a database of Crane Operators, covering their level of experience as well as their safety records through a Crane Operators Registry.

• Setting up a one-stop training centre for crane-related training.

Participants of the Carnival were engaged in a series of fun-filled activities including crane demonstrations, hands-on workshops and safe crane lifting competition. These activities served to educate participants on WSH in the Crane Industry while injecting excitement and fun elements. The hands-on workshop was a pilot Practical Workshop for Lifting Personnel launched in this Carnival, intending to provide practical lessons and demonstration on good lifting practice in an interactive and engaging setting. The workshop was designed for the ground level workers in the lifting team. The Carnival was a resounding success and was covered extensively by the media.


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STRA

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SOSHD 2013WORK OVERVIEW

WSH 2018 VISIONSafe and Healthy Workplace for everyone and a country renowned for best practices

in Workplace Safety and Health

Reduc

tion

in

workplac

e fa

taliti

es

and in

jury

rate

s

WSH is an integral

part of business

Singapore is renowned as

a centre of excellence for

WSH A p

rogre

ssive

and p

erva

sive

WSH c

ultur

e

Develop strong partnerships locally and internationally

STRATEGY 4

Promote the benefits of WSH and recognise

best practices

STRATEGY 3

Implement an effective regulatory

framework

STRATEGY 2

Build strong capabilities

to manage WSH

STRATEGY 1

BuildingWSHCapabilitiesin the Workforce

Employers and relevant stakeholders must be able to manage Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) issues before they can effectively drive WSH reforms and raise WSH standards. Therefore, it is critical that stakeholders – WSH professionals, management, line supervisors and workers – be equipped with the relevant skills and competencies to better comprehend, control and deal with WSH risks. These competencies go beyond technical knowledge of WSH matters and include the skills and behaviour that stakeholders must demonstrate or acquire.

To facilitate the building of strong capabilities, we also need to ensure that the necessary support frameworks are in place. There must be strong supporting institutions, including quality training providers to guide the identification and development of WSH competencies. Another key pillar would be the provision of supporting resources – from financial assistance for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to guidance materials.

STRATEGY 1 – BUILD STRONG CAPABILITIES TO BETTER MANAGE WSH

Good WSH outcomes can only come about through conscious effort by all workers in managing safety and health at the workplace, and it is critical that we equip all workers with the necessary skills to do so.

Towards this end, OSHD has devised a comprehensive strategy under our WSH 2018 master plan to build WSH competencies in the workforce. Key outcomes we hope to achieve are:

• To grow the local pool of WSH professionals from 5,500 in February 2009 to 19,000 by 2018; and

• To equip WSH professionals and other stakeholders (e.g. senior management, line supervisors and workers) with WSH skills in tune with latest developments at the workplace.

Specific efforts to build WSH competencies include collaborating with the industry to develop WSH training programmes, as well as to regulate Accredited Training Providers in the delivery of these programmes. Competency frameworks are also developed for WSH professionals to help equip them with the necessary WSH expertise as well as to provide them with a flexible and clear career progression pathway.

Enhancing Competencies andCapabilitiesforWorkat Heights Safety To help the industry ensure that their personnel are adequately trained with the skills and knowledge needed to be competent to work safely at heights, the following initiatives were ushered in 2013:-

• LaunchofWorkatHeights(WAH)Courses A total of four WAH courses were launched in

2013. They were the WAH Course for Workers, Supervisors, Assessors and Managers. Besides imparting technical knowledge and skills, these courses also expound on the role played by each level of personnel in the organisation in ensuring the effective implementation of appropriate and suitable measures to prevent any person from falling from heights while at work.

• Train-the-Trainer(TTT)CourseforWAH A TTT course that was specially developed

to prepare all accredited trainers of WAH courses was launched in March 2013. The TTT WAH course aimed to equip all trainers with a comprehensive suite of practical fall prevention and protection measures including the use of the latest personal fall arrest system. It also served to ensure consistency of standard among the trainers when delivering WAH training for the benefit of the industry,

• Launch of the 2-day Construction SafetyOrientation Course (CSOC) incorporating WAH Elements

Falling from heights ranked the highest number of fatalities in the Construction Industry in 2012. The enhanced CSOC was targeted to help bring about the change by including WAH elements in its course curriculum such as practical training for working on sloping roof and the proper application of proper Personal Protective Equipment. With the enhancement, the CSOC was increased from a 1-day course to a 2-day course with effect from 1 May 2013. The aim was to provide the necessary safety training to all construction workers and to inculcate good and safe work practices in them.

201819,000

20095,500

20139,000

Local pool of WSH professionals

OSHD 2013 WORK OVERVIEW OSHD Annual Report 2013

3736

Enhancing Competencies and CapabilitiesforCraneSafetyTo help the industry ensure that their personnel are adequately trained with the skills and knowledge needed to be competent to operate cranes safely, the following initiatives were ushered in 2013:-

• TrainingCourseforAppointedPersonsforLiftingOperations Singapore Standard SS 559:2010, Code of Practice on Safe Use of

Tower Cranes, stipulates requirement for an Appointed Person (AP) to establish and implement a programme for the safe installation, dismantling and use of the Tower Crane. The WSH Council's Code of Practice on Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces also stipulates the inclusion of an AP for complex lifting operations. As a capability building initiative for AP, the National Crane Safety Taskforce, in collaboration with MOM and WSH Council and working with the UK’s Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), IES (Institution of Engineers Singapore) and BCA (Building and Construction Authority) Academy launched a pilot 5-daytraining course on Appointed Persons for Lifting Operations in May 2013.

ManagementofHazardousSubstancesCourseOSHD continued its efforts to build industry capability on chemical safety management and hygiene monitoring. In 2013, 325 participants attended the Management of Hazardous Substances Course, and 11 participants attended the Sampling and Monitoring of Airborne Contaminants Course conducted by the National Environment Agency (NEA). In addition, 28 participants attended the Manage Hazardous Substances Course under the Workforce Development Agency's (WDA) Occupational Hygiene Professionals Singapore Workforce Skills Qualifications (WSQ) Framework.

GHS Awareness Seminars and Courses During the year, two Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) Awareness Seminars were conducted to raise awareness of hazard communication. A total of 11 runs of the GHS Chemical Users Course and one run of the Single Substance Classification Course were conducted to build industry capability in chemical classification and labeling. A new 11/2-day Course on GHS Classification for Mixture Course was introduced to prepare industry for mixture classification. In addition, a training workshop on GHS hazard communication was conducted for the Singapore Police Force and an awareness talk on GHS was conducted at Nanyang Technological University.

NationalAsbestosControlTraining Course Two training courses namely (i) Survey Asbestos and Other Fibres at the Workplace and (ii) Remove Asbestos from Workplace were developed by MOM, WSH Council and Workforce Development Agency (WDA) under the Singapore Workforce

• PracticalWorkshopforLiftingPersonnel A hands-on pilot Practical Workshop for Lifting Personnel was

launched at the Inaugural Crane Carnival Singapore 2013 on 17 November 2013. The workshop, held at BCA Academy, was intended to provide practical lessons and demonstration on good lifting practices in an interactive and engaging setting. The workshop intends to provide a platform for continual learning for lifting teams.

Skills Qualifications (WSQ) framework to train persons to conduct asbestos surveys and remove asbestos respectively. The Remove Asbestos from Workplace course replaces the training course (developed by MOM and NEA) on Asbestos Removal and Management by Singapore Environmental Institute, which has trained a total of 613 competent persons for asbestos removal work over the last decade (from 2004 – 2013).

Confined Space Management Programme The Confined Space Management Programme aims to prevent deaths and injuries in confined spaces from gas poisoning, asphyxiation, fire and explosion through enhanced confined space hazard management in targeted workplaces. Under the WSH (Confined Spaces) Regulations 2009, gas testing of the atmosphere of a confined space must be carried out by a competent person (designated as confined space safety assessor) and the confined space must be certified safe before entry into the space is allowed. A confined space safety assessor must have sufficient training and experience to perform the work required to be carried out under the law. Similarly people entering or working in a confined space must have first receive adequate safety and health training before such entry or work.

The training of confined space safety assessors, workers and supervisors has been streamlined in 2013. The existing Confined Space Safety Assessor Course has been replaced with the Assess Confined Space for Safe Entry and Work Course developed under the WDA's WSQ Framework. The current Safety Orientation Course (Manhole) for Workers and the Safety Instruction Course (Manhole) for Supervisors have also transitioned to the respective WSQ competency-based training courses namely (i) Perform Work in Confined Space Operations (for workers) and (ii) Supervise Work in Confined Space Operation (for supervisors).

Competency Delivery In addition to ensuring a curriculum that is validated against the best industry practices, we ensure the effective delivery of WSH courses by working hand-in-hand with our WSH training service providers to ensure the skill and quality of accredited trainers.

• Requirement of full Advanced Certificate in Training andAssessment (ACTA) for all Trainers

As part of the ongoing efforts to up skill and improve the quality of accredited trainers, MOM and WSH Council have mandated the pre-requisite for all trainers to complete and attain the full 6 Competency Units of WSQ ACTA by 2014.

• AuditofAccreditedTrainingProviders(ATP) A total of more than 40 ATP audits were carried out throughout

2013. It also included audits on new ATPs embarking on the new 2-day Construction Safety Orientation Course which encompass the Work at Heights components. More than 40% of the total audits conducted were attributed by investigation cases arising from complaints, whistle blowers and feedback from trainees. The audits outcome resulted in 9 ATPs issued with warning notifications, 3 ATPs issued with suspension ranging from 2 to 4 weeks while 2 ATPs had their ATP status cancelled due to integrity and fraud. Some of the common findings include failure to adhere to the stipulated training hours, providing answers to trainees and using of unapproved trainers to conduct MOM accredited courses.

• WSHTrain-the-Trainers(T3)Programme In our efforts to facilitate WSH trainers to be well-equipped

in technical and soft skills to ensure effective delivery and communication of up-to-date WSH knowledge to the workforce, the WSH Institute, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including Ngee Ann Polytechnic, initiated a continuing education and training programme known as the WSH Train-the-Trainers (T3) Programme. T3 is targeted at WSH training providers, trainers and curriculum developers. In 2012, close to 430 participants from around 240 companies participated in the T3 programme seminars and workshops which covered the following topics: • Managing Work at Heights • Managing Confined Space Work • Managing Chemicals and Hazardous Substances • Fall Prevention Plan for Work at Heights Safety

A WSH T3 Advisory committee was also appointed by the WSH Institute in July 2012. The committee comprises key stakeholders who represent WSH training providers, WSH trainers, professional bodies and organisations that include the WDA, Institute for Adult Learning (IAL), and WSH Council.


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BuildingWSHCapabilitiesin the Industry DevelopingWSHcapabilitiesintheindustryisanother key aspect of OSHD’s work. Towards this end, practical assistance on WSH management is provided to the industry in the form of resources such as financial assistance, technical advisories, videos,guidebooks,specialassistancekitsandonline WSH e-toolkits. OSHD also implements programmes to develop progressive and pervasive WSH culture in the industry – a key outcome under our WSH 2018 master plan.

bizSAFEIn Singapore, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) with annual sales turnover of not more than S$100 million or less than 200 employees account for about 99% of the total enterprises. In view of this, the WSH Council launched the bizSAFE programme in 2007 to guide participating SMEs through a five-step approach to raise their WSH management capabilities.

Larger organisations with strong WSH capability and leadership were enlisted as mentors and partners. bizSAFE Partners help to raise overall industry WSH standards by encouraging their contractors and vendors to participate in bizSAFE while bizSAFE Mentors share their best practices and systems to guide participating bizSAFE enterprises on their WSH journey. Today, many large companies have since imputed WSH criteria into their procurement exercise to ensure that their projects and production could be better managed with less unnecessary downtime due to incidents.

As of 31 December 2013, there are 16,940 bizSAFE Enterprises, 309 bizSAFE Partners and 17 bizSAFE Mentors participating in the bizSAFE programme.

Risk Management Assistance Fund MOM introduced the Risk Management Assistance Fund (RMAF) in April 2006. The RMAF was intended to help SMEs defray the cost of engaging consultants to conduct risk assessments and to build in-house capability in risk management. Every SME that had benefitted from RMAF have implemented acceptable Risk Management and have since progressed to bizSAFE level 3 or higher.

As of 31 December 2013, the RMAF has disbursed $22.05 million to 4,310 SMEs, with an additional $1.34 million already committed to help another 429 SMEs.

CultureSAFE Programme Developed by the WSH council in September 2012, the CultureSAFE programme guides companies to develop a progressive and pervasive WSH culture at their workplaces. The programme comprises a unique WSH culture model and index system complete with methodical diagnostic instruments to gauge an organisation’s WSH culture. Participating organisations could then formulate appropriate plans and implement suitable initiatives to enhance their WSH culture’s attributes and dimensions based on their CultureSAFE’s diagnostic results. By end 2013, about 150 companies have signed up for the programme.

16,940bizSAFE

Enterprises

309 bizSAFEPartners

17 bizSAFEMentors

4,310 SMEs

$22.05 million

RMAFby 31 December 2013

429 SMEs

$1.34 million

additional

• Culture Fund: An $8 million WSH Culture Fund was set up to help SMEs implement the CultureSAFE programme. On 01 October 2013, the proportion of costs that SMEs can claim from the fund to implement CultureSAFE was revised from 70% to 90%, with the cap limit remaining at $30,000 for each SME. SMEs can use the fund to cover both consultancy and implementation costs.

• Breakfast Dialogues: To promote the adoption of CultureSAFE programme, three Breakfast Dialogues have been organised for companies from the Chemical, Construction and Manufacturing sector in March, July and October 2013 respectively. Reputable industry leaders were invited as guest speakers to share the challenges and benefits of their WSH culture building journey.

Breakfast Dialogue for Construction Industry

Breakfast Dialogue for Chemical Industry Breakfast Dialogue for Chemical Industry

Breakfast Dialogue for MetalWorking and Manufacturing Industry Breakfast Dialogue for MetalWorking and Manufacturing Industry


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Chemical Industry Case Studies

This booklet is a compilation of 21 local accident case studies covering both occupational safety and occupational health. Each case offers insight to past accidents that have taken place together with recommendations and learning points. The compilation will be a useful reference to Managers,

Supervisors and WSH Professionals in the chemical industry, particularly those with a manufacturing or operations portfolio and working in SMEs.

WSH Guidelines on Workplace Traffic Safety Management

This set of guidelines highlights potential hazards when vehicles are used on the roads and within workplace premises. The guideline is recommended for companies who own transport or goods vehicles such as prime movers, lorries, vans, tipper trucks, dumpers, concrete

mixers, and so on. This publication also recommends good industry practices through the establishment of a traffic management plan.

Forklift Safety Pack

This set of collaterals is targeted to educate supervisors and forklift drivers about safe operation of forklifts. It consists of a sticker conveying 5 key messages regarding forklift operations and a pre-operation checklist for forklifts.

The 5 keys messages are: • Authorised Operators Only• No Speeding • No Passengers • Always fasten seat belt • Check before reversing

Code of Practice for Working Safely at Heights (Second Revision)

The Code of Practice illustrates a variety of fall control measures and work practices that can be adopted when the risk of falling from heights, or into depth, is present.

Code of Practice for Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces (Second Revision)

The Code of Practice on Safe Lifting Operations in the Workplaces was published in 2011 to help the industry better manage Crane Safety and comply with the statutory requirements for Lifting Plan implementation. The National

Crane Safety Taskforce formed a workgroup in 2013 to:

i) Review and incorporate specific guidance on the establishment and implementation of a quality Lifting Plan into the ACOP. The revised ACOP was posted for public consultation in WSH Council website in December 2013.

ii) Develop practical guidelines with examples on establishment and implementation of Lifting Plans. The Workgroup plans to complete the guidelines and sample Lifting Plans by 2014.

Practical Assistance The WSH Council publishes Approved Codes

of Practices, Compliance Assistance Checklists, Fact Sheets, Case Studies, Guidelines and

Technical Advisories to provide guidance on recommended safety and health practices.

These materials were published in the past year for the various industries

and was a result of collaborative effort with key

industry players.

Workplace Safety and Health Guidelines – Investigating Workplace Incidents for SMEs

This guide provides general guidance for incident investigation methods and their related tasks like information gathering, analysis, implementation and review for simple or direct incidents.

WSH Guidelines on Hospitality and Entertainment Industries

The hospitality and entertainment industries employ a range of staff who may be exposed to a variety of safety and health hazards depending on their specific job scope. They may be exposed to the risk of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries, health hazards such as

chemicals, noise, and thermal stress. There is also the risk of injuries from slips, trips and falls, knocks, cuts, burns and scalds, electrocution, fires and explosions.

This set of guidelines aims to provide information and guidance on the:

• Identification of common work hazards and their prevention measures; and

• Establishment of safety and health programmes.

Employers should work together with employees to establish a safe and healthy working environment in the workplace.

Kitchen Safety and Health Pack

This Kitchen Safety and Health Pack which consists of a handbook, posters, stickers and checklists highlights the common hazards of working in a kitchen. It is targeted to educate supervisors and workers working in the kitchen environment.

Activity-Based Checklists

These are a new series of modular WSH checklists for common work activities that could be used across industry sectors. Each activity-based checklist would bring focus to a particular work activity (for example, the safe handling of sharp objects), and lists the recommended WSH practices

that should be put in place prior to work commencement to ensure that the work can be carried out safely.

Tentage Safety Industry-Based Checklist

The Tentage Safety Working Group (WG) was formed in July 2012 to spearhead various sector-specific initiatives to improve WSH capability and work practices with the aim to professionalize this trade.

At the start of 2013, the WG produced a tentage safety industry-based checklist as a reference to help tentage stakeholders carry out tentage work safely.

Workplace Safety and Health Guidelines – Management and RemovalofAsbestos

A set of WSH Guidelines on the Management and Removal of Asbestos was developed to assist stakeholders in complying with the new regulations.

All of these resources are available for download at the following link:

https://www.wshc.sg/wps/portal/resources?action=infoStopHome


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Long latency Occupational Diseases include:

Legislative Review

Beyond capability building, we need to establish and maintain an effective regulatory framework to implement the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act. Under this strategy, targeted interventions and enforcement actions will be developed based on a comprehensive analysis of industry trends and developments. We will also review existing WSH legislation to ensure that they remain relevant to industry trends. More emphasis will also be placed on creating a self-regulatory framework in order to promote greater industry ownership.

STRATEGY 2 – IMPLEMENT AN EFFECTIVE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK

With the enactment of the WSH Act on 01 March 2006, subsidiary legislation made under the previous Factories Act continues to remain in force. This is by virtue of the transitional provision prescribed in section 66(14) of the WSH Act. In consultation with the industry, MOM has been actively reviewing the remaining subsidiary legislation in 2013.

• WSH(MedicalExaminations)Regulations In the past, persons employed in the Vector

Control industry were required to undergo medical examinations under National Environment Agency’s Control of Vectors and Pesticides (Regulations, Licensing and Certification) Regulations.

With the extension of the WSH Act to all workplaces in 2011, the medical examination of persons in the vector control industry need to be regulated by MOM. This is being done with the amendment to the WSH (Medical Examinations) Regulations. The amended regulations were gazetted and came into operation on 01 January 2013.

• Work Injury Compensation (Workers’ Fund)Regulations

Under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA), a worker who contracted an Occupational Disease (OD) would be eligible for compensation so long as the worker had been:-

a) engaged in the occupational activity specified in the Second Schedule of WICA; and

b) diagnosed with the OD during his employment in this activity or with the time-bars specified in the Schedule.

However, there are some ODs with long latency periods such as asbestosis, mesothelioma, and silicosis, etc. which would exceed their time-bars, resulting in the injured worker not being able to receive compensation under WICA.

To provide financial aid to worker contracted with long-latency ODs, the Work Injury Compensation (Workers' Fund) Regulations were amended to allow the use of the Fund’s monies to assist the worker or, in the event of his death, any of his dependants, to defray medical expenses incurred by or on the behalf of the worker. The amendment took effect from 01 July 2013.

To ensure that WSH remains robust and continues to be relevant to current operating conditions, we are committed to reviewing WSH legislation regularly. At the same time, the Government will explore streamlining administrative rules and engender greater industry ownership.

Active Review and Industry Consultation

Occupational skin cancers

PoisoningbycadmiumMesothelioma Silicosis

48

cadmium112.411

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Dysbaricosteonecrosis

Diseases caused byionizingradiation


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• Workplace Safety and Health (IncidentReporting) Regulations and Work Injury Compensation Regulations

Previously, errant employers had been gaming the incident reporting system by asking doctors to split up the medical leave of injured employees such that it does not exceed 3 consecutive days. Such errant practices not only affected the injured employee’s recovery process, but also the integrity of the incident-reporting framework.

From 06 January 2014, the WSH (Incident Reporting) Regulations and the Work Injury Compensation Regulations were amended to require employers to report all accidents to MOM which render their employees unfit for work for more than 3 days, even if these are not on consecutive days.

Additionally, employers must also report work-related traffic accidents involving their employees. This would send a clear signal to employers that they need to better manage traffic safety and also allows for MOM to better track work-related traffic accidents.

• WSH(Asbestos)Regulations

Many old buildings in Singapore contain asbestos or have asbestos-containing materials (ACMs). These asbestos and ACMs, if inappropriately handled during demolition, can create serious health issues for workers who are not protected. Inhalation of asbestos fibres can result in asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. It is therefore important to ensure that proper procedures are put in place to prevent harmful exposure when removing asbestos. A review of the existing Factories (Asbestos) Regulations uncovered inadequate provisions in addressing exposure to asbestos particularly

during demolition, alteration, addition or repair work. With the shift in the main work activity involving asbestos from manufacturing of asbestos containing material (ACM) to removal of in-placed ACM, it is necessary to amend the existing legislation.The proposed Regulations are targeted to come into operation in 2014.

The Factories (Asbestos) Regulations was being reviewed (with extensive consultation with industry and stakeholders) to enhance protection of persons against asbestos. The new set of regulations which will be gazetted as the Workplace Safety and Health (Asbestos) Regulations, are targeted to come into operation in 2014.

The main requirements are:

• An asbestos survey shall be carried out by a competent person to ascertain the presence of ACMs before carrying out any work that involves a specific material likely to contain asbestos or any demolition or renovation work in buildings built before 01 January 1991.

• Asbestos removal work can only be carried out by Approved Asbestos Removal Contractor who shall appoint a competent person to supervise such work.

• A written plan of work shall be established and implemented to ensure asbestos removal work can be carried out safely.

• ACMs shall be removed before demolition of buildings.

• Measures shall be taken to minimise asbestos release during work involving asbestos and to prevent the spread of asbestos beyond the asbestos work area.

• Revocation of Factories (Person-In-Charge)Regulations & Factories (Certificate of Competency – Examinations) Regulations

Advancement of technology in automatic control and monitoring devices enhances the safety of Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) and steam boilers by ensuring that they operate within safe limits. In view of this technological advancement and to align with the overarching WSH legislative framework, OSHD conducted a review of the regulatory framework for the operators under the Factories (Persons-in-Charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency-Examinations) Regulations. The review led to the revocation of these Regulations in which MOM ceased to license the operators by transiting from a licensing to a competency-based regime.

On 03 May 2013, OSHD signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with Singapore Polytechnic, appointing latter as the body issuing the Certificate of Competency (COC) for Steam Engineers and Boiler Attendants. Eligible candidates, who have the necessary experience on operation of steam boilers, can obtain COCs from Singapore Polytechnic after they have successfully attended and passed the required training courses and examinations.

NewWSHSubsidiaryLegislation • WSH(WorkatHeights)Regulations

Fatalities while working at heights, especially due to falling from heights have been the top contributors of workplace fatalities and have accounted for more than one-third of all workplace fatalities over the past years. Therefore, Work at Heights (WAH) safety is a critical area that we must focus on in our efforts to reduce workplace fatalities.

In April and May 2012, OSHD engaged the members of the National WAH Safety Taskforce and the Industry Committees of the WSH Council to tap on their industry experience and gather feedback and suggestions on the legislative requirements for WAH. A public consultation exercise on the proposed WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations was undertaken. For key industry stakeholders, a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) was also held to allow interactive engagement and deliberation on the proposed regulations. The FGD was attended by employers, industry-led bodies, unions and professional bodies. Feedback was also solicited from other industry stakeholders via the REACH portal.

In summary, the respondents were generally supportive and agreed to the promulgation of a dedicated set of regulations on WAH as the new set of regulations would raise industry standards in the long run. The Regulations put in place a systematic and rigorous regulatory structure to ensure proper execution of control measures and safe work procedures for WAH. The key features include establishment of a Fall Prevention Plan, implementation of a Permit to Work System for WAH and legislative requirements governing the use of industrial rope access system. The Regulations were gazetted and came into operation on 01 May 2013.


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Workplace Inspections Licensing Penalties OSHD leverages on licensing as an enforcement tool to control access to activities deemed to have a significant impact on WSH in Singapore. Licences fall into five broad categories: • Factory Notification & Registration; • Licensing for Equipment; • Licensing for Equipment Operators; • Licensing for Safety Professionals; and • Licensing for Service Providers.

Under our licensing framework, stakeholders must demonstrate sufficient levels of competency before they are allowed to perform the controlled activities. They are also expected to maintain their competency levels through participating in activities like attending courses or engaging firms to conduct independent audits of their WSH Management Systems at regular intervals. Licensing criteria and conditions are reviewed regularly to ensure their relevance to industry WSH developments, and the licensed organisations and persons continue to possess knowledge and skills that meet industry needs. For example, amendments were made to the Accredited Training Provider Terms and Conditions to strengthen assessment systems and processes, improve accountability and clarify ambiguities.

At the same time, licensing systems and processes are constantly being reviewed and streamlined, so as to improve work efficiency and customer experience. The initiative allowing customers to make payments for OSHD bills or apply crane operator licences at any 10 SingPost branches strategically located across Singapore won the "Most Impactful Rules/Services Reviewed Award. "

Positive customer feedback was also gathered for the renewal of WSH Officer online registration system that was enhanced in October 2013. WSH Officers are now able to submit the WSH activities they have participated during their registration period for the purpose of Safety Development Units required for renewal.

Competent organisations and persons that do not comply with WSH legislations or terms and conditions of registration may have their licenses suspended or cancelled. In 2013, 20 competent organisations or persons received various forms of penalties, including official warnings, suspensions or cancellations for non-compliance.

Penalties are essential part of the OSHD’s regulatory and enforcement framework. Stakeholders who contravene any provision of the WSH Act or subsidiary legislations may be subjected to various formsofpenaltiessuchasfines,debarment fromhiringforeignworkers,suspensions, revocation of registration, and a jail-term. Two key programmes that form part of OSHD’s enforcement framework include the Demerit Points System and Business Under Surveillance.

Demerit Points System The Demerit Points System (DPS) was introduced in 2000 to encourage construction contractors with poor WSH records to improve on their performance. They will receive a warning if they accrue more than 18 demerit points across all their worksites in a 12-month rolling period. If any of their worksites accrue a further 18 points, the worksite will be barred from hiring foreign workers.

To allow public and developers to access the performance of contractors through DPS, the MOM website maintains a list of contractors with accrued demerit points. Construction companies that demonstrate satisfactory WSH performance and do not accrue any further demerit points for a continuous period of more than 12 months will be removed from the list.

In 2013, a total of 76 companies were issued demerit points and 20 companies received warning letters after accruing 18 demerit points or more. No company’s worksite accrued further demerit points to result in the debarment of foreign workers.

Auxiliary Enforcement Agency The utilisation of Auxiliary Enforcement Agency (AEA) services complements OSHD’s enforcement efforts and extends its reach to low risk sectors that are not covered by our own inspectors at OSHD. AEA inspectors are trained to perform inspections of low risk workplaces and hence allowing OSHD to optimise resources by deploying its own inspectors strategically, focusing enforcement efforts on the higher risk and more critical sectors.

Since the engagement of AEA from May 2011, OSHD observed good compliance rates in the workplaces visited. The visits conducted by AEA helped to foster an increased awareness of OSHD’s enforcement presence in the industry and inculcate mindsets towards safer and healthier workplaces.

Joint Inspections OSHD also conducts workplace inspections together with other divisions within MOM and with external agencies such as Energy Market Authority and Housing Development Board.

These joint inspections form a basis for leveraging on the knowledge and experiences of the entities involved, and allow for information sharing and better understanding of the requirements of different departments and agencies. Joint inspections also ensure that the safety and health standards required by each agency are aligned such that the required benchmark on safety and health is achieved.

Workplace Inspections form the backbone ofthe regulatory and enforcement framework of the Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD). Through workplace inspections, we help to ensure that workplaces have basicsafety and health standards in place and stakeholders are proactive in their safety and health management.

Sustaining the inspection and enforcement presence has been an uphill battle for OSHD.With the extension of the WSH Act to cover all workplacesinSeptember2011,andthegeneralincrease in business activity due to economicgrowth, thenumberofworksites thatneed tobeinspectedhasbeengrowing.Ithasbecomemore critical for OSHD to ensure that our limited resources are allocated strategically so that we can continue to maintain a regular and sustained inspection and enforcement presence inboththecurrentandnewlycoveredsectors.


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Business under SurveillanceThe Business under Surveil lance (BUS) programme is a targeted enforcement programme that targets poor performing companies for close surveillance. Companies on the BUS programme would have typically recorded serious accidents, attracted numerous enforcement actions such as Stop Work Orders, or were warned under the Demerit Points System. The programme is designed to help these companies raise their WSH standards to a sustainable level so that they can effectively manage the risks associated with their work activities.

The BUS programme consists of two phases – Assessment and Surveillance. The Assessment phase involves rigorous and methodical audit review on companies that are of concern to ascertain the effectiveness of their Risk Management programme as well as the strength of their WSH Management Systems. Companies that do not meet the criteria of the Assessment would then be placed under the Surveillance phase.

During the Surveillance phase, OSHD works closely with the senior management and WSH personnel of BUS companies to carry out a gap analysis and to develop outcome-based action plans and closely monitor the companies’ WSH performance. BUS companies can only exit from the programme upon successful completion of the implementation of their Action Plan, achieving satisfactory audit outcomes and favourable accident records.

In 2013, BUS helped to address the systemic weakness of more than 55 companies.

Accident investigations are another key pillar in OSHD’s regulatory framework. OSHD strongly believes that learning from past accidents and mistakes is critical in driving WSH improvements. We will carry out investigations of serious workplace incidents, such as fatalities and dangerous occurrences. The investigations aim to uncover the root cause(s) of the incidents so as to guide the development and implementation of effective control measures and systemic interventions to prevent recurrence.

Critical findings and lessons learnt from accident investigations will be disseminated to various industry stakeholders for learning purposes. This is done through the WSH Council’s WSH Bulletin (a free e-newsletter featuring incident alerts, case studies, WSH articles and announcements) as well as through publications and videos. Investigations also help OSHD to determine the culpability of parties responsible for the incidents so that the appropriate punitive action can be sought either administratively, or based on the WSH Act.

Accident Investigations

Operation Skylark Crane Safety continued to be an enforcement priority for OSHD in 2013. A specialised enforcement operation “Operation Skylark” was launched by the Engineering Safety Branch. The island-wide blitz commenced from July to September 2013, covering 90 worksites and focusing on lifting operation of mobile cranes, overhead travelling cranes and gantry cranes. Errant companies were subjected to stringent legal actions for contravention of the various regulations. Key findings of the enforcement operation were shared with the Industry at the Crane Symposium held on 29 October 2013.

To disseminate the findings and learning points, OSHD issued a press release on 29 October 2013 on Operation Skylark, covering the enforcement operation which resulted in 61 companies being

Strategic Intervention

issued with fines. 189 contraventions were uncovered with 107 Composition Fines and 82 Notices of Non-Compliance issued. Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Education, highlighted the key findings of the Operation in his speech at the opening of the Annual Crane Safety Symposium 2013.

In light of a number of high profile crane accidents in September and October 2013, the media was invited to one of the OSHD’s enforcement operations. This allowed the media to cover and publicise MOM’s efforts to improve crane safety. This enforcement operation with wide media coverage helped to emphasise OSHD’s strong stance on crane safety and heighten industry awareness in this area.

With the help of risk profiles and other measures, weareabletoidentifygroupsofstakeholderswho have the greatest need for intervention and tailor measures to suit their needs.


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Operation FlamingoFollowing Operation Peregrine, another series of intensified inspections named Operation Flamingo, was also conducted over a period of two weeks in October 2013. This operation focused on scaffold safety, formwork safety, excavation and work at heights in the construction industry.

A total of 268 inspections were conducted, resulting in 5 Stop-Work Orders and over 300 Composition Fines and Notices of Non-Compliance issued.

Regular Inspections and Audit Checks for Work Injury Compensation Insurance ComplianceThe Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) requires all employers to maintain adequate Work Injury Compensation (WIC) insurance for

(i) all employees doing manual work, regardless of salary level; and

(ii) non-manual employees earning $1,600 or less a month.

This insurance requirement is to help employers meet their WICA liabilities in the event of an accident, so that injured employees who are in this more vulnerable group are assured of compensation. For other employees doing non-manual work with monthly earnings of above $1,600, employers can decide whether or not to buy insurance for them. In the event of a valid claim, the employer will still be required to pay the compensation even if there is no insurance coverage for this group of employees.

MOM conducts regular inspections and audit checks to ensure that proper WIC insurance coverage is maintained. The Work Injury Compensation Department (WICD) has engaged Auxiliary Enforcement Agency (AEA) Inspectors to check on valid WIC insurance coverage provided by companies for its employees as part of their workplace inspections. The purpose was to augment WICD’s reach for inspecting companies to ensure adequate insurance coverage is maintained. It is a good platform for WICD to ensure employers’ compliance of the WIC insurance requirement and raise the importance of maintaining adequate insurance coverage.

Tightening Work Injury Compensation Investigations and Enforcement Actions On top of regular Inspections and audit checks to encourage WIC Insurance Compliance, WICD is also tightening its investigative efforts and carrying out stronger enforcement actions against errant employers and employees who flout the law or game the overall WIC system so as to provide adequate deterrence.

This would include blacklisting/debarring employers from hiring foreign workers for various offences such as employer wilfully giving false statement to jeopardise his injured worker’s claim, failure to pay injured worker’s compensation, non-reporting of workplace accidents and/or failure to maintain proper insurance coverage.

In the event of non-compliance, both errant employers and employees can also be prosecuted when there are egregious breaches of the law.

As we tighten WIC investigations and enforcement actions, WICD will continue to work with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) to ensure that all injured workers in need are given the necessary assistance. We have assigned dedicated officers to act as liaisons to the NGOs, giving them prompt access to someone who can assist them. We also established an NGO referral protocol so that NGOs can provide assistance to the worker.

Operation Peregrine Operation Peregrine, a series of intensified inspections which targeted safety lapses in the construction industry, was conducted from mid-August to September 2013. Unsecured openings without barricades, unsafe scaffolds, and poor housekeeping conditions continued to be the main areas of construction work that were found to have safety lapses from Operation Peregrine inspections.

A total of 191 inspections were conducted, resulting in 15 Stop-Work Orders and over 700 Composition Fines and Notices of Non-Compliance issued to errant companies.

1 Employer went for2 Weeks jailbecauseof

False statement

1 Employer went for6 Weeks jail

becauseofFailuretopay compensation &

non-insurance

In 2013, a total of 4 employees were convicted under WICA for wilfully providing a false statement.

3 Employees paid$2000 – $4000 fine

becauseofFalse statement

1 Employee went for6 Weeks jail becauseof

False statement

2 Employers paid$1600 – $1800

fine becauseofFailureto

pay compensation

2 Employers paid$6000 – $10,000 fine becauseofFailuretopay

compensation & non-insurance

In the same year, 6 employers were also prosecuted under WICA.


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Noise Induced Deafness Prevention ProgrammeNoise Induced Deafness (NID) has been the most prevalent occupational disease in Singapore, accounting for about 80% of occupational diseases. The Noise Induced Deafness Prevention Programme (NIDPP) was launched in 2007 aiming to manage workplace noise hazard, and reduce NID incidence. Since then, more than 500 workplaces have been identified to have excessive noise and placed under the programme. These identified workplaces are required to put in place an in-plant Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) to conserve the hearing of persons who are exposed to excessive noise. The HCP has five key elements namely noise monitoring, noise control, hazard communication, medical surveillance and hearing protection. A set of HCP Guidelines has been developed to provide guidance on HCP implementation. As a result of targeted interventions, many workplaces have eliminated or controlled noise hazards. To date about 370 workplaces remains in the programme.

With the enactment of the WSH (Noise) Regulations 2011, the HCP Guidelines were revised in 2013 to provide updated information on noise monitoring, noise exposure assessment, noise report submission, and duties of persons conducting noise monitoring. A Noise Forum titled “A Fresh Approach to Managing Workplace Noise” was held on 12 July 2013 at Toa Payoh’s HDB Hub to update stakeholders on the updated HCP Guidelines and the changes made to noise monitoring and reports submission. The half-day event attracted some 500 WSH professionals and provided a platform for learning and sharing on good practices on noise hazard management at workplace. The forum also featured the latest noise monitoring equipment and hearing protection devices.

ManagementofHazardousChemicalsProgrammeLaunched in 2011, the Management of Hazardous Chemical Programme (MHCP) aims to prevent and control chemical hazards, and to protect persons at work against such hazards. The ultimate objective is to prevent illnesses, diseases and injuries resulting from exposure to hazardous chemicals. One of the targeted outcomes of MHCP is 95% of workplaces inspected have implemented an in-plant Hazardous Chemical Management Programme by 2018.

The key elements of the programme are:

ImplementationoftheGloballyHarmonised System of Classification andLabellingofChemicalsThe Globally Harmonised System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) is a hazard communication system through standardised classification of chemicals, labelling of containers and preparation of safety data sheets. The implementation of GHS in Singapore is coordinated by a multi-agency GHS Taskforce comprising representatives from nine relevant regulators (Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Trade and Industry, National Environment Agency, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Police Force, Maritime and Port Authority, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore, Civil Aviation and Authority of Singapore and Health Sciences Authority), two industry councils (WSH Council and Singapore Chemical Industry Council) and Singapore Institution of Safety Officers. Co-chaired by Ministry of Manpower and Singapore Chemical Industry Council, the Taskforce held regular meetings to deliberate on GHS implementation through five key strategies namely:-

An audit exercise on management of chemicals was conducted at 24 chemical laboratories at two institutions of higher learning where a spate of accidents occurred due to poor chemical safety management. The audit findings indicated that all the laboratories audited have complied with the key elements of the programme after the accidents.

In addition, an enforcement exercise was carried out at 21 workplaces using corrosive chemicals such as acetic acid, nitric acid, sulphuric acid and sodium hydroxide. A total of 2 composition fines and 36 Notices of Non-Compliance were issued for non-compliance with the relevant requirements of the WSH (General Provisions) Regulations. These workplaces have implemented an in-plant MHCP after the intervention.

The Permissible Exposure Levels (PEL) of toxic substances as prescribed in the WSH (General Provisions) Regulations are continually reviewed to ensure their relevancy to protect workers and they are in tandem with worldwide standards. In 2013, the PEL for hydrogen fluoride, toluene,

sulfuric acid, beryllium, epichlorohydrin, hydrogen ch lo r ide , aceton i t r i l e , hydroquinone and acetic anhydride were reviewed. The review takes into consideration the scientific basis for establishing the PEL and the corresponding occupational exposure limits set by industrialised countries.

NationalAsbestosControlProgrammeAsbestos is a hazardous substance of worldwide concern. The National Asbestos Control Programme was initiated with an objective to protect persons against asbestos and eliminate asbestos-related diseases. In Singapore, the import and use of asbestos in buildings was banned in the late 1980s. However, asbestos-containing materials still exist in old buildings and structures. Notification of work involving asbestos materials is mandatory under the Factories (Asbestos) Regulations.

In 2013, 251 notifications were received by MOM and strict control measures were imposed for asbestos removal work. 10 Composition Fines were issued for non-compliance with the regulations.

Workplace monitoring and

medical surveillance

Personal protection

Emergency response

Hazardcommunication in respectoflabelling

and safety data sheet

Training and education

Hazardassessmentandcontrol in respect of

storage, handling and disposal of chemicals

!

! !

Establishingregulatory framework

Developing strong partnerships

Promoting GHS Engaging stakeholders

Building industry capability

GHS


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MobileiOSHIntegrated Occupational Safety and Health System (iOSH) has been our primary processing and transactional system in supporting all OSHD business and processes. Notwithstanding, it is an application on desktop and is not be able to support offsite processes such as inspection, investigation, clinic visits, court hearing etc. These manual intensive processes create bottlenecks and compromise our capability to respond effectively and timely whenever the need arise.

Mobile iOSH is a game-changer that will fundamentally bring transformation for improved performance and optimisation of resources. With mobile capability, the initiative could address the problem of our business deficiency by enabling our offsite processes and digitising our inspection experience with seamless integration of our mobile iOSH and iOSH back in office. This project will eventually translate to high tangible business savings and will continue to generate more exponential returns in the longer term.

OSH Command, Control & Communications Our investigation efforts form a big part of OSHD’s enforcement framework and a more efficient investigation process produces better enforcement efforts that directly translate to better business outcomes. In tandem with this desired outcome, there is a need for the proper management of OSHD’s resources when responding to a major accident scene (i.e. crisis management). Hence, the OSH Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) will be activated to fulfil the following:

a. Plan and coordinate all response actions;

b. Manage all information flow to and fro the accident site (including the information release to the media and MOM senior management); and

c. Support the recovery and investigation efforts of the on-site team.

“OSH Command, Control and Communication” (OSHC3) is an effort to enhance our existing crisis management capabilities to the next level by leveraging on technology and best practices. OSHC3 comprises 2 phases; the first involves physical setup of the infrastructure, the integrated video display and incident management log system. The second phase involves business intelligence capabilities such as hotspot recognition, time series analysis and other geo spatial analytics. The 2nd phase is where we expect to see potential productivity gains and costs savings. The system will aid inspectors to pre-empt and identify critical problem areas to target our enforcement efforts effectively.

VIDz@MOMEnvisioned under OSHC3 framework, VIDz@MOM is one of the cornerstones of the JEDI (Joint Enforcement, Detection and Intelligence) along with Snap@MOM, Geo@MOM and Mobile iOSH. VIDz@MOM forms the interactivity and mobility principle of OSHC3, providing imagery for the purpose of managing ground operations and investigations. The EOC team shall operate from the OSHC3 command centre to acquire full situational awareness and visibility. With better appreciation and control of the on-site recovery and actions through a live video feed, the EOC team will be able to make prompt and informed decisions that will help support the inspectorate team on site.

New technologies offer OSHD innovative methods to enable timely intervention as well as more effective and efficient enforcement outcomes.

Enhanced Regulatory Framework via Technology

While this is a self regulating system put in place for the industry, MOM retains oversight of the

entire WSH landscape and may take intervention actions when necessary.

SNAP@MOMSNAP@MOM is the first mobile application developed by MOM at the national level, to provide an official feedback channel for any witnesses of WSH issues or best practices.

With this mobile application, workplace occupiers are aware that their WSH practices and workforce’s behaviour could be under the scrutiny of the members of public. Hence, they will be more motivated to enhance their WSH behaviour; system and practices which would correspondingly lead to better WSH outcomes. Under this system, any received feedback will be directed to the responsible workplace occupiers for their immediate actions so risks at workplaces can be quickly eliminated. Commendable practices of WSH at work can also be highlighted to the respective workplace occupier.

WitnessandsubmitfeedbackviaSNAP@MOM

Feedbacksuploadedtobackend

servers

Workplace occupiers alerted

byemail

Workplace occupiers carry out

follow up action


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Outreach & Engagement

To encourage businesses to adopt good Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) practices, it is important they recognise that good WSH practices will enhance business competitiveness. Businesses should be made aware that good WSH practices can bring benefits such as a good corporate image, cost savings in terms of higher productivity, and fewer disruptions to work due to accidents. It is also necessary to reach out to the workforce and encourage workers to adopt good WSH practices.

In addition, we should continue to recognise employers and workers who demonstrate good WSH practices and behaviours, and encourage them to share their experiences with the industry. Such sharing of best practices will further encourage cross-learning and facilitate the environment of continuous improvement. This will help build a strong safety and healthy culture, which will eventually elevate Singapore’s state of WSH development.

STRATEGY 3 – PROMOTE THE BENEFITS OF WSH AND RECOGNISE BEST PRACTICES

WeadoptarobustpublicoutreachstrategywithmultipletouchpointstopromotethebenefitsofWSH and to share the latest in WSH developments. From WSH-related conventions, forums to clinics, there were numerous opportunities in 2013 for businessestodiscussanddeliberateonhowbestto enhance their WSH management system and improve WSH standards.

Workplace Safety and Health Awards 2013 The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Awards celebrate and recognise companies and individuals on a national level for excellence in WSH. Jointly organised by the WSH Council and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the Awards ceremony was held on 30 July 2013 at Marina Bay Sands. 192 award winners were honoured at the ceremony.

Guest of Honour Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State for Health and Manpower, congratulated t h e w i n n e r s a n d highlighted the need for change to raise WSH standards. She noted that it was time to put equal emphasis on workplace health as well as workplace safety to better protect the ageing workforce.

In his welcome address, Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman, WSH Council, continued using the theme of “Change” to chart the history of the Council. The Chairman also reflected on the work to be done. “We can all take pride in the progress but our journey is far from over,” he concluded.

bizSAFEConvention2013The bizSAFE Convention 2013 was held on 22 February 2013 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. Themed “Invest in WSH for Business Success,” the Convention provided opportunities to Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) to learn from the bizSAFE community about their successful WSH journeys.

The Convention opened with a plenary session with Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Manpower, as the Guest of Honour. While explaining how safety can contribute to business success through productivity, operational efficiency and reputation, he urged business leaders and supervisors to focus on safety because every worker has the right to go home safely and it is the right thing to do.

bizSAFE Awards 2013 were presented to 11 bizSAFE companies to recognise their commitment and effort in creating a safe and healthy environment at their workplaces through sound and effective management of WSH risks. Close to 800 participants attended the Convention, of whom more than 50% were non-bizSAFE members. This was testament to the industries’ continuous commitment to WSH and the growing WSH awareness among newer industries.


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The ProBE Plus framework also supported and operationalised key programmes and initiatives under the industry-led national WAH and Crane Safety Taskforces respectively. Key initiatives under the National Taskforces operationalised through ProBE included various industry forums and enforcement operations with media coverage so as to share findings and amplify desired key messages.

Promote Awareness and Adoption of Design for Safety Design for Safety (DfS) is a holistic and multi-disciplinary approach to integrate safe construction, safe maintenance and safe demolition at the start of the project from conceptual design stage onwards. 2013 saw a number of joint industry events to promote awareness and adoption of ‘DfS’ so that risks identified from the design stage and during construction are recorded and transparent to all relevant parties involved in the project. Two key industry events included:

(I) International Conference on WSH for Construction Industry

The 2nd International Conference on WSH for the Construction Industry was held at BCA Academy on 13 and 14 August 2013. This conference was organised by Institution of Occupational Safety and Health Singapore in collaboration with BCA Academy and WSH Council, with DfS as one of the main themes.

Guest of Honour Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Manpower, also gave out the DfS Mark to representatives from Land Transport Authority, the 2013 winner of DfS Mark in Singapore. The DfS Mark is part of the DfS Recognition Scheme initiated by the WSH Council to recognise projects and competent DfS teams which had adopted DfS to reduce risks in the design of buildings and structures.

Programme-Based Engagement Plus “Targetting Where It Matters” is a key driver for developing the programmes and initiatives. The national Programme-Based Engagement Plus (ProBE Plus) is a national intervention programme by MOM and WSH Council that aims to reduce the key contributors of workplace fatalities and injuries, which is validated through calibrated enforcement and engagement with industry.

The ProBE Plus framework consists of three phases:

Safety Compliance Assistance VisitsThe Safety Compliance Assistance Visits (SCAV) programme is a key initiative under the National WAH Safety Taskforce, which involved appointed WSH professionals to visit and provide onsite compliance assistance to small worksites.

In 2013, SCAV conducted 800 worksites visits by WSH professionals. These provided invaluable opportunities for accident prevention. The SCAV specifically intervened at 61 worksites that exhibited imminent danger that could have resulted in serious injury and/or fatalities.

These intervened worksites would be advised to stop work immediately and carry out the necessary rectifications. The respective occupiers were then given one working day (after the visit) to revert back to SCAV on the progress of rectifications. Worksites that ignored SCAV’s advice were given reminders before referral to OSH Inspectorate for further intervention.

MobileElevatingWorkingPlatformSafetyEngineering Safety Branch from OSH Specialist Department collaborated actively with WSH Council and the industry to organise many outreach events which served as a good platform for our Specialists to share with the industry on OSHD’s efforts in promoting safety and the benefits of WSH best practices. For instance, Engineering Safety Branch regularly worked with International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), which is a non-profit organisation that promotes the safe and effective use of powered access equipment worldwide. Its head office is based in the United Kingdom and IPAF has played a key role in promoting many of the design, safety and test procedures that are now established in the powered access industry. Some of such outreach events were:

i)ForumonMobileElevatedWorkPlatforms

Held on 30 April 2013, this forum was jointly organised by Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) and IPAF with support from MOM. The objective of this forum was to provide a platform for sharing of safety perspectives for all users and stakeholders in the Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWP) industry. Presentations covered key critical factors such as pre-use inspections, maintenance, specifications of the equipment and the safe use of MEWP. Mr Go Heng Huat, Deputy Director (Major Hazard Installation) delivered the opening address.

(II) WSH Workshop on DfS of Skyrise Greenery

The WSH Workshop on DfS of Skyrise Greenery was well attended by more than 200 stakeholders from the building, facilities management and landscape sectors. Organised by WSH Council and National Parks Board, the event was part of the International Skyrise Greenery Conference 2013, which was held from 07-09 November 2013 alongside GreenUrbanScape Asia. A local project, Treehouse, was featured followed by a workshop conducted by Dr Michael Behm, Associate Professor, Occupational Safety, East Carolina University.

Phase 1 – Intel: Leveraging on technology and working closely with key partners to identify key ground issues.

Phase 3 – Enforcement and Monitoring: Allow review and reinforcement process for ProBE target groups and outcomes

Phase 2 – Engagement and Communication: Extending engagement ef forts to promulgate ProBE initiatives.

For 2013, ProBE Plus has identified Work at Heights (WAH) and Crane Safety as its key focus areas based on key accident trends in the previous year.

Under WAH, ProBE Plus focused on a) Falls from Roofs, b) Falls from Structures, c) Falls from Mobile Elevated Work Platforms and Scaffolds and d) Falls from Ladders.


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ii) IPAF Asia Conference

The second IPAF Asia Conference was held on 02 August 2013. This full-day conference featured international industry speakers sharing their expertise on how MEWP can be used to improve safety and productivity, including case studies from manufacturers, rental companies and users. Er Mohd Ismadi, then Deputy Director (Engineering Safety) shared a paper on “Powered Access Safety – Maintaining the right Balance between Regulations and Engagement”. The conference was attended by over 140 international participants from 14 countries comprising representatives from manufacturers, rental companies, contractors, safety authorities and delegates.

Involvement in Outreach Seminars and ForumsThroughout 2013, many outreach seminars and forums were jointly organised by WSH Council, MOM and the industry, academia and professional organisations. Such seminars and forums served as a good platform to raise awareness and share with the industry the Ministry’s efforts in promoting the benefits of WSH best practices. Some of such outreach seminars and forums were:

Seminar on Developments in Workplace Health –

Challenges and Opportunities

WSH Forum for the Landscape Industry

WSH Forum for Improving WSH Performance through Process Safety and People

Singapore Veterinary Conference

ProBE Plus Work at Heights Forum

WSH Facilities Management Forum

ProBE Plus Work at Heights Forum on Roof Work Safety

WSH Forum for Manufacturing Sector on Safe Hands

Jurong Gateway Safety Group Workers’ Outreach

WSH Forum for the Hospitality and Entertainment Industry –

"ABCs of Kitchen Safety"

Fostering a Trusted Work Injury Compensation System One other focus for the year for the Work Injury Compensation Department (WICD) was to correct misconceptions and foster trust in the Work Injury Compensation (WIC) system. For instance, one misconception is that some workers perceive that a lawyer is required in order to claim work injury compensation, while some are not clear on the assistance that the Ministry provides to file an injury claim under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). To strengthen the understanding of WICA, various education and outreach programmes were rolled out to reach out to workers and their employers on WICA rights and obligations, and that they should approach MOM on their WIC issues.

• WICGuidebooksforEmployeesin8languages

In particular for the segment of foreign workers who may not be conversant in English, WICD has translated its WICA materials into various native languages. In addition to the English version, the employees’ guide has been translated into 7 languages common among the foreign community within Singapore. These include Chinese, Malay, Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Myanmese and Thai.

WSH Bulletin is a free electronic newsletter published by WSH Council. Emailed to subscribers 2 to 3 times weekly, the WSH Bulletin keeps WSH professionals and interested stakeholders updated on local and international WSH-related matters and developments.

To subscribe, visit: https://www.wshc.sg/

English Chinese Malay

Tamil Bengali Hindi

Myanmese Thai

• Dedicatedinterpreter

Dedicated interpreters are also provided onsite so that any issue that the foreign worker may face can be better understood for resolution.

26 January 2013

07 September 2013

24 September 2013

25 October 2013

20 November 2013

09 May 2013

23 September 2013

02 October 2013

19 November 2013

28 November 2013

Issued on 17 Apr 2013

Work Injury Compensation Tips for Employers 2: Pay MC Wages and Medical Expenses for your Injured Worker DO YOU KNOW…?

Pay medical leave (MC) wages to your employee • No later than the usual pay day. • Even if worker has left the company or work permit has been cancelled. • Even before the insurer pays. Please ensure that your workers are promptly treated for their work injuries or work-related conditions. Delays in treatment may result in permanent incapacity or even death. As long as the medical treatments are linked to the work accident and considered necessary by the medical practitioner, you need to pay medical expenses up to a cap of $30,000 (as required under WICA) directly to the hospital or clinic. This includes for example, providing a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) to the hospital as a guarantee of payment. For failing to make prompt payment of medical leave wages and medical expenses for their injured employees, four companies have been blacklisted by the Ministry of Manpower this year and not allowed to apply for work passes. The restrictions were lifted only after the companies rectified the lapses and paid up the compensation amounts, as well as put in measures to prevent similar recurrence in the future.

For more information about WICA and the claim process, you can download a copy of our latest guides here.

As an employer, you are responsible for medical leave wages and medical expenses of your worker injured at work, even if they have been dismissed.

Issued on 27 May 2013

Work Injury Compensation (WIC) Tips for Employers 4: Common misunderstandings about

Incident Reporting vis-a-vis Compensation

For more information on WICA, please visit our website at http://www.mom.gov.sg/wic.

I am liable to pay compensation for my employee’s injury or illness once I file an incident report to MOM.

I have bought Work Injury

Compensation Insurance. I have

already informed my insurer about

the accident who will follow up on the

claim.

Compensation is not

required for non-reportable

accidents.

As an employer, you are required under the law to report an incident to MOM

under the following scenarios:

An employee died in a work accident

An employee sustained a work-related injury or contracted a disease due to work exposure to biological / chemical agent and - Hospitalized for at least 24 hours or - Given MC for more than 3 consecutive calendar days

An employee contracted an Occupational Disease

Incident Reporting does not

automatically qualify employees for

compensation. When in doubt, you should still

report and indicate your doubts. MOM will then

investigate the admissibility of the claim.

You are required to report the

accident to MOM even if you have informed

the insurer. Do not assume insurers will follow

up on all aspects of a claim. Please update

MOM on any further developments such as

additional MC days and information on WIC

insurance policy.

Employers are still required to

compensate injured workers for non-reportable

but work-related incidents (e.g. employee

given 2 days’ MC). Please ensure your policy

covers all your potential liabilities under WICA.

MOM

• MonthlyWSHBulletins

To educate employers on their work injury compensation issues, WICD also leverage on WSH Council's monthly WSH Bulletins. Presented in a condensed, easy-to-understand manner, the bulletins cover a wide range of issues including employer’s obligations to ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, claim process and case studies of prosecution under the WICA.

• ComicStrip

MOM has produced the following comic strip to illustrate, in a light-hearted way, the message that MOM is there to help with employees’ work injury compensation claims for free.


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Research, Studies and Learning ToachieveourvisionofbeingacountryrenownedforbestpracticesinWorkplaceSafetyandHealth(WSH), OSHD will continue to drive our research endeavours so that Singapore can be at theforefront of WSH developments in the world.

International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection Mr Tan Boon Kiat, Senior Manager of WSH Institute attended the International Conference on Fall Prevention and Protection 2013 held at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (JNIOSH), Tokyo, Japan from 23 – 25 October 2013. Organised by the International Ergonomics Association Technical Committee on Slips Trips and Falls and JNIOSH, the conference provided a technical forum on various aspects of fall prevention and protection including slips, trips. Following the conference, Mr Tan was attached to the Construction Safety Research Group for one week to learn more about JNIOSH’s research work.

Study Trip to the UK on Holistic Management of Workplace HealthFrom 23 – 27 September 2013, Dr Lee Hock Siang, Director OSH Specialist, and Dr Lucy Leong, Principal Specialist, participated in a study trip to the United Kingdom to study the implementation of a more holistic approach to improve the health of the working population. This was led by Dr Amy Khor, Senior Minister of State, Health and Manpower. Other delegates included representatives from the Ministry of Health, Health Promotion Board and the National University of Singapore. The study trip looked into the integration of Workplace Safety and Health across public agencies, best practices in health and well being, fit for work service and the delivery of holistic occupational health services. Visits were made to ministries and governmental

Engineering Safety Branch Technical Training SeriesPractising engineers value lifelong learning skills and the importance of continual learning. Engineering Safety Branch (ESB) Technical Training Series is launched so that we can provide OSHD engineers with up-to-date training and knowledge on advances of technology in their areas of expertise. Thus, ESB in OSH Specialist Department organised several customised technical training and practical workshops for our OSHD engineers in 2013.

i)1-DayMobileElevatingWorkPlatformCourseforMOMInspectors

25 OSHD Engineers attended this 1-day customised course which was conducted by a renowned overseas trainer from International Powered Access Federation (IPAF). This 1-day comprehensive and rigorous course served to equip our Engineers with technical and practical knowledge of Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) and updates on international standards and technological developments. The course was well-received by the attendees with many positive feedbacks that the session was informative and beneficial to their works.

ii) 1-Day MEWP Manager Course

This was a 1-day course for personnel who plan, supervise and manage the use of MEWP in the workplace. Attendees received instruction and training to prepare for and safely coordinate the use of MEWP.

SCIC – MOM Dialogue SessionThe SCIC–MOM Dialogue session is an annual exchange session where important WSH messages and OSHD initiatives are shared. For 2013, the Dialogue was held on 20 August and attended by about 50 SCIC members from the chemical industry. The Dialogue included updates on the revision of SS506 Part 3, the Globally Harmonised System and the revocation of Factories (Persons-In-charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency - Examinations) Regulations as well as the sharing of the findings of the Major Hazard Installation Study Mission to Europe in May 2013. The Dialogue further strengthened OSHD’s working relationship with the chemical industry.

The2ndHazardsAsiaPacificSymposium On April 2013, Ms Jacqueline Liew and Mr Oh Hong Jia from OSH Specialist Department attended the 2nd Hazards Asia Pacific Symposium 2013 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Hazards Asia Pacific Symposium 2013 is a bi-annual conference focusing on the latest developments in chemical process safety and sharing of best practices with special emphasis placed on the challenges faced by operators in the Asia Pacif ic region. The Symposium incorporated plenary sess ions suppor ted by a t w i n t r a c k technical programme containing more than 4 0 p e e r - r e v i e w e d papers with keynotes speakers consisting of international renowned figures from the process safety industry.

“Learning from Incident” Sharing SessionThe sharing session on 20 March 2013 was jointly organised by Singapore Chemical Industries Council (SCIC), Shell and MOM with the objective of sharing the Shell Bukom pump house fire incident through casual learning principles, using the bowtie concept as an insight into process safety and starting the dialogue on existing practices and how process safety can be improved.

The session featured a video produced by Shell showing the circumstances leading to the fire, followed by small group discussions facilitated by Shell and a plenary sharing. Participants discussed how the fire could have been avoided and safe methods of removing flammable residual from pipelines. The discussion also deliberated how companies can ensure safety measures remain effective in the workplace. This event was very well received, with participants commending Shell’s openness in sharing with the industry what went wrong and their improvements after the fire. This session was a first and a major step forward for this industry; raising expectations and paving the way for others to share openly for the purposes of improving WSH standards in the industry.

departments, employer associations and companies and service providers, including occupational health providers.


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SpecialistLearningClubSeries OSH Specialist Department regularly conducts Learning Sessions where External Speakers are invited to speak on various topics of interest to our Specialists. Where appropriate, the programme is also extended to other OSHDians depending on the relevance of the subject matter.

Some of the Specialist Learning Club Series sessions that were conducted for 2013 include:

° Attaining Certified Industrial Hygienist

WSH Research CommissionedTo date, the WSH Institute has 8 on-going RFP projects. In 2013, The WSH Institute has awarded a total of 6 RFP (Request for Proposal) research projects with Institute of Higher Learning and WSH consultancy firms. Details of the projects awarded in 2013 are summarised below.

WSH Institute Forums

Engineering Safety Branch Technical VisitsEngineering Safety Branch (ESB) of Specialist Department regularly conducts visits to Equipment Manufacturers or Suppliers’ workshops to learn more about the current practices on the ground for safety matters as well as to learn more about the maintenance and inspection regime for such equipment. This is imperative for our continuous effort for ground sensing and on site practical learning. We would also time-to-time meet up with Manufactures to know about the latest technological developments of these equipments. Some of these visits for 2013 included:

• MobileElevatingWorkPlatform

The WSH Institute organised a forum, entitled “Maximising Returns through WSH Innovations”, at the NTU@One North Campus on 30 January 2013. About 200 participants attended the event. Participants, mainly WSH professionals, were updated on WSH Innovations to help them work more effectively and efficiently.

Speakers included:

• Mr Richard Webster from Safe Work Australia – He shared that the cost of work-related injuries and illnesses amounts to 4.8% of the Australian GDP.

• Ms Heidi Tan from Tan Tock Seng Hospital – She shared the importance of an ergonomics program within an organisation as well as some tips on maintaining good postures at work.

Other highlights included presentations on two mobile applications:

- SNAP@MOM by Ms Patricia Chen from MOM

- ergo@WSH by Ms Peggy Heng from WSH Institute.

The WSH Institute organised a half-day WSH Train-the-Trainers (T3) Forum on Risk Management Training on 22 March 2013. The forum was targeted for WSH trainers who conduct training on WSH risk management. More than 180 participants attended the forum, including WSH trainers and practitioners from various industries. The forum was very well-received by the audience. Real time feedback was collected using the Institute’s Audience Response Devices issued at the end of the forum and they indicated that they looked forward to more of such forums in the future.

WSH Institute Forum on “Maximising Returns through WSH

Innovations”

WSH Train-the-Trainers (T3) Risk

Management Training Forum

• MiniOutriggerCrawlerCrane

° Industrial Dust Explosion Risk Management

° Recognising and Managing Work-Related Stress

• SuspendedScaffold

OWLinks is a free electronic newsletter published by the WSH Institute. Emailed to subscribers monthly, OWLinks reviews and recommends articles on safety and health issues from around the world. Through these articles, readers could gather insights on new WSH ideas and solutions, emerging issues and potential changes in our future landscape.

To subscribe, visit: http://www.wshi.gov.sg/

I. National University of Singapore Prototype Fall Protection System Wizard: A design support system to improve the selection and design of personal fall protection system

VI.Institute of Occupational Medicine Occupational ill-health in the Singapore Construction Sector which includes cancer and non-malignant respiratory diseases

V. Institute of Occupational Medicine Potential occupational exposure to nanoparticles in Singapore (Nanomaterial Value Chain Assessment also known as NanoEXS project)

IV.Nanyang Technological University Behaviour-centred,

communications-reinforced approach to workplace safety

III. National University of Singapore Intelligent system for determining productivity and safety index using building information modelling

II. National University of Singapore Intelligent review of Design for Safety using safety knowledge-based building information modelling


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CollaborationontheLocalFront

Improving Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) standards and developing a vibrant WSH culture is not something that the Government, nor the WSH Council, can achieve by itself. It requires the collective effort and cooperation of all key stakeholders. Close working relationships among the various stakeholders are vital as they can leverage on one another’s strengths to refine and implement the WSH framework.

STRATEGY 4 – DEVELOP STRONG PARTNERSHIPS LOCALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY

On the local front, there were many opportunities for the government tocollaborateandsynergisewithkeystakeholdergroupsinvarioussectors to drive WSH improvements.

MarineIndustriesCEORoundtableOn 13 August 2013, 20 Pledge-for-Zero CEOs participated in the Marine Industries CEO Roundtable 2013. This year, they have taken a step forward by inviting 31 of their business partners to signify their commitment to achieve zero injury in a ceremonial pledge. Through signing the same pledge that these shipyards’ CEOs signed 4 years ago, their business partners committed to improve WSH in partnership with the yards. Participating business leaders also shared keen insights in a closed-door discussion and learned about culture-driven leadership from Mr Lucas Ng, General Manager, Petrochemical Corporation of Singapore.

ConstructionCEORoundtableThemed “Leadership in WSH”, this year’s CEO Roundtable on 30 August explored a new format whereby a Pledge for Zero (PfZ) organisation hosted the Roundtable and showcased its approach based on the theme. Following a site visit to Lend Lease’s NOVARTIS BioPharmaOps Project, Lend Lease also shared its initiatives to inculcate positive WSH values in its leaders and staff. These included its “Uncompromising Leadership” workshops and the integration of WSH into job description, evaluation and training for all staff across all businesses from construction to asset management. Mr Jackson Yap, Chairman of WSH Council (Construction and Landscape) Committee also led a lively discussion on how the CEOs could possibly integrate some of the concepts into their own organisations.


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On the international stage, there were also many learning opportunities for OSHD this year.

CollaborationwithInternational Powered Access Federation International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) launched Singapore’s first industry-led safety campaign for Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP) at Raffles Country Club on 19 December 2013. The event was supported by MOM and WSH Council. Representatives from Singapore Institution of Safety Officer, Institute of Engineers Singapore, Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Singapore, Trade Link Media Pte Ltd (South East Asia Construction Magazine) and members of IPAF attended the launch. This industry-led MEWP safety campaign had attendees signing on the pledge for the launch of “Clunk Click” Campaign in Singapore, which calls for users of boom-type platforms to wear a full body harness with a short restraint lanyard attached to a suitable anchor point.

7th Asia Pacific International Institute of Welding International Congress The International Institute of Welding (IIW), in collaboration with the Singapore Welding Society (SWS) organised the 7th Asia Pacific IIW International Congress in Singapore this year, from 08 – 10 July 2013 with the theme of “Recent Developments in Welding and Joining Technologies.” The objective of the Congress was to bring experts together to discuss the state-of-art welding and joining technologies, as well as to present new research findings and perspectives of future developments in this domain. It was an important forum for the exchange of knowledge and it provided opportunities for fellow industrialists and researchers to network with experts in the field of welding. WSH Commissioner, Er Ho Siong Hin graced the event and delivered the Jaeger Lecture.

ASEAN-OSHNET Plus Three Workshop on Development of ASEAN-OSHNET Scorecard and Information Strategies for Occupational Safety and HealthDr Jukka Takala, then Executive Director for WSH of WSH Institute, and Dr Lee Hock Siang, Director OSH Specialist, represented Singapore at the ASEAN-OSHNET Plus Three Workshop on Development of Scorecard and Information Strategies for Occupational Safety and Health held in Bangkok from 22 – 23 January 2013. 26 delegates from 10 ASEAN member countries, China, Japan and Korea attended this workshop.

At the workshop, Dr Takala was one of the resource persons who introduced delegates to the proposed ASEAN Scorecard. The Scorecard would be used to score Occupational Safety and Health positions of each ASEAN-OSHNET Member State and would be used as an indicator for member states to identif y possible development plans and measures. The final draft of the A S E A N - O S H N E T S c o r e c a r d w a s subsequently finalised and presented and approved at the 14th Coordinating Board Meeting in Myanmar.

CollaborationwithHospitalstoProactively Give Out Collaterals to Injured Workers and Employers Hospitals have always been an important touch-point through which we educate workers and their employers on their entitlements and responsibilities under the WICA. Instead of simply placing flyers and handbooks on the brochure racks in hospitals, WICD constantly educate hospitals to better understand the needs of the injured workers and their employers so as to provide more effective outreach to them. We have partnered with Accident & Emergency (A&E) teams from Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore General Hospital and Khoo Teck Puat Hospital to distribute collateral packs to injured workers and subsequently their employers they have tended to at the hospitals.

The collateral set contains information targeted at the injured employee as well as the employer. The employee gets an advisory note and a flyer from MOM summing up what his rights are, the various stages of the WICA process and where to seek help. The employer gets a similar advisory note and a handbook from MOM summing up what his obligations are as well as the steps in the WICA compensation process.

Appointment of Honorary Fellows and Researchers Associate Professor Chui Yoon Ping was appointed Honorary Fellow to the WSH Institute for a period of two years from 2013 to 2015. Associate Professor Chui has been with the Singapore Institute of Management University since 2008 and is currently Head of the Human Factors in Safety and Systems programs.

To-date, the WSH Institute has:

Associate Professor Chui Yoon Ping,

Singapore Institute of Management

University

Mr Tan Kia Tang, Deputy Director (Occupational Hygiene), OSH

Specialist Department

Associate Professor David Chua,

National University of Singapore

Dr Kenneth Choy, Deputy Director (Occupational Medicine), OSH

Specialist Department

Two Honorary Researchers

Two Honorary Fellows

InternationalCollaborationCollaborationwithMigrantWorkersCentretoprovideTemporaryJobSchemeThis pilot started in February 2013 and is essentially a Temporary Job Scheme (TJS) that aims to provide WIC Special Pass (SP) holders a source of income and keep them employed while pending the resolution of their claims.

Upon successful matching with prospective TJS employers, injured workers will be granted 6 months of WIC TJS Work Permit. Once their claims have been concluded, they shall be repatriated regardless of the validity of Work Permit. In the event that the TJS employer decides to keep the worker in employment after his case with MOM has been resolved, we shall allow a maximum period of 6 months (till Work Permit’s expiry) provided that the TJS employer must undertake to repatriate the worker after that.

MOM is partnering with Migrant Workers Centre to promote this pilot TJS program to companies and match SP holders with jobs.


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ASEAN-OSHNET Coordinating Board MeetingThe ASEAN-OSHNET Coordinating Board Meeting is an annual meeting between the ASEAN-OSHNET representatives to update and discuss the OSH developments in their country, as well as to share best practices with the interest of improving the OSH standards in the region.

The 14th ASEAN-OSHNET Coordinating Board Meeting (CBM14) was held from 08 – 09 April 2013 in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. MOM was represented by Dr Lee Hock Siang, Director OSH Specialist, and Ms Audrina Chua, then Head of International Collaboration. MOM updated our initiatives in the programme area of strengthening OSH inspection in ASEAN and the latest OSH developments in Singapore.

The CBM 14 took stock of the OSH progress of all ASEAN Member states since the adoption of the 5-Year Plan of Action (2011 – 2015) and activities on OSH under National OSH Frameworks at CBM 12. The ASEAN Member states made good progress in raising OSH standards and many of the targets set under this Plan of Action have been achieved as a result of commitment and efforts of all ASEAN Member states. For example, the ASEAN-OSHNET scorecard was endorsed at the meeting and subsequently approved for adoption at the Senior Labour Officials Meeting in May 2013.

Sheffield Group MeetingDr Gan Siok Lin, Executive Director of WSH Institute, attended the 25th meeting of the Sheffield Group, held in Florence, Italy from 26 – 28 May 2013 where she shared the achievements of the WSH Institute. The Group commended on the Institute’s performance and invited the Institute to continue attending subsequent meetings.

The Sheffield Group is a grouping of Chief Executives of the different WSH Research Institutes in Europe, NIOSH/USA, Canada, Israel, South Africa, Republic of Korea and Australia. The group meets annually to exchange information and latest developments in occupational safety and health research and knowledge in a relatively informal but very useful way.

InternationalLabourOrganisation Safety and Health ConferenceThe 2013 International Labour Organisation (ILO) International Safety and Health Conference took place in Düsseldorf, Germany from 06 – 07 November 2013. It was held during A+A Safety, Security and Health at Work International Trade Fair with Congress, in collaboration with the German Federal Association for OSH (Basi), Mese Düsseldorf, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of Germany, the International Social Security Association (ISSA), the International Association of Labour Inspection (IALI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The theme of the conference was “Make it Visible: Occupational Disease – Recognition, Compensation and Prevention” and provided a platform for the different stakeholders from government officials to occupational safety and health professionals to share their experiences. They also learnt how to put in practice, developing and implementing national policies and strategies directed at preventing occupational and work-related diseases.

Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower, who led the MOM delegation, chaired the keynote session involving speakers from ILO, WHO, International Organisation for Employers (IOE) and the International Trades Union Confederation (ITUC).

Our Divisional Director, Er Ho Siong Hin, also presented Singapore’s WSH Strategy as well as our regulatory framework at the Conference. The delegation also took the opportunity to meet up with international partners such as the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) and the German Social Accident Insurance (DGUV).

National Safety and Health Conference in Sri LankaEr Mohd Ismadi, Director (Policy, Information and Corporate Services), was invited to deliver the keynote address at the National Safety and Health Conference by the Ministry of Labour & Labour Relations, Sri Lanka. The theme of the conference was aligned to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) 2013 theme on OSH, “Prevention of Occupational Diseases”.

He shared Singapore’s WSH framework as well as our WSH2018 strategies. There were over 300 conference participants ranging from senior executives, Human Resource managers in the government, semi-government and private sector enterprises who are responsible for managing safety and health in their organisations.

3rdASEANLabourInspectionConferenceThe 3rd Conference of the ASEAN Labour Inspection Conference organised by MOM and Transmigration of Indonesia was held from 02 – 04 July 2013 at Bali, Indonesia. MOM was represented by our Divisional Director, Er Ho Siong Hin. The conference reaffirmed the continuation of ASEAN cooperation programmes on labour inspection, taking into account Dong Nai Action Plan and Ha Long. They also agreed to continue sharing information and exchange of views at the regional level to foster labour inspection function in promoting safe, fair, healthy, and productive workplace condition in ASEAN.

Further initiatives within and among ASEAN Member States aimed at generating responsive labour inspection system, particularly on capacity building, strengthening working methods through better coordination and collaboration, and developing possible performance indicators/tools of labour inspection will be conducted.

Moving towards 2020: Priorities for OSH research in Europe for the years 2013-2020 The then Executive Director of WSH Institute, Dr Jukka Takala was invited to present the paper on “Singapore WSH Research Agenda (2011 – 2016) and global / regional / local need to change” at the seminar “Moving towards 2020: Priorities for OSH research in Europe for the years 2013 –2020” on 09 October 2013 in Brussels.

The seminar, organised by European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), discussed the EU-OSHA report “Priorities for Occupational Safety and Health Research in Europe: 2013 – 2020”. Its aim was to facilitate better coordination of OSH research activities and more efficient allocation of resources in the coming years.

16th National Conference and ExhibitiononOccupationalSafety and Health Dr Gan Siok Lin, Executive Director of WSH Institute, was also invited to present a paper on “The Prevention of Occupational Diseases” on 26 August 2013 at the 16th National Conference and Exhibition on Occupational Safety and Health at Kuala Lumpur. The conference theme was “Prevention of Workplace Injuries and Diseases” which calls for employers who are responsible for the safety and health at the workplace to provide occupational health services for their employees. Dr Gan shared on Singapore’s strategies as well as experiences.


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ASEAN-OSHNETPublicationsThe International Collaboration Branch, under the OSH Specialist Department, works closely with our ASEAN counterparts to develop guidelines. Last year, 2 documents were published, namely the ASEAN-OSHNET Code of Integrity for Occupational Safety and Health Inspections and ASEAN-OSHNET Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) Initiatives 2011/2012. The former aims to assist OSH Inspectors in ASEAN to understand the roles, responsibilities and authorities as public officials and to ensure that the minimum standards of conduct expected are met. This Code also establishes the commitment required by OSH agencies to facilitate an environment for OSH inspectors to fulfil the values prescribe in the Code. The latter shares the OSHMS and other on-going initiatives presented during the 5th ASEAN-OSHNET Plus Three OSHMS Policy Dialogue held in Singapore from 29 February to 01 March 2012.

Our Visitors

22January

2013

22 – 24 January

2013

We played host to a total of 16 overseas visits in 2013 which encompassed distinguished visitors both from private and government sectors. A wide spectrum of WSH issues were discussed during these visits and the fruitful exchanges were valuable for both the host and visiting countries.

Delegates from Temasek Foundation–Tan Tock Seng Hospital Nursing (Specific Disciplines) Specialists Programme, Thailand

29 – 31 January

2013

Mr Richard Webster, Assistant Director of Data and Analysis for Safe Work Australia

22March

2013

Mr Paul O’Connor, CEO, Comcare, Australia

Delegates from Employees’ Compensation Division, Labour Department, Hong Kong SAR Government

11March

2013

Dr Ian Noy and Mr David Melton from the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, United States

22March

2013

Dr Morales (Project Director) and Mr Julio Franzani (Manager of HSW) from Mutual de Seguridad* (Safety Mutual), Chile

23May

2013

Prof Jos Verbeek of Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Finland

22April

2013

Delegates from China Safety Delegation, China

17December

2013

Delegates from Korea Occupational Safety and Health Organisation

26April

2013

Delegates from Ministry of Labour, Thailand

01April

2013

Mrs Padmini Ratnyake, Former Additional Secretary and Co-ordinating Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Labour Relations, Sri Lanka

04 – 05November

2013

Delegates from Sectoral Activities Department, International Labour Organisation

LI O

17July

13 August

2013

Attachment of Ms Birgit Müller from the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) to Singapore

–

17 – 19 September

2013

Delegates from Department of Occupational Safety and Health, Ministry of Human Resources, Malaysia

20December

2013

Delegates from Thailand Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (TIOSH) and Department of Labour Protection and Welfare, Thailand

08April

2013

Prof Malcom Sim from Monash Centre for Occupational & Environmental Health, Australia


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WSH PERFORMANCE

Key Workplace Safety and Health Indicators, 2012 and 2013

TABLE 1NUMBER OF WORKPLACE INJURIES AND OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES

2012 2013

OVERALL WORKPLACE INJURIES 11,113 12,115

Fatal Injuries 56 59

Major Injuries 588 589

Minor Injuries 10,469 11,467

Work-related Traffic Fatal Injuries 12 14

Occupational Diseases 987 673

TABLE 2KEY WSH INDICATORS PER 100,000 EMPLOYED PERSONS

2012 2013

OVERALL WORKPLACE INJURY RATE1 407 426

Fatal Injuries 2.1 2.1

Major Injuries 21.6 20.7

Minor Injuries 384 403

Accident Frequency Rate2 1.7 1.7

Accident Severity Rate3 88 91

Occupational Incidence4 36.2 23.7

TABLE 3 WORK INJURY COMPENSATION REPORT

2012 2013

No. of PI5 and Death Cases Awarded Compensation

4,215 4,543

Total sum of PI and Death compensation awarded (S$, Million)

$63.00 $75.38

No. of accidents reported with no PI sustained

9,083 9,039

1 Workplace Injury Rate = No. of Fatal and Non-Fatal Workplace Injuries x 100,000 No. of Employed Persons

2 Accident Frequency Rate (AFR) = No. of Workplace Accidents Reported x 1,000, 000 No. of Man-hours Worked

3 Accident Severity Rate (ASR) = No. of Man Days Lost To Workplace Accidents x 1,000, 000 No. of Man-hours Worked

4 Occupational Disease Incidence = No. of Occupational Diseases (i.e. chronic confirmed cases) x 100, 000 No. of Employed Persons

5 PI: Permanent Incapacity

WSH PERFORMANCE OSHD Annual Report 2013

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Wholesale & Retail Trade

27

1 Major Injuries refer to non-fatal injuries which are more severe in nature. Major injuries are defined using a combination of factors, including the nature of

injury, part of the body injured, incident type and duration of medical leave. These include: amputation, blindness, deafness, paralysis, crushing, fractures

and dislocations: head, back, chest and abdomen, neck, hip and pelvis, exposure to electric current, acute illness requiring medical treatment or loss of

consciousness from exposure to chemical and/or biological agents, asphyxia/drowning, hypothermia, burns with more than 20 days of medical leave,

concussion with more than 20 days of medical leave

2 Minor injuries include all other reportable injuries that did not result in death or major injuries.

INSIGHTS

34.5

WORKPLACE FATAL INJURIES 2013

Work-related Traffic Fatal Injuries

14

Construction33

Rate (All sectors)2.1

Rate (All sectors and work-related traffic fatal injuries)

2.3

Others11

(All Sectors)

59

Marine3

Transportation & Storage

6

INSIGHTS

There were 59 workplace fatal injuries in 2013, an increase from 56 workplace fatal injuries in 2012. Workplace fatal injury rate remained at 2.1 per 100,000 employed persons

per 100,000 employed persons per 100,000 employed persons

If work-related traffic fatal injuries are included, the overall number of fatally injured workers rises to 73 or 2.3 workers fatally injured for 100,000 employed persons.

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The construction sector remained the top contributor in 2013 with 33 fatal injuries, up from 26 in 2012. This led to a rise in the sector’s fatal injury rate from 5.9 per 100,000 employed persons in 2012 to 7.0 in 2013.

73 10Accidents arising from the Collapse or Failure of Structure and Equipment are emerging issues. There was a significant increase from 4 workplace fatal injuries in 2012 to 10 in 2013.

Falls (includes Falls from Heights, and Slips, Trips and Falls) also remained the leading incident type, accounting for 29% of the fatal injuries. 79% of fatal injuries due to Falls from Heights occurred at the physical workplace involving structures, roofs and formwork.

29% 589589 workers sustained major injuries at work, a rate of 20.7 per 100,000 employed persons in 2013 compared to 21.6 in 2012.

The construction sector remained the top contributor but saw a slight reduction in major injury rate to 34.5 per 100,000 employed persons in 2013 compared to 35.0 in 2012.

27%Slips, Trips and Falls remained the main area of concern as it was the leading incident type - 27% of major injuries.

WORKPLACE NON-FATAL INJURIES 2013

Total non-Fatal Injuries

12,056Major Injuries1

589Minor Injuries2

11,467

MAJOR INJURIES 2013(All Sectors)

589Manufacturing

6

Rate 20.7

per 100,000 employed persons

Marine36

Transportation & Storage

34

Others161

Accommodation & Food Service Activities

33

Manufacturing 134

Construction164


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OCCUPATIONAL DISEASES 2013

The manufacturing sector contributed to 23% of minor injuries and remained the highest contributor.

MINOR INJURIES 2013(All Sectors)

11,467Type of Disease

Total

673 (887)

Noise Induced Deafness

564

Occupational Skin Diseases

56

Work-related Musculoskeletal

Disorders23 (237)

Others21

Occupational Lung Diseases

9

INSIGHTS

11,467 23% 23%11,467 workers encountered minor injuries - a rate of 403 per 100,000 employed persons in 2013.

Slips, Trips and Falls remained the main area of concern as it was the leading incident type - 23% of minor injuries.

N o i s e - I n d u c e d Deafness (NID) is the most commonly reported OD. There were 564 cases in 2013, making up 84% (64%) of total OD cases confirmed.

INSIGHTS

673564

Occupational Disease (OD) cases were confirmed in 2013, resulting in an incidence rate of 23.7 per 100,000 employed persons.

The Ministry of Manpower will include back injury cases due to ergonomic risks as cases of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD), an occupational disease (OD), with effect from 2014. For the 2013 OD statistics, we have reflected the estimated number of back injury cases and adjusted the statistics as shown in parenthesis. This is to signal its importance and to drive efforts for the prevention of WRMSD at the workplace. Including these cases will make WRMSD the second most common OD in Singapore.

Figures in parentheses include WRMSD-back injury cases due to ergonomic risks.

The manufacturing sector continued to have the highest number of NID cases but saw a drop from 488 in 2012 to 275 in 2013.

275

For more information:Details of Singapore’s WSH statistics for 2013 are available in the WSH Statistics Report 2013, accessible through the Workplace Safety and Health Institute's website in the link below: http://www.wshi.gov.sg/Observatory-WSH-Landscape/WSH-Statistics.html

Rate 403

per 100,000 employed persons

Wholesale & Retail Trade535

Others3,721

Transportation & Storage798

Accommodation & Food Service Activities

848

Construction2,423

Manufacturing 2,680

Marine462


8382

FORECAST

The Next LapWith a t ight labour market coupled with a strong demand for infrastructure projects, the pursuit of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) excellence is not without challenges but it is one which we will strive towards with relentless passion and commitment. In the coming year, OSHD wil l continue to work together with its industry partners and stakeholders to spur further improvements in WSH standards.

Vision Zero Internationally, there are a growing number of countries which have embraced the Vision Zero mindset to drive further improvement in WSH outcomes. Vision Zero is the belief that no loss of life or ill-health arising from work is acceptable and that all workplace incidents are preventable. An international scan of national WSH strategies on Vision Zero was conducted to gain a deeper understanding on the concept and initiatives were carried out to generate conversation on the topic, including WSH Stakeholders’ Dialogue sessions and a forum where international WSH thought leaders and experts shared their perspectives, opportunities and challenges in this area and engaged the forum participants in a panel discussion.

These initiatives provided greater clarity and broad consensus among stakeholders on how Vision Zero for WSH could be applied in Singapore. For Singapore, Vision Zero is a mindset that all work injuries and ill-health are preventable and achievable. Moving forward, as part of horizon planning for the next phase of Singapore’s WSH journey, we will be discussing with the International Advisory Panel for WSH on Vision Zero. The discussion will outline strategies to achieve the desired outcomes of a change in mindset and proposes actions towards working safely and healthily for a lifetime.

Total WSH As part of the strategy to meet Workplace Health challenges arising from an ageing workforce, the rise in the numbers of workers with chronic diseases, and emerging WSH risks, the concept of 'Total WSH' was developed as an approach to managing safety and health in the workplace holistically. It is a comprehensive and integrated approach to managing WSH risks to provide and maintain a safe and healthy working environment to all employees by identifying and addressing all WSH risks in a proactive and integrated way.

An implementation guideline prepared in collaboration with the Health Promotion Board, has been developed to assist companies in their journey towards Total WSH. To signal the importance of the workplace in protecting and promoting workers’ health and safety, announcements would be made at strategic platforms on the concept of Total WSH as a new paradigm for workers’ health, safety and well-being. The Singapore WSH Conference 2014 will have as its theme, ‘Integrating Safety and Health: Towards a Holistic Approach’.

FORECAST OSHD Annual Report 2013

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Greater Deterrence and Quality Outcomes through Enforcement While we continue to develop WSH capability in the industry and promote the benefits of WSH, enforcement will remain the backbone of OSHD’s WSH framework. In 2014, OSHD will strengthen and step up its enforcement efforts to ensure the compliance of basic safety standards especially in the areas where work injuries and fatalities are more prevalent. MOM will continue to work closely with the industry to raise WSH standards but we will not hesitate to impose tough measures to correct poor practices and deter malpractices by contractors. With our recently enhanced regulatory framework, we will be imposing stronger penalties for WSH contraventions as well as tightening enforcement tools such as minimum period for Stop Work Orders to allow for safety training and more stringent criteria to exit the Business under Surveillance Programme.

WSHDatabaseComplementing the WIC review, the WSH Council is working with MOM, WSH Institute and insurers to develop a database that provides a consolidated view of a company's WIC claims history and WSH performance information to subscribed users. The database leverages on the power of information sharing to achieve fairer WIC insurance premiums that then help drive companies towards better WSH management. This will enable companies to recognise the cost-benefit of good WSH management and eventually, lead to safer and healthier workplaces for employees. This initiative is in line with the WSH 2018 strategy of being an enabler to improve industry WSH standards in the medium to long term. The database will be piloted in May 2014 and is intended to be ready for launch by end of 2014.

OSHD will be revising the Approved Code of Practice on WSH RM to include the consideration of personal risk factors that can compromise WSH, and to emphasise the implementation of upstream risk control measures.

Aholisticframeworkthatgoesbeyondworkplacesafetyhazardsandconsiderspersonal risk factors that can compromise WSH. These factors include poorly managed health conditions and work fatigue.

1A pragmatic approach that moves away from documentation checks and focuses on on-site implementation of effective control measures.

2An emphasis that shifts downstream risk mitigation measures (such as personal protective equipment), to upstream control measures such as elimination, substitutionandengineeringcontrols.

3

Risk Management 2.0 OSHD is taking a fresh look at the current Risk Management (RM) framework to enhance its coverage and effectiveness. RM 2.0 is intended to achieve these three outcomes:

ProBE Plus 2014Based on accident trends in 2013 and early 2014, MOM and WSH Council has identified Formwork Safety, Work at Heights and Crane Safety as priority focus areas for ProBE Plus 2014, where year-long efforts to raise awareness and build industry capabilities will be systemically followed by targeted enforcement operations based on these focus areas.

Review of Work Injury Compensation Framework A good Work Injury Compensation (WIC) system for Singapore has to go beyond injury compensation to one that places greater emphasis on the injured workers in their rehabilitation and return back to work. In this new WIC landscape, it is envisaged that the various stakeholders will play a proactive role in shaping a progressive WIC system for the injured workers. In doing so, it will also have a positive bearing on the WSH outcomes where every injury, fatality, occupational disease should be prevented as much as possible in the first place.

To achieve this, the review will broadly cover areas such as

The review will take place in the next two years and we will be working closely with the stakeholders on the various proposals.

Ensuring WIC remains relevant

and fair

Ensuring WIC system remains

expeditious

EnhancingWICtobetteraddress the needs of

injured workers

Enhancing WIC system through reviewing roles

of the stakeholders

To aid industry in moving from the current RM framework to RM 2.0, more guides will be developed and industry best practices will be shared with the industry. These include more RM Compendia for common work activities; RM guides for workers and small businesses; and case studies illustrating how companies have gained a business edge through the implementation of upstream risk controls.

FORECAST OSHD Annual Report 2013

8988

PEOPLE@OSHD

Our Staff Engagement Strategy It is our people’s dedication and dogged determination that has led to the advancement of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) standards in Singapore. However, it has increasingly become more challenging to achieve what we have accomplished thus far. Novel and innovative methods will have to be employed to propel us to the next stage of our WSH journey. A productive workforce aligned to our vision and mission will take us to our destination. Thus, we have made a concerted effort in keeping our employees engaged.

Engaged employees are more productive and tend to create stronger customer relationships. They are an essential source of new ideas. Creativity stemming from engaged employees is vital to make our workplaces healthier and safer, both at a national as well as an individual level. Having understood that there is a direct correlation between employee engagement and employee satisfaction, we have over the years gradually developed strategies that best meet the diverse needs of our large division. No singular engagement method applies to all and with this in mind, we approached 2013 with a new vision that resulted in several inaugural events.

With feedback collected through café forums, employee engagement surveys and countless dialogue sessions between employees and our

Divisional Director, Er Ho Siong Hin, the Capability Development Unit (CDU), the unit tasked with the duty to enhance employee engagement, developed a Capability Development Framework that staff could easily identify with. This framework encapsulates both the Engagement and Training Strategic Approaches CDU takes on for OSHD. It comprises 4 elements, namely promoting a Vibrant Work-Life Culture, Building Teamwork and One Identity, Promoting Open and Effective Communication as well as Providing a Progressive Learning Environment.

From this framework stems the engagement initiatives for OSHD for the year 2013. Our vision of nurturing and developing each “OSHDian”, a term coined to build a culture of oneness, is manifested in CDU’s work. Tele-Match, Healthy Lifestyle Day, Popcorn Day, Ice-cream Day, Yogurt Day and Breakfast with DOSH were some of the inaugural events that were run by CDU in 2013. Other programmes under the enhanced engagement framework include but are not limited to DOSH Heart2heart sessions, Café Forum, Management Retreat and LocomOSHion. The various initiatives served as platforms for our people to bond, strengthening the quality of relationships within OSHD, to improve Work-Life Harmony and to align staff to the division’s mission, vision and values.

CapabilityDevelopmentFramework

One Culture, One Mission, One OSH

Measurements Include MOM Organisation Climate Survey, OSHD VoiceofWorkforceSurvey,DialogueSessions,Feedbackand

Happiness Index

STRATEGIES

STRATEGY 2

Build Teamwork and One Identity

STRATEGY 1

Promote a Vibrant Work-Life Culture

STRATEGY 3

Promote Open and Effective Communication

STRATEGY 4

Provide a Progressive Learning Environment

Promote Staff Motivation EnhanceStaffCapability

EmbracingPeople

Foster Relationship Building&Collaboration

3-Prong Level of Engagement

• LocomOSHion

• Cafe Forum

• Heart2Heart

• Lunch Talk

• Departmental Team Building

Focus on Staff Appreciation

• OSHD Day

• Staff Conference

• OSHD Anniversary

• Tele-Match Day

• Healthy Lifestyle Day

• Breakfast with DOSH

• Birthday Celebrations

• Yogurt/Ice Cream/Popcorn Day

Competency in line with Industry and Training

• Attain Qualifications of WSQ standards

• Integrate Total WSH with Safety & Health

competency

• Cross-Divisional Training

Engaging Hearts

EmpoweringMinds

PEOPLE@OSHD OSHD Annual Report 2013

9392

LocomOSHion In order for the different departments within OSHD to get to know each other and comprehend the role they play in the bigger scheme in which OSHD operates, the division organises several teambuilding events a year, both at departmental as well as divisional level. One such division wide event is LocomOSHion. Held largely on a monthly basis, it is a gathering of all staff within OSHD for the sharing of recent developments in the division so as to promote information sharing and collaboration. LocomOSHion also serves as a platform to recognise staff efforts and good work completed. It also provides opportunities for management to get to know their staff.

DOSH Heart2Heart What began as an effort to assist staff to assimilate and adapt to the new office (at Bendemeer) out of sheer concern for the welfare of our staff by our Divisional Director, became a permanent platform for the receipt of feedback. Many concerns raised by our employees were expeditiously dealt with by our Divisional Director, fondly known as DOSH. The many improvements and changes in our current building as well as enhancements to work processes are a direct result of all that was shared by staff during these chat sessions.

One cannot understand the concerns of common people from an ivory tower view. Having taken time and effort to speak to staff over countless sessions has brought greater understanding and hence connection between senior management and staff. So, quietly and gradually a culture of mutual trust and respect is being shaped which is paramount to the success of any organisation.

OSHD Café Forum Staff feedback and open dialogue between management and staff is valued at OSHD. We have actively promoted open and effective communication, the product of which is the increasingly free expressions of OSHDians over the years. This has permitted us to the tap on the collective wisdom of the division. We believe that each member of OSHD has a role to play in shaping the future of OSHD.

Hence, the café forum is one platform for senior management to listen to staff feedback and to address concerns on the ground. Through the forum, senior management gain a better understanding of operational and staff welfare issues and have the opportunity to explore potential solutions to address these issues in a more casual setting with staff.

Work-Life HarmonyIn OSHD, we focus on cultivating a culture of healthy Work-Life Harmony. With workplace flexibility, OSHDians are better able to manage work, family and personal demands which will in turn help them achieve personal work-life effectiveness. Work-Life Harmony is promoted through various means such as flexi work schedules, working from home and leave benefits.

As the lead in Workplace Safety and Health, we believe that the encouragement of physical exercises and education on health should be a part of OSHD’s strategy for a healthy workplace. A myriad of recreational activities are made easily available and accessible to our staff. Our staff participate in regular badminton sessions, yoga, jazzercise, zumba and runs along Bendemeer. In addition to health talks, tele-match and inter departmental challenges are also the norm in OSHD as an effort to encourage healthy living.

Events such as ice-cream, popcorn and yogurt days provide an opportunity for senior management to show their appreciation for staff’s valuable contributions to OSHD’s business excellence. These events are held on a regular basis, and offers a break from work as well as opportunities to mingle with colleagues and relax. We will continue to conduct such events as we are committed to ensure Work-Life Harmony and good health in OSHD.


9594

Training and Induction ProgrammeTraining opportunities were ample for OSHDians as we seek to equip our staff with the right skill set, knowledge and competencies they need to work effectively.

As part of our continued efforts to build capabilities across the division within OSHD, Corporate Development Unit (CDU) has successfully rolled out a series of in-house customised and basic trainings in Systems Thinking, Strategic Planning, Report Writing, Fire Investigation, Creativity and Innovation, Risk Management and Safety and Health Management Systems in 2013. These workshops and courses were fully subscribed and well-received by participants.

In addition, CDU organises a 2-day OSHD Induction & Training Programme for new staff joining the division annually. This is one of the baseline foundation training and provides new staff with an appreciation of the role and work of OSHD. A one day teambuilding component is incorporated to promote teamwork and bonding amongst the new staff.

Finally, a new initiative of an enhanced OSHD Personal Mastery Framework is underway as we sharpen our capabilities building with a new focus on developing Cross-Divisional Enforcement Competencies for staff under the Advanced Tier. Alongside with building OSHD Core & Organisational Competencies, WDA- WSQ courses will be strongly recommended and introduced as part of our basic training.


9796

OSH Policy, Information & Corporate Services Department Team Building

Work Injury Compensation Department Team Building

WSH Council Team Building

WSH Institute Team Building

OSH Inspectorate Team Building

OSH Specialist Department Team Building

Teamwork and Team Building

Teamwork and Team Building are essential for OSHD. These two

elements help make the division a better place to work at and

allow for stronger bonds among OSHDians, thereby ensuring

better productivity.


9998

List of Officers Involved in ergo@WSHDr Gan Siok Lin

Dr Samuel Lim

Dr Chen Yiquan

Ms Peggy Heng

Ms Doris Ho

Ms Jace Tan

Ms Janice Chua

Ms Karen Lee

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS

Annually, the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) presents the AIHA Yant Award to outstanding contributions in industrial hygiene or allied fields to an individual residing outside the United States.

For 2013, the winner is Dr Jukka Takala, then Executive Director for Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) of WSH Institute. Dr Takala has more than 30 years of experience in WSH. Prior to his appointment at the Institute, he served the European Union for five years until September 2011 as the Director of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work. From 2010 to 2011, he was also the Head of Coordination of all 32 EU Regulatory Agencies.

Dr Takala held various positions in the ILO, including Chief of ILO's International Occupational Safety and Health Information Centre (CIS) in 1986, Chief of the Safety and Health Information Services Programme in 1994 and Chief of the OSH Branch in 1996. From 1999 to 2006, he was Director of the InFocus Programme on Safety and Health at Work and the Environment (SafeWork) of the International Labour Office.

Dr Takala also worked in the metal industry and was an academic from 1969 to 1973. Prior to joining the ILO, Dr. Takala served the Government of Finland first as an Inspector, followed by posts of Safety Engineer, Chief Engineer and Chief of Machine Safety Bureau in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Labour in Finland. In 2012, the same award was presented to Mr. Tan Kia Tang, Deputy Director (Occupational Hygiene), OSHD.

ergo@WSH won the Best Project (Silver Award) at the 2013 MOM Organisational Excellence Awards. ergo@WSH is the first ergonomics-related mobile app tool developed by MOM and WSH Institute. It is also one of the first few apps available in the market that allows workers to evaluate their postures using photographs in a simple and user-friendly way.

Searches in the literature and market places revealed a lack of appropriate free, easy-to-use, interesting and readily accessible learning tools on ergonomics or good working postures. While a few solutions and tools were available on the market, they were mostly costly and complicated to use, requiring sophisticated software and using technical medical terms.

To meet the needs of the increasingly tech-savvy workforce, the WSH Institute developed ergo@WSH, a free mobile app on the iOS and Android platforms. By tapping on the camera function of the smart-phone, users can simply take a picture and perform instant analysis of their sitting and lifting postures and receive tips on how to improve postures and relevant stretching exercises.

At a regional level, ergo@WSH was also awarded the CIO 100 Honoree 2013 of CIO Asia's annual index of Asia's top performing enterprise users of IT. CIO Asia magazine’s annual CIO 100 index highlights top 100 regional enterprises and organisations that have excelled through creative and innovative IT projects in the past year. Companies that achieve CIO 100 listing have broken new ground by using IT systems, initiatives and projects to provide added value to their customers.

American Industrial Hygiene

Association Yant Award

2013

Step 1: Take

Photo

Step 2: Move Posture

Marks

Step 4: View

Result

Step 3: Select and

Save

MOM Organisational

Excellence Awards 2013 & CIO 100 Honoree 2013 - ergo@WSH


101100

The WSH Council’s TV commercial, “This Could Be You”, has been voted as the viewers’ favourite national TV commercial for 2013. The results were announced at The Laurels Awards Gala Dinner 2014 held on 11 April at Shangri-La Hotel.

The TV commercial shows a construction worker going about his daily duties on an unfinished building. In a moment of carelessness, he slipped on loose rods on the ground and fell from the building. His fall was captured in slow-motion with the voice-over describing who this worker might be. The TV commercial ended with statistics on how many workers were injured and killed at work to jolt the viewers so that they will realise the importance of WSH. It’s humbling to know that viewers cared enough about the TV commercial and its message to vote for the ad.

Innovation Champion

Award 2013

On behalf of Ministry of Manpower, Mr Raymond Tan, Head IT Projects, participated in the PS21 ExCEL Convention 2013 and was awarded “Silver” under the category of Innovation Champion. This accolade is not only recognition of his instrumental contributions towards many impactful initiatives such as SNAP@MOM and mobile iOSH, it is also reflective of the open and innovative culture in OSHD. It is an organisational spirit within OSHD that values change and empowers every staffs to bring improvement and higher productivity in the work they do every day.

List of Officers Involved in SNAP@MOMMr Suresh Navaratnam

Mr Richard Wong

Mr Raymond Tan

Mr Gordon Ong

MrHairulKhafizRamli

Ms Doris Ho

Ms Jace Tan

Ms Janice Chua

List of Officers Involved in WSH Council’s TV commercialMr Lai Poon Piau

Ms Ho Lai Fung

Ms Lynn Chng

Mr Edd Hong

Ms Koh Li Peng

Mr Yeo Siew Liang

Ms May Ng

Mr Jayson Quek

Out of the top 100 regional enterprises and organisations honoured by CIO Asia, MOM has emerged as one of the top 5 most outstanding organisations which have demonstrated organisation excellence and attained business improvements through the innovative use of IT.

SNAP@MOM is a response to the national call to move from platitudes to action, and to create a system to shape better behaviour and outcomes at the workplace. It is a free and simple-to-use mobile application officially launched on 26 April 2012 at National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign.

Using the latest mobile phone technology platform for iPhones and Android phones, members of the public or the workforce can take photographs of unsafe work practices and immediately send them to the occupiers of workplaces registered on the application. Occupiers can use this channel to be better aware of WSH concerns within their premises so that they can take immediate corrective actions. Public and the workforce can also send photographs of good work practices for purpose of sharing.

Recognising SNAP@MOM’s aim to achieve a quantum leap towards higher standards of WSH through industry ownership and active citizenry, the Snap@MOM project team won another prestigious accolade as Merit Winner of the Singapore eGovernment Excellence Awards 2013. On behalf of MOM, they received their award from Mr Peter Ong, Head of Civil Service.

Step 1: Take

Photo

Step 2: Select

Location

Step 3 & 4: Insert

Description andSubmit This award is given in recognition of an employee’s exemplary behaviour in consistently

demonstrating all the four MOM Shared Values (People-Centredness, Professionalism, Teamwork and Passion for Progress) contributing towards organisation excellence and building a Great MOM.

Exemplary MOMer Award

Exemplary MOMer Mr Ramas PichayExemplary MOMer Ms Sherrie Heng

On 27 February 2014, MOMers were honoured at the MOM Awards Night 2014 held at the InterContinental Hotel. The annual event saw fellow OSHD officers receiving accolades for their exemplary and outstanding contributions to OSHD and the Ministry in 2013. The recipients and awards they were presented with are as follows:

Ministry of Manpower Awards Night

2014

CIO Awards 2013 & Merit Winner

of the Singapore eGovernment

Excellence Awards 2013 – SNAP@MOM

WSH Council’s TV commercial

won the Viewers’ Choice at the Laurels 2014


103102

This award is given to MOMers who have served 25 years with the Ministry. With an outstanding work attitude, performance and conduct, their contributions to OSHD is much valued.

Before the revocation, MOM requires operators of Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and Steam Boilers (SB) to have a Certificate of Competency (COC) issued by MOM before they can operate these equipment. The requirements of the Competent Person operating ICE and SB and the conduct of examinations and issuance of the Competent Persons Certificate of Competency (COC) were regulated under the Factories (Persons-in-Charge) & Factories (Certificate of Competency-Examinations) Regulations.

Technology evolution has brought about advancement in automatic control and monitoring devices that help to ensure that ICEs and SBs operate within safe limits. These equipment are now equipped with more comprehensive safety interlocking devices which make them safer to operate. The operations of higher capacity units are also computerised and continuously monitored by computer control logic allowing detection of potential safety risks or accidents.

On the regulatory front, MOM has also marked a paradigm shift from the prescriptive legislative landscape under the previous Factories Act, to a more performance-based regime under the WSH Act. In view of the technological advancements, coupled with changes in the overarching WSH legislative framework, it was thus timely to review the regulatory framework for ICE and SB.

Consequently, on 18 March 2013, MOM revoked its Factories (Persons in Charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency – Examinations) Regulations. With this legislative review, MOM will cease to license operators of SB and ICE as it transits from a licensing regime to a competency-regime.

In addition to the Minister of Manpower Award, the successful revocation of Factories (Persons-in-Charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency – Examinations) Regulations had also won the Bronze Award for 2013 Public Sector Pro-Enterprise Initiative. The Pro-Enterprise Panel is a public-private partnership that seeks and acts on suggestions on how government rules and regulations can be improved, so that business spend less time, effort, and money in meeting regulatory requirements. This review has significantly benefited the industry by reducing administrative burdens without compromising safety outcomes to ensure safety standards on safe operation of SB and ICE at workplaces.

PS Commendation Award

The WSH Institute initiated a study in November 2012 to better understand the economic impact of work-related injuries and ill-health on employers, employees and the community for the year 2011 to provide additional impetus for all stakeholders to reduce work injuries and ill-health.

Findings revealed that the estimated total economic cost was S$10.45 billion which is equivalent to 3.2% of Singapore’s GDP for 2011. The costs borne by different economic agents were: S$2.31 billion (22.1%) by employers; S$5.28 billion (50.5%) by workers, and S$2.87 billion (27.4%) by the community.

This study re-affirmed WSH Institute’s role as the think-tank for the WSH landscape in Singapore by providing research-based evidence to support the review of WSH policies and strategies. The success of this first local study was made possible by the contributions of officers from MOM, as well as other governmental agencies which helped in fine-tuning the model used to derive the cost estimates.

The 2013 National Day Award – Long Service Medal Minister for Manpower Award – Revocation of Factories (Persons-in-Charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency - Examinations) Regulations

PS Commendation Award – Economic Cost of Work-related Injuries and Ill-health in Singapore

National Day Award Mr Vin Ho Poh Hong National Day Award Mr Ser Ah Siong

List of Officers Involved in Economic Cost of Work-related Injuries and Ill-health in SingaporeMs Loke Yoke Yun

Mr Tan Wee Jin

Dr Kathiresan Manickam

Ms Peggy Heng

Mr Ivan Wong Liat Toong

Dr Stefan Ma (MOH)

Ms Lim Gek Hsiang (HPB)

Ms Low Mong Hun (MOF)

Mr John Koh (MOF)

Mr Benedict Ho (MSF)

Ms Siti Hanisah Binte Yahya (MSF)

Ms Neo Cuiling (MSF)

MsNurIzzatyMohdSalleh(MSF)

List of Officers Involved in the Revocation of Factories (Persons-in-Charge) Regulations and Factories (Certificate of Competency – Examinations) RegulationsEr Mohd Ismadi

Mr Lee Kah Bee

MrAbdulRahmanMohdYatim

Ms Charlene Liew

Ms Sherrie Heng

Mr Teng Kim Phui

Mr A Selvam

MrWilburOh

Ms Liew Wan Sien

MrGabrielTan

Mr Manoj Rajagopal


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Annual Report 2013 Editorial TeamThe Editorial Team would like to thank all OSHDians who contributed to the contents and photographs that made this report possible.

This page is intentionally left blank.

Editors Ms Ratna Devi D/O Veerakumar (Chief Editor)

Ms Carmen Pang Li Ling (Co-Editor)

TeamMembersMs Vanitha Devi D/O Veerakumar (Work Injury Compensation Department)

Mr Joo Thiam Lim (OSH Policy, Information & Corporate Services Department)

Ms Wendy Ng (OSH Inspectorate)

Mr Zhihan Ng (OSH Specialist Department)

Ms Starry Tan (WSH Council)

Mr Pe Ter Tan (WSH Institute)

From Left to Right: Ms Wendy Ng, Mr Zhihan Ng, Ms Vanitha Devi D/O Veerakumar, Mr Joo Thiam Lim, Ms Carmen Pang Li Ling, Mr Pe Ter Tan, Ms Starry Tan, Ms Ratna Devi D/O Veerakumar

PEOPLE@OSHD

106

Ministry of Manpower Services Centre1500 Bendemeer RoadSingapore 339946 [email protected]

Documents

Occupational Safety and Health Division Annual Report 2013