Provision of information

Why share

In accordance with the WSH (MHI) Regulations, you are required to share information with workplaces in the affected area. This is because these workplaces could be impacted by major accidents that occur at your MHI.

Sharing information enables affected workplaces to plan accordingly for their major accident prevention policy and emergency response.

Who to share with

After assessing your safety case, MHD will inform you the workplaces in the affected area that you are required to share information with.

Affected workplaces can be:

• Designated groups of MHI
• Non-MHI workplaces

What to share

As an MHI, you must share the information listed in the Fifth Schedule of WSH (MHI) Regulations with the affected workplaces.

The information must:

• Be suitable, updated and relevant.
• Focus on the consequences due to the inherent nature and presence of dangerous substances onsite. Causes of the potential major accidents are not required.
• Help affected parties to:
  • Identify hazards.
  • Understand potential hazards and nature of major accidents.
  • Estimate consquences of major accidents.
  • Take measures to mitigate risks, where reasonably practicable.
  • Assess suitability of existing evacuation routes or mustering points.
  • Assess impact on infrastructure, equipment and buildings.

These are the key information to be shared with affected workplaces:

• Nature of major accident hazards
• How affected workplaces will be alerted
• Recommended actions for affected workplaces

When to review

You must review and, where necessary, revise the information provided to affected workplaces if there’re any changes in critical information. For example, a change in contact person, new harm footprints, etc.

The information should be shared every five years or when it is revised.

This ensures that affected workplaces are updated when there are any changes.

How to share

You need to meet with other MHIs in your designated group to exchange information. You need to document the information shared and received.

When sharing information with non-MHIs, you could use one-way communication media, such as pamphlets, letters, etc.

However, you should still be prepared to receive and answer queries raised by non-MHIs. This will allow non-MHIs to better understand major accident hazards and risks.

What should affected workplaces do

It is the duty of affected workplaces to ensure the safety and health of the persons within their premises.

To do so, they need to consider information shared by MHIs in their risk management and emergency response.

Affected workplaces must:

• Use the information to revalidate their risk control measures.
• Document external domino risks to their sites in their emergency response plan and in the safety case.
• Understand that the information shared is intended to facilitate risk management and emergency response planning for possible domino effects.
• The likelihood and consequences of major accidents would have been significantly lowered after the implementation of risk reduction measures by MHIs through the ALARP principle.