A HEALTHLY WORKFORCE IN A SAFE WORKPLACE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION
YEAR IN REVIEW 2015
A HEALTHLY WORKFORCE IN A SAFE WORKPLACE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION
YEAR IN REVIEW 2015
For there to be reforms and excellence in WSH standards, a good foundation is essential. Stakeholders management, WSH professionals, line supervisor and workers need to have the right mindset that WSH is a priority and to have the motivation to tackle WSH issues competently. The right support is required to drive the building of strong capabilities in terms of strong institutions, quality training providers as well as accessible and relevant financial and education resources.
A strong and conscious will is needed of everyone in the workplace to drive favourable WSH outcomes. It is therefore critical to equip all persons at work with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to perform their WSH roles. To achieve this, OSHD builds WSH competencies by collaborating with the industry to develop quality WSH training programmes that are conducted by capable training providers. OSHD also develops competency frameworks for WSH professionals to equip them with the necessary WSH expertise for a flexible and clear career path. To ensure that equal opportunity is given to all, financial assistance and education resources are made easily accessible.
BUILDING AWARENESS AND CAPABILITIES WITH THE YOUTH
For the fourth consecutive year, WSH Council hosted students from Temasek Polytechnic (TP) Business School under the “Structured Human Resource Internship Programme” (SHIP). SHIP is a successful collaboration between Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) and TP that aims to provide students with a holistic perspective of Singapore’s Human Resource (HR) industry during their internship.
During the interns’ visit on 10 September 2015, the concept and significance of Total Workplace Safety and Health (TWSH) was introduced to them through a series of presentations covering WSH Council’s roles and functions, its engagement initiatives on TWSH, and the TWSH capability building efforts for the industry.
COMPETENCY AND QUALITY ASSURANCE AUDIT
In 2015, WSH Council stepped up its investigation efforts on errant Accredited Training Providers (ATPs) who had breached the MOM ATP Terms and Conditions and Curriculum Development Advisories (CDAs).
Since 2010, MOM has taken action against 16 ATPs for fraudulent practices. Such practices include failure to conduct courses in accordance with stipulated course durations, failure to uphold the integrity of examination procedures and failure to ensure trainees’ language proficiency for the courses conducted. In 2015, OSHD revoked the registration of 8 ATPs. In addition, 3 MOM-approved trainers who worked for these errant ATPs were also suspended for periods ranging between three to six months for colluding with the errant ATPs in the commission of fraudulent practices.
STATISTICS OF ATPs AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2015
16
8
3
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HIGHER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH WORKING GROUP
The Higher Education and Research (HER) Working Group (WG) carried out its inaugural Strategic Planning Exercise (SPE) on 19 October 2015 with 16 appointed members. Formed in 2013, the HER WG is the first industry-run workgroup (under the aegis of WSH Council) that was created with the intent of setting acceptable WSH standards in the higher education and research sector.
The SPE deliberated and decided on their key focus areas in 2015 and 2016. One key focus area was the raising of safety and health learning standards and opportunities for students, staff and teachers. The goal was to provide a gradual progression of learning in WSH, culminating in WSH certification for students via the Institute of Higher Learning (IHL) education before entering the workforce. For example, the incorporation of the WSH Industrial Audiometry Course (IAC) into Temasek Polytechnic’s “Diploma in Biomedical Informatics and Engineering” course and Construction Safety Orientation Course (CSOC) and Metalworking Safety Orientation Course (MSCO) into Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West’s Engineering course curriculum.
NEW AND UPDATED CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT ADVISORIES IN 2015
The Curriculum Development Advisory (CDA) documents assist MOM ATPs with the instructional design required for a competency-based WSH training course. In 2015, one key course, namely the Managing of Work at Heights course, was developed together with the standard curriculum packages. In addition, the existing CDA for Formwork Safety Course for Supervisor and the Design for Safety Course for Professionals were enhanced and updated according to the relevant legislation and requirements.
In order to develop WSH capabilities in the industry, OSHD provides resources on WSH management in the form of financial assistance, technical advisories, videos, guidebooks, special assistance kits and online WSH e-toolkits. Apart from WSH capabilities, OSHD also implements programmes to develop a progressive and pervasive WSH culture in the industry, which is a key outcome under our WSH 2018 master plan.
bizSAFE
The bizSAFE programme was launched in 2007 to help SMEs raise their WSH management capabilities through a five-step approach. Large organisations with strong WSH capability and leadership are enlisted as mentors and partners to help guide SMEs. As of 31 December 2015, there are 23,662 bizSAFE Enterprises, 351 bizSAFE Partners and 17 bizSAFE Mentors participating in the bizSAFE programme.
bizSAFE ENTERPRISE
SMEs who join bizSAFE and receive recognition for their efforts in better WSH management.
bizSAFE MENTORS
Companies that share their excellent WSH system and practices with participating SMEs.
bizSAFE SERVICE PROVIDERS
Organisations that provide training, consultancy and programme evaluation services for SMEs.
bizSAFE PARTNERS
Large organisations that provide motivation for SMEs to join bizSAFE.
STATISTICS OF bizSAFE AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2015
23,662
351
17
CultureSAFE
The CultureSAFE programme was launched in September 2012 to guide companies in developing and sustaining a progressive and pervasive WSH culture. An $8 million WSH Culture Fund was set up to help SMEs defray the cost of building their WSH culture through CultureSAFE. SMEs can tap on the fund to cover both consultancy and implementation costs. Each SME could tap on the fund to offset up to 90% of total cost, with a cap of $30,000. As of 31 December 2015, there are 233 non-SMEs and 332 SMEs participating in the CultureSAFE programme.
PARTICIPATION OF cultureSAFE AS OF 31 DECEMBER 2015
223
332
Safety Compliance Assistance Visits
Safety Compliance Assistance Visits (SCAVs) is a complimentary onsite WSH advisory service specially designed to help SMEs enhance their WSH management. SCAV assigns a WSH professional to conduct a joint workplace assessment with the management of the participating company. During the visit, the WSH professional will highlight WSH lapses observed and recommend appropriate control measures to the company management. He will also share WSH resources and programmes that could facilitate the company in their WSH journey. The service has reached out to 1,284 SMEs in 2015 and about 7,200 SMEs have benefited from the programme since 2010.
15TH NATIONAL GLOBALLY HARMONISED SYSTEM (GHS) AWARENESS SEMINAR
The 15th National GHS Seminar was held on 20 October 2015 at NTU@one-north’s auditorium and was attended by 140 participants, comprising of users, manufacturers and suppliers of chemicals. The seminar provided an overview of GHS and highlighted the existing regulatory requirements by government agencies on hazard communication. GHS Taskforce members National Environmental Agency, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore Police Force and MOM – shared regulatory requirements while the invited industry speakers shared the industry’s challenges in GHS implementation.
ASBESTOS SEMINAR
Following the gazette of Workplace Safety and Health (Asbestos) Regulations in 2014, 18 companies have successfully applied for Certificate of Approval to act as Approved Asbestos Removal Contractor (AARC).
A seminar was held on 12 October 2015 to engage the Approved Asbestos Removal Contractor (AARC). The seminar, which deliberated on issues related to implementation of work practices and air sampling, was attended by 34 representatives from AARC companies, occupiers and laboratories providing asbestos sampling and analysis. To assist AARCs in complying with the requirements of the WSH (Asbestos) Regulations, OSHD shared the common lapses found during site inspections. The seminar also provided a platform for participants to clarify their concerns with regard to their responsibilities under the Regulations.
OSHD has worked closely with WSH Council to publish Approved Codes of Practices (ACOP), Compliance Assistance Checklists, Factsheets, Case Studies, and Guidelines to provide guidance on recommended safety and health practices. The following materials were published in 2015.
CODE OF PRACTICE (CP) ON WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH (WSH) RISK MANAGEMENT (RM) (2ND REVISION)
JANUARY 2015
The second revision includes:
START GUIDE ON WSH FOR SMES
REVISED IN FEBRUARY 2015
The START Guide contains simple step-by-step guide for SMEs to start on WSH.
GUIDE TO GOOD WSH PRACTICES PICTOGRAMS
JUNE 2015
The publication standardises pictograms for good WSH practices. These pictograms, containing WSH-related messages, serve as reminders for workers before they start work.
WSH GUIDELINES FOR FLAMMABLE MATERIALS
JUNE 2015
This WSH Guidelines provides practical guidance on risk control measures that can be implemented to ensure the safety and health of workers who work with flammable materials daily.
LOGISTICS AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRY CASE STUDIES (2ND REVISION)
JUNE 2015
This second revision included a new section on work-related traffic accidents with two cases for learning purposes.
WSH GUIDELINES (HEALTHCARE)
OCTOBER 2015
The second issue of the guidelines highlights information on potential common hazards faced by healthcare employees and good industry WSH practices to prevent and control these hazards.
WORLD CONGRESS ON RISK 2015
In July 2015, Dr Jukka Takala, Senior Consultant to Ministry of Manpower and WSH Institute delivered a presentation titled ‘Risks at Work’.
CRANE SAFETY SYMPOSIUM
Organised by MOM and WSH Council, the annual Crane Safety Symposium on 7 October 2015 saw MOS Sam Tan highlighting the importance of crane safety to about 400 stakeholders from the crane industry. MOS highlighted the need for Government to work closely with the industry and shared upcoming initiatives to raise crane safety standards such as:
WORLD WORKPLACE ASIA 2015 CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
In August 2015, WSH Institute’s Senior Research Analyst, Ms Azrina Abdul Azim delivered a presentation titled ‘Cultivating and Nurturing the WSH Culture of Prevention for the Facilities Management Sector’.
FOREIGN WORKERS’ PUBLIC ROADSHOW
WSH Council, in collaboration with MOM, National Environment Agency (NEA) and Singapore Police Force, organised a Foreign Workers’ (FW) Public Roadshow on 1 February 2015 at Little India. The event was well-received and was attended by more than 1,200 FWs. At the roadshow, WSH Council shared on how they could keep themselves safe at work.
SCHOOL SAFETY FORUM 2015 ORGANISED BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
ED WSH Institute, Dr Gan shared on Total WSH, bizSAFE and Behaviour Observation and Intervention (BOI) to about 700 school safety activists. WSHC and WSHI also exhibited our products. Following the session, several schools were keen to start on the bizSAFE journey.
10TH SINGAPORE PUBLIC HEALTH & OCCUPATIONAL MEDICINE CONFERENCE
WSH Institute’s Senior Research Analyst, Ms Eunice Yong presented a poster titled ‘Mortality estimates of occupational injuries and ill health in Singapore’.
EUROPEAN NETWORK EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH (ENETOSH) WORKSHOP
The Joint Workshop on the Mainstreaming of OSH into Education, jointly organised by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), International Social Security Association (ISSA), European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), NIOSH and ENETOSH, was held at EU-OSHA at Bilbao, Spain from 15 to 16 October 2015.
The issue of mainstreaming of OSH into education was viewed from four perspectives: research, education, training/service providers and raising awareness.
OSH experts from more than ten EU countries attended and discussed their recent findings and current developments in OSH education and training. The issue of how to share the knowledge within the field globally was also explored.
Mr Raymond Wong, Senior Assistant Director, WSH Council, presented on the OSH training framework in Singapore’s education system. The information shared was appreciated by the international experts who cited Singapore as the “blueprint” and model for EU’s education system.
EU-OSHA at Bilbao, Spain
ILO SAFEDAY
Singapore was privileged to represent the government sector during the launch of ILO SafeDay in Geneva on 28 April 2015. ED (WSH Institute) had the honour to deliver the address on behalf of Singapore.
WSH Institute and WSH Council were supporting organisations for ILO SafeDay. Dr Jukka Takala was invited by ILO to attend Turkey’s tripartite Conference entitled “World OSH Day on April 28” and he provided a keynote address, chaired a session and participated in panel discussion which included workers, employers and the Turkish Government.
INVITATION BY CENTRE OF DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA TO SPEAK AT THEIR “OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE SURVEILLANCE AND POLICY TRANSFORMING” SEMINAR IN BEIJING
In recognition of the work done by WSH Institute in estimating the global burden of work injury and ill health, the National Institute of Occupational Health and Poisons, China invited WSH Institute to share on ‘Estimating Mortality from Work-related Diseases’. The visit lasted from 30 November to 2 December 2015.
Senior Research Analyst Eunice Yong, who is a co-author of the publications on the global and Singapore estimates, represented WSH Institute to share on the study methodology and considerations on the use of such estimates.
The seminar was attended by NIOHP’s Director, Dr Li Tao and various staff from the NIOHP and the Chief Physician, Dr Zou Jianfang from the Shandong Poison Centre, Institute of Occupational Health and Occupational Medicine. A representative from the International Cooperation department of the Centre of Disease Control & Prevention (CDCP), NIOHP’s parent agency, also attended.
31ST INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH IN SEOUL, KOREA
DR SIOK LIN GAN
DR JUKKA TAKALA
MS EUNICE YONG
UNDERSTANDING SMALL ENTERPRISES (USE) CONFERENCE 2015: A HEALTHY WORKING LIFE IN A HEALTHY BUSINESS, THE NETHERLANDS & NATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER FOR THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT (NRCWE), DENMARK
The USE Conference was held at Hanze University of Applied Sciences, Groningen, Netherlands, from 21 to 23 October 2015. Participants from across the world, including professionals from government bodies, academia, practitioners, consultants and research institutes gathered to promote better understanding of SMEs and WSH through evidence-based research. The key themes for the conference were: “A healthy and safe working environment at SMEs”, “Health organisations as small businesses”, and “SMEs in a networked society”.
Ms Karen Seah, Senior Manager, Manpower Capability Building, WSH Council, presented a paper on the success of the bizSAFE programme towards building SMEs’ WSH risk management capability and Ms Joann Chen, Research Analyst, WSH Institute, presented a paper on “SME Business Leaders’ Motivations and Barriers in WSH Leadership”.
Apart from the Conference, Ms Seah and Ms Chen also visited the NRCWE, Copenhagen to understand the research activities and manner of communication of the evidence-based knowledge to workplaces, authorities, and partners.
