Speech at For the Workplace Safety and Health Awards

Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Defence, Grand Hyatt Hotel

Mr Lee Tzu Yang,
Chairman, Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee

Distinguished guests

Ladies and gentlemen

Good afternoon.

It gives me great pleasure to join you today at the Workplace Safety and Health Awards 2007.

WSH – Valuing employees

2.   Today, we celebrate the achievements and efforts of 108 award winners who, through their commitment and actions, are saying simply to their employees – we value you, we care about your safety and health. This is the crux of the WSH framework. In 2005, after a spate of accidents, all of us resolved to take a new approach, with more industry ownership and prevention through risk management. New laws were passed to put this into place, with higher penalties for offences.

3.   It meant that all stakeholders had to increase their efforts in workplace safety and health – industries, workers, employers, Government and unions. But these efforts have been worth it and have saved lives. The work-related fatality rate has fallen by more than a third from 4.9 per 100,000 workers in 2004 to 3.1 in 2006. Encouragingly, this trend has continued this year. In the first nine months, there were 38 work-related fatalities, a 12% drop as compared to the same period last year. We must, therefore, not let up on our efforts, as long as workers still meet death and injury at work.

Contributions of the Advisory Committee and the Business Community

4.   Workplace safety & health in Singapore has improved because industry leaders have taken ownership of this mission. The Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee is at the forefront of these efforts, where industry themselves act to improve outcomes. Let me illustrate with three strategic efforts.

5.   The Advisory Committee launched bizSAFE to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) improve safety & health standards. More than 100 SMEs have signed up for bizSAFE so far. Through bizSAFE, large companies help their sub-contractors to improve safety & health standards. A good example is 11-time Excellence Award winner, Infineum Singapore.

6.   Secondly, the Advisory Committee has roped in business leaders as champions. They produced a Directors' Guide on Workplace Safety & Health to help senior business leaders in management and corporate boards, to better understand their role and duties.

7.   Thirdly, the Advisory Committee focused on the safety professionals, and acknowledged their important role. This year, three safety officers will receive the Workplace Safety & Health Award, for the very first time. One of them, Mr Duraisamy Packiaraj of Tiong Seng Contractors, has not only achieved zero accidents at a project managed by him, but also helped two of his company's sub-contractors to successfully cut their accident rates down to zero through his mentorship stints with them.

8.   We depend on safety professionals to carry out their responsibilities minute by minute to ensure safe practices. Their role becomes even more important, when others are rushing to meet deadlines, and may decide unwisely to take shortcuts. To raise the stature and strengthen the capabilities of WSH professionals, the Advisory Committee has been working with the Workforce Development Agency to develop national competency standards.

9.   I would like to commend Mr Lee Tzu Yang and the Advisory Committee for its sterling leadership in garnering industry participation and ownership to raise safety & health standards in Singapore workplaces.

From an Advisory Committee to a full-fledged Executive Council

10.   Strong industry ownership is critical in workplace safety and health. The initial successes of the Advisory Committee have assured us that this is the right direction. Ultimately, safety can only improved if employers put in effort to ensure every worker's safety in his workplace. I am therefore pleased to announce that, with effect from April 2008, the current 14-member Advisory Committee will be stepped up into an executive Council. It will recruit more staff to support its expanded role.

11.   The new Council will have more resources to drive efforts to help the industry build safety & health capabilities. This will also allow the Council to better monitor WSH trends and developments and assist different industry sectors to respond accordingly. The Council will continue to be responsible for promoting workplace safety & health, including recognising good businesses and practices in events like this afternoon's awards.  A new role would also be for the Council to set acceptable safety practices, where required, for the industry. Regulators must set safety outcomes to protect workers but other countries have found that it is more effective to allow industry to decide how to carry out specific tasks safely.

12.   Let me add that the formation of the Council does not absolve or diminish MOM's role as regulator and enforcer of safety standards. MOM will continue to be ultimately responsible for safety standards and outcomes. MOM will work closely with the Advisory Committee to ensure that the transition to a Council is a smooth one.

Conclusion

13.   Let me end by congratulating all the award winners once again. I look forward to your continued support for MOM and the WSH Council, as we work tirelessly to achieve the vision of a "safe and healthy workplace for everyone".