SISO Mag Issue 2 2015 - Singapore Institution of Safety Officers

MCI (P) 072/10/2014
MAKING the DIFFERENCE in SAFETY
IN THIS ISSUE
03
SISO Supports Singapore Polytechnic’s
WSH Forum 2015
05
How to implement lifting plan that meets WSH
Management System and Legal Requirements
11
An Effective Remedy
02
ISSUE
2015
SISO’s Contributions at the
28th SEA Games
02
SISo Joins
NTUC as its
12th U Associate
Partner
pg.03
CONTENTS
02
TOP NEWS
ISSUE
2015
TOP NEWS
02 SISO’s Contributions at the
28th SEA Games
03 SISO Joins NTUC as its
12th U Associate Partner
03 SISO Supports Singapore
Polytechnic’s WSH Forum 2015
REPORTS
28 NETS’ Comprehensive Guide
to Road Safety
28 Learning and Sharing Session: “Role
of Human Error in Process Safety”
28 SISO’s Participation at the
U Safe Awards 2015
SISo’s Contributions
at the 28th SEA Games
The recently concluded 28th SEA Games was a resounding success both in termsof
medals won by Singapore and the country’s hosting of the event. We would like to take
this opportunity to thank the volunteers who volunteered whole-heartedly and worked
professionally and diligently to ensure that the 31 venues for the Games were safe for all.
We are very proud of our volunteers.
We would like to share some pictures of the volunteers at the 28th SEA Games.
32 Construction Workplace Safety and
Health (WSH) Leadership Summit 2015
FEATURE ARTICLES
05 How to implement lifting plan that
meets WSH Management System
and Legal Requirements
09 bizSAFE Awards 2016
11 An Effective Remedy
31 WICA Clinic
COURSES
16 Schedule of SISO Courses
20 Snapshots @ SISO Courses
MEMBERSHIP
32 Welcome New Members
ADVERTISERS
04 Nitti (Asia) Pte Ltd
06 Uvex-Safety
08 Honeywell Safety Products
10 Leeden Ltd
12 QSS Safety Products (S) Pte Ltd
14 PDS International
15 PDS International
18 Bollé Safety Asia
19 Kimberly-Clark Singapore Pte Ltd
22 3M Technologies (S) Pte Ltd
24 3M Technologies (S) Pte Ltd
26 Dräger Safety Asia Pte Ltd
27 ST Healthcare
29 CEJN Safety
30 Messe Düsseldorf Asia Pte Ltd
Here are some of the feedback from
SISO SEA Games Volunteers:
Lee Kok Hwa Raymond “I learnt to be
more patient and understanding when
being involved in a big event such as this
Games, everyone was happy at the end of
the day”
SISo
Mailing Address:
Blk 167 Jalan Bukit Merah #02-13, Connection One,
Tower 5, Singapore 150167
Ng Choon Wang “This is the best thing
that happened over these 2 years.”
Office Tel: 6777 5185
Fax: 6777 6896
Email: info@siso.org.sg
Website: www.siso.org.sg
Opening Hours: 9am – 6pm (Monday – Friday)
Lunchtime: 1pm – 2pm
Suzaini Bin Husen “Opportunity to work
with different types of people from
different races, religion, background and
education with one goal, to deliver and
commit to our task.”
Editorial and Design Direction: Oculus Design Pte Ltd
oFFICE BEARERS 2014 – 2016
President
Seet Choh San
seet@siso.org.sg
Vice President
Bernard Soh
bernardsoh@siso.org.sg
Hon. Secretary
Andrew H S Tan
andrew@siso.org.sg
Hon. Asst. Secretary
Seah Liang Bing
liangbing@siso.org.sg
Hon. Treasurer
Roger B C Lim
roger@siso.org.sg
Committee Members:
Competency Standards & Practices
Eric Law
ericlaw@siso.org.sg
Communications & outreach
Ong Pak Shoon
pakshoon@siso.org.sg
Government & International Affairs
Niranjan Arun Masurekar niri@siso.org.sg
Membership & Activities
S Damodaran
damos@siso.org.sg
Professional Development
Tan Yen Ping
yenping@siso.org.sg
Executive Manager:
Quek Chin Tuan
quekct@siso.org.sg
Ex-officio:
Winston Yew
Deputy Director, Industry Capability Building Department,
Workplace Safety and Health Council, Ministry of Manpower
Hon. Legal Advisor:
Lee Kwok Weng
Editorial Committee:
Ong Pak Shoon
Quek Chin Tuan
Michael Teo
Anurupa Sarkar
Kent Chai
Dennis Tay
Jason Tee
pakshoon@siso.org.sg
quekct@siso.org.sg
membershipadmin@siso.org.sg
The information set forth in this Issue of SAFETY MATTERS has been obtained or derived from sources believed by the respective author to be reliable. However, the author of each individual article does not make any
representation or warranty, expressed or implied, as to the information’s accuracy or completeness. The views and comments expressed here are those of the individual author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Institution.
TOP NEWS
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
SISo Joins NTUC as its
12th U Associate Partner
Quek Chin Tuan
Executive Manager, SISO
quekct@siso.org.sg
On Monday, 25 May 2015, the Singapore
Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) joined
the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC)
as its 12th U Associate Partner, after
signing a Memorandum of Understanding
(MOU). The agreement was signed
between SISO Honorary Secretary
Mr Andrew H.S, Tan and Mr Vivek Kumar,
Director of NTUC U Associate and Future
Leaders Programme (seated 2nd and 3rd
from the right, respectively).
The NTUC U Associate Programme is
a key NTUC initiative to reach out to
Professionals, Managers and Executives
(PMEs) through industry and professional
associations and extend to them the
advantages of the Labour Movement.
Launched in March 2011, the programme
has 12 U Associates on board currently.
Welcoming SISO as the Labour
Movement’s latest U Associate, Mr Vivek
Kumar said the collaboration will further
the development of the WSH professionals
Secretary General NTUC, Mr Chan Chun Sing, (Back row, 8th from the left)
observing the MOU signing ceremony with staff from NTUC and Executive
Committee Members of SISO.
in Singapore. “Workplace safety
and health (WSH) is a growing area
of opportunity for our professionals,
managers and executives (PMEs) and we
are already seeing competition for good
WSH jobs. Hence, I am pleased that SISO,
as the leading professional association
in the sector, has decided to partner the
Labour Movement as a U Associate. We
plan to work together to help our WSH
professionals chart progressive careers in
Singapore, and even at regional and global
levels” said Mr Vivek Kumar.
Mr Seet Choh San, President of SISO,
believes that the partnership with NTUC
will create professional development
opportunities to enhance the competency
and skills of its members. “SISO and NTUC
are moving in the same direction to secure
better jobs and careers for our workforce.
With the globalisation of markets, and
with it competition from global players,
WSH professionals need to upgrade their
skillsets and broaden their competencies.
This partnership with NTUC is a strong
platform for the profession to progress to
the next level,” said Mr Seet.
As a prelude to the signing of the MOU,
the SISO Executive Committee Members,
namely Messrs Seet Choh San, Bernard
Soh, Andrew H.S. Tan, Roger Lim B.C.,
Seah Liang Bing, and Ong Pak Shoon,
attended a dialogue session with Mr Chan
Chun Sing, Secretary-General of NTUC.
The Executive Committee provided Mr
Chan with an in-depth understanding of
SISO and shared some of the projects
that SISO was developing to enhance
the professional development of WSH
professionals. The Executive Committee
was very pleased to note that NTUC
and SISO shared common interests in
furthering the growth and development
of the WSH profession which would
contribute positively to the continued
safety and well-being of the workforce
and, in turn, Singapore’s economy and
productivity.
SISo Supports Singapore
Polytechnic’s WSH Forum 2015
Michael Teo
Administrator
membershipadmin@siso.org.sg
The Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
was pleased and honoured to be able to
work with the PACE Academy of Singapore
Polytechnic and once again provided SISO’s
support for the Singapore Polytechnic’s
Annual Workplace, Safety and Health
(WSH) Forum. Held at PACE Academy
at Singapore Polytechnic on 8 April 2015,
this 3rd edition had “Integrating Safety
and Health into Design” as its theme. This
theme focused on the concept of Design
for Safety and it proved to be popular as
more than 100 attended the Forum.
The Forum had seven distinguished
speakers. The Keynote Speaker was
Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Director,
Occupational Safety and Health
Inspectorate, Ministry of Health, and he
kicked off the proceedings by speaking on
the thematic topic “Integrating Safety and
Health into Design”.
Mr Tan Yen Ping, Executive Committee
Member, Singapore Institution of Safety
Officers, spoke about “The WSHO’s Role
in Total WSH”, where he shared his views
on how the WSHO’s role can evolve,
particularly in the implementation of Total
WSH. A third speaker, Mr Goh Chye Guan,
Managing Director, Total Safety Solutions,
spoke about “Total WSH-Industry
Perspective”. Ms Ng Xiao Qian, Specialist
(Occupational Hygiene), Occupational,
Safety and Health Division, Ministry of
Manpower was the fourth speaker, and
Mr Tan Yen Ping presenting “WSHO’s Role in Total
Workplace Safery and Health
she shared information on the topic of
“Introducing Risk Management 2.0”.The
fifth speaker, Mr Jonathan Wan, Managing
Director, ASRETEC, shared his insights on
“Dfs for Work at Height” while the sixth
speaker, Mr Helder Araujo, Managing
Director, My EAR Singapore Pte Ltd, spoke
on “the Hearing Conservation Programme”.
” The seventh speaker in the line-up, Mr
Jerry Seah, Director, Singapore National
Employers Federation, then took to the
stage to speak about “Healthy Ageing for
Workplace”.
03
feature article
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
How to implement lifting plan that meets
WSH Management System
and Legal Requirements
Suzaini Husen
Group HSSE Manager,
Tiong Woon Crane & Transport Pte Ltd
suzaini_husen@tiongwoon.com
Lifting operations, however simple or
complicated, must be executed safely.
The objectives of implementing a Lifting
Plan are to elaborate the key details and
reduce risk at the source. This allows the
implementation to be carried out safely,
and overall workplace and worksite safety
can be improved.
Charge, Competent Person and
Specialist Professional Engineer
(PE Geotechnical) e.g. new sites,
coastal areas and paved ground.
• Compliance to statutory
requirements and manufacturer’s
operational manual for the lifting
equipment.
4 Workplace Safety and Health
(Operation of Cranes) Regulations
2011.
4 Code of Practice Safe Lifting
Operations (Revised 2014),
Singapore Standards related to
lifting activities, etc.
4 Ensure the maximum ground
pressure is not exceeded and
the ground will sustain loads
shouldered by the crane.
A good Lifting Plan shall be supported
by a Risk Assessment, Safe Work
Procedure and/or Method Statement
and Permit-To-Work.
A Lifting Plan aims to facilitate an
agreement amongst all stakeholders
including the lifting crew to achieve a safe
outcome.
A lifting plan (routine/non-routine)
encapsulates all the important information
that must be considered, and in turn the
lifting operation can be carried out safely.
Elements of a Lifting Plan
The lifting plan shall include but not be
limited to the following considerations:
• The personnel’s roles,
responsibilities and competencies 4 Attended the required training e.g.
Lifting Supervisors Safety Course,
Crane Operation Training Course
and Rigger & Signalman course.
4 Appointed Lifting Supervisor, Rigger
& Signalman and a MOM-registered
crane operator.
4 The level of working experiences
and familiarisation with cranes
(e.g. types of cranes, models,
configuration and capacities). The
boom of a telescopic crane is based
on bending forces. The boom of
a lattice boom crane is based on
compressive force.
4 Clients’ requirements and
expectations.
• Conduct a site survey to better
understand the work to be carried
out and the correct type of cranes
required.
4 Information about the load weight,
working radius, location, scope of
lift, type of lifting gears required,
and much more is a requisite.
With some ground conditions or site
layouts, it may be necessary to provide
additional hard standings to bring the
ground-bearing pressures down to an
acceptable limit for the crane to travel on
or work from.
Possible methods are:
-
Layering of timbres or spreader mats
-
Layering of stone, hardcore or crushed
concrete (possibly replacing upper
layers of weak soil)
-
Concrete raft; precast panels may be
suitable
4 Selection of the correct type of
crane to be used.
-
4 The work site is adequately
prepared — the ground is levelled
for the setup of intended crane.
Access roads must be available as
well.
Ground improvement e.g. dynamic
compaction, lime stabilisation, stone
columns and geotextiles. For these
solutions, the bearing pressures are
defined via on-site testing.
-
Steel plates to lay across poor ground
conditions for better stability.
• Checking of possible underground
services and ground-bearing
pressure.
4 Location of underground services
and/or trenches.
4 Utilities and drainage arrangements
that may affect integrity of ground
(e.g. live cables, sewerage, water
pipes and covered manholes).
4 Bearing capacities of ground
shall be sourced by Site in
(continued on page 07)
05
feature article
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
How to implement
lifting plan that meets
WSH Management System
and Legal Requirements
(continued from page 05)
• It is mandatory to conduct a Risk
Assessment on the safety and health
hazards exposed to any person
who may be affected by the lifting
operation in the workplace.
1)Hazard Identification
2)Risk Evaluation
3)Risk Control
• Permit-to-Work system which is
mandatory for all lifting operations.
4 Involves contractor applying for
permits to carry out lifting activities.
4 State the scope and conditions in
which lifting activities will be carried
out.
4 3 basic steps to Risk Assessment (RA)
• Selection of appropriate lifting
equipment, lifting gears and
appliances.
4 An independent inspection is
conducted on site to verify that
appropriate control measures
have been taken to mitigate any
foreseeable risks.
4 Avoid simultaneously carrying out
any conflicting or incompatible work
before the permit can be approved.
4 Inspection by Authorised Examiner
every 12 months or 6 months as
per site requirement.
4 Choose the correct lifting gears for
load to be lifted.
4 Keep in proper storage area after
use to prevent further deterioration
from exposed weather (direct heat,
rain, sands and stained by dirty oil/
grease).
• Environmental factors detrimental to
the lifting operations such as ground
conditions, adverse weather, wind
and poor illumination.
4 Wind force – cranes must never
lift at wind-speeds beyond those
recommended in the crane
manufacturer’s instructions.
4 Heavy rain – the possibility of lightning-strikes.
Case study
1. The bigger the top angle the larger
the load in each sling will be.
• A 50-ton mobile crane was lifting a
bucket filled with wet concrete and
had a total weight of about 1.8 ton
when it toppled.
2. Never exceed the top angle
between slings, i.e.above 120o.
• The Safe Working Load at the
intended working radius is 1.9 ton.
3. At this angle, the force in each sling
is as big as the load that will be
lifted.
•
Contributing factors:
4 There is no appointed lifting
supervisor and rigger/signalman.
4 The workers increased the crane’s
working radius by pushing the
concrete bucket away from the
crane when the crane’s safe
working load had already reached its
maximum.
4 Toolbox meeting was not conducted
prior to lifting activity.
4 No lifting permit (routine lift).
4 Competency level of crane operator
and lifting crew.
• Worksite operation including
proximity of other lifting equipment
and work activities.
4 Overlapping of lifting zone between
mobile crane and tower crane.
• Weight and dimension of load which
can be obtained from manufacturers,
vendors, packing list, etc.
4 Assessment of the need for
tagline to control movement of the
suspended load.
4 Weight of load, given overall
dimensions, lifting points and centre
of gravity of the load.
4 Use two or more taglines to control
the load depending on dimension
and weight of load.
4 Working radius and height of load to
be lifted.
• Means of communication during
lifting operations.
4 Appoint a competent lifting crew for
the job.
1. A load with lifting points above the
CoG is always a stable load.
4 Use of hand signals — distance
where signaller stands, using of
hand gloves while giving signals to
the crane operator and considering
environmental factors.
4 Conduct toolbox meeting, briefing
of risk assessment and safe work
procedures prior to lifting activity.
4 Ensure there is a valid lifting permit.
4 Use of walkie-talkies – common
languages that can be easily
understood, charging of the battery
and individual channel for lifting
activity.
4 Involvement from all stakeholders
before executing the lift.
Briefing of Risk Assessment, Safe Work
Procedure, Permit-to-Work and Lifting
Plan prior to the execution of lifting
activities.
4 Prevent lifting crew from working
under suspended load.
• Some recommendations:
(continued on page 09)
07
FEATURE ARTICLE
How to implement
lifting plan that meets
WSH Management System
and Legal Requirements
(continued from page 07)
Conclusions
When we implement the lifting plan,
we will learn to understand that each
element of a lifting plan is very important.
It provides every detail and requirement
for each process to be carried out safely. It
requires all stakeholders to perform their
duties and responsibilities diligently. When
proper planning is done, it eliminates time
wastage through unnecessary events that
may arise and also improves productivity.
Most important, the lifting activities are
carried out safely without harm to people
or environment within the workplace.
Develop Workplace Safety and Health
Management System – oHSAS
18001:2007 / SS 506 Standards
Most lifting engineers and supervisors
do not realise that when they implement
the lifting plan and execute the task
safely, not only do they keep to their
progress schedules but also meet the
WSH management system and legal
requirements.
bizSAFE
Awards 2016
Applications for the bizSAFE Awards 2016
is now open till Friday, 14 August 2015.
The Awards recognise bizSAFE members
for their commitment and dedication in
advocating and raising workplace safety
and health practices and standards. You
can download the application from
www.wshc.sg.
The bizSAFE Awards will be presented at
the annual bizSAFE Convention in February
2016 organised by the Workplace Safety
and Health (WSH) Council and supported
by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
There are three main categories in the
bizSAFE Awards.
1. bizSAFE Partner Award
The bizSAFE Partner Award recognises
bizSAFE Partners who have been proactive
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
These are done through the documented
plans as below:
4 4.4.7 Emergency preparedness
and response – Development of
emergency response procedures
for the lifting operation.
4 4.3.1 Hazard identification, risk
assessment and determining
controls – Lifting activity risk
assessment (routine / non-routine).
4 4.5.1 Performance measurement
and monitoring – Conducting of
safety inspections regularly by
safety personnel for compliance.
4 4.3.2 Legal and other requirements
– Valid lifting machine and lifting
gears certificates.
4 4.4.1 Resources, roles,
responsibility, accountability and
authority – Appointment letters for
the lifting crew and crane operators.
4 4.4.2 Competence, training and
awareness – Lifting crew and crane
operator attended the mandatory
training and in-house training from
main contractor.
4 4.4.3 Communication, participation
and consultation – Conducting
of a toolbox meeting before the
final execution of the lift and risk
assessment meeting.
4 4.4.6 Operational control –
Establishing safe work procedures,
monthly crane maintenance
checklist, daily checks on crane
and lifting gears before use and
endorsing lifting permit-to-work.
and committed in bringing companies
onboard the bizSAFE programme by
incorporating safety as part of their
business model (e.g. having bizSAFE Level
3 as a criterion in procurement contracts).
2. bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary Award
The bizSAFE Enterprise Exemplary
Award commends Small-and-Mediumsized Enterprises (SMEs) that are on
bizSAFE Level Star with outstanding WSH
performance and standards.
References and further information
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
WorkplaceSafetyandHealthAct
WSH(OperationsofCranes)Regulations
WSH(Construction)Regulations
WSH(GeneralProvisions)Regulations
WSH(RiskManagement)Regulations
CodeofPracticeforSafeLiftingOperations
at the Workplace
SingaporeStandardSS536:2008Codeof
Practice for Safe Use of Mobile Cranes
SingaporeStandardSS559:2010Codeof
Practice for Safe Use of Tower Cranes
SingaporeStandardSS506Part1&3 Occupational Safety and Health
Management System
SingaporeStandardSS497:2011Codeof
Practice for Design, Safe Use and maintenance of
Gantry Cranes, Overhead Travelling Cranes
and Monorail Hoists
SingaporeStandardSS343:Part1:2001Wire rope slings
SingaporeStandardSS343:Part2:1989Hooks
SingaporeStandardSS343:Part3:1990 Shackles
Rigger&SignalmanHandbook
KrabbendamAdviesService
winners will be evaluated for the
Champion Award.
3. bizSAFE Enterprise Progressive Award
The bizSAFE Enterprise Progressive
Award gives recognition to bizSAFE
Enterprises for their dedication to the
bizSAFE programme by progressing from
bizSAFE Level 1 to Level 3 within 6 months
(between 15 July 2014 to 14 June 2015),
and have established Risk Management
within their organisation. Only small-andmedium enterprises (SMEs) may apply.
Enterprises winning the Exemplary
Award for three consecutive years will be
honoured with a Gold Award.
bizSAFE Champion Award
The bizSAFE Champion Award recognises
individuals who have been key players in
improving safety and health performances
in their workplace. These are employees
who are key drivers of the bizSAFE
programme in their organisations.
Exemplary Award applicants shall
nominate an employee for the bizSAFE
Champion Award upon submission.
Nominees of the Exemplary Award
09
FEATURE ARTICLE
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
An Effective
Remedy
U Chit Ko Pe
Senior Workplace Safety and
Health Officer, Straits Construction
Singapore Pte Ltd
uchit@straitsconstruction.com
Repeated practices, good or bad,
become norms. Generations of workers
adhere to good culture and pass it on.
In work arenas, they are known as safe
work practices which will engender a
work safety culture in an organisation.
Singapore aims to become a country
renowned for safe and healthy work
environments anchored in work
safety culture. The Workplace Safety
and Health Council in Singapore has
developed the CultureSAFE programme
to encourage all organisations to be
aligned with work safety culture. It
is a one-stop platform where deepseated safety and health attitudes
and perceptions are showcased
by well-established organisations.
other organisations can then tap the
knowledge and create sustainable
safety cultures in their own workplaces.
Understanding Safety Culture
Safety culture is defined by the United
Nations Scientific Committee on the
Effects of Atomic Radiation as an
assembly of characteristics and attitudes
in organisations and individuals. The
committee believes that safety issues need
to be an overriding priority.
Similarly, safety culture of an organisation
is defined by the Advisory Committee
on Safety of Nuclear Installations as the
product of individual and group values,
attitudes, perceptions, competencies,
and patterns of behaviour that determine
the commitment to, and the style and
proficiency of, an organisation’s health and
safety management.
In Singapore, the CultureSAFE programme
is a platform for organisations to embark
on a journey of building workplace safety
and health (WSH) culture. It focuses on
cultivating the right WSH mindsets and
attitudes in every employee from top
management down to the workers on site.
It constitutes a five-step cyclical approach:
diagnostic; reporting; action planning;
implementation; and review and evaluation.
Diagnostic approach entails a perception
survey and evidence-based assessment to
establish the present WSH culture profile
of the organisation.
Reporting is the summarisation and
presentation of a consolidation of the
organisation’s WSH culture profile.
Strengths and areas of improvement are
identified as well.
Action Planning draws recommendations
and prioritises the action plans or tasks,
based on the identified strengths and areas
of improvement.
Implementation is a means of execution
and operation of the accompanied with
periodic updates.
Review & Evaluation focuses on the
action plans and tracks the results of the
implementation. It refines the action
plans further to ensure robustness and
sustainability and/or work on other areas of
WSH improvements.
The CultureSAFE programme helps to spur
the development of the WSH culture at any
workplace or organisation. The CultureSAFE
model comprises six attributes, and is
used to specify two key aspects of WSH
culture: Organisational Commitment and
Stakeholder Commitment. The six attributes
are WSH leadership and commitment;
governance; work management system;
competent and learning organisation;
ownership and teamwork; and
communicating and reporting.
Utilising the Behavioural observation
and Intervention Approach
There is a need to prevent any hazardous
situations from arising before they lead
to accidents or injuries. The achievement
of a WSH management system does not
necessarily equate to safe and healthy
workplaces. Near-miss incidents, cases
requiring first aid, and accidents leading
to injuries can still occur. They are usually
caused by poor implementation of the
WSH management system, unsafe
workplace conditions and/or at-risk
behaviours. They can be further zoomed
into one factor — weak WSH culture at the
workplaces.
The behavioural observation and
intervention approach helps to minimise
the occurrence of hazardous situations
by focusing on at-risk behaviours. This
approach intends to make safety a habit for
all workers, and places an importance on
the safety of everyone in the workplace.
The implementation can be easily broken
down into four key steps — SAFE, which
is acronym of Scan, Act, Follow up and
Evaluate.
(continued on page 13)
11
FEATURE ARTICLE
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
An Effective
Remedy
(continued from page 11)
Scan
First of all, safety coaches or observers
need to be identified and assigned. WSH
advocates can be deployed as safety
coaches representing each trade of work.
The pool should comprise engineers,
supervisors and workers. Over time,
almost every worker can be roped in with
peer coaching — this way each and every
worker will start to develop a sense of
WSH ownership. A behaviour observation
checklist then needs to be developed, and
it must be based on behaviour factors, not
site conditions. When the workplace is
deemed to have fairly cultivated safe work
habits, other modified checklists need to be
introduced as a replacement of old ones.
Act
An incentive or reward can be handed out
to workers who demonstrate good WSHrelated behaviour. Cash or commodity
vouchers are two possible options, and
they should be given out during daily tool
box meetings or weekly safety talks.
However, the recognition should not stop
there. Workers who have done well should
be acknowledged and have their names,
photographs and compliments posted
on safety notice boards. Such behaviour
should also be an individual performance
attribute during staff appraisals.
As for those who display at-risk behaviours,
the observer needs to intervene
immediately and stop the behaviours or
work activities. At the same time, the
observer has to step up and explain the
WSH-related concerns to the workers.
Advise how the work activity should be
carried out. Errant workers need to be
counselled if necessary. Peers play a part
in showing care for one another; this way
everyone can remain safe at work.
Follow up
It is important to adopt a no-name-noblame principle so as to avoid discouraging
the workers with at-risk behaviours.
Project managers are to be kept in the
loop on findings of at-risk behaviours by
all means possible. These include direct
submissions of completed checklists to the
management, ad hoc personal discussions
with management, or pre-scheduled
meeting sessions with the management.
As the management is made known of
such cases, its follow-up is necessary to
identify the underlying at-risk behaviours
in each case. This way, strategies can
be developed to tackle such at-risk
behaviours in a timely fashion.
Evaluate
The observation process is to be repeated
with modified checklists. But, it is to
be conducted universally rather than
targeting any worker or trade group. This
step determines if the at-risk behaviour
persists. Other rounds of observation
conducted by different safety coaches or
observers can verify if the worker or the
group with at-risk behaviour is an isolated
one; or if there is a systemic problem
that pervades the workplace and/or the
external vendor.
Evaluation in this step will reveal if
the management’s follow-up action
is effective. If it is found that the atrisk behaviour has persisted, the
management has to consider alternative
follow-up actions.
13
FEATURE ARTICLE
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
15
courses
SAFETY MATTERS / Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
Schedule of Siso Courses
(July to October 2015)
All courses are conducted at Singapore Institution of Safety Officers, 167, Jalan Bukit Merah, #02-13 Connection One, Tower 5,
Singapore 150167, unless otherwise indicated. Please contact: registration@siso.org.sg for more information.
Certificate in Workplace Safety and Health
Participants of this course will gain the necessary WSH knowledge and skills
to assist in implementing WSH risk control measures and management
systems at the workplace.
Intake
Start Date
Time
Duration
Fee
9 and 10
Tuesday, 28 July 2015
Tuesday, 15 September 2015
Tuesdays & Thursdays (6.30pm – 10.30pm)
and Occasionally Saturdays (9am – 6pm)
3 months
S$322.10* (with WDA grant)
S$3220.70* (without grant)
*Fee includes GST
Develop a Risk Management Implementation Plan - BizSafe level 2
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to perform as a
Risk Management Champion for their organization. Learners will learn to
develop and manage the risk management process and to reduce risks at
source through implementation of control measures.
Intake
Time
Duration
Fee
1. Tuesday, 28 July 2015 to Wednesday, 29 July 2015
2. Monday, 24 August 2015 to Tuesday, 25 August 2015
3. Monday, 14 September 2015 to Tuesday, 15 September 2015
4. Tuesday, 27 October 2015 to Wednesday, 28 October 2015
9am to 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
2 days
Full course fees for SISO Member: S$450.00*
**Nett price after SDF Funding:
S$210.00
**Nett price after WTS Funding:
S$9.00
Full course fees for non-SISO Member: S$490.00*
**Nett price after SDF Funding:
S$250.00
**Nett price after WTS Funding:
S$49.00
*Fees include GST, refreshments and training materials and is preSDF / WTS funding
**SDF/ WTS Funding (For Corporate Registrations):
Participants must attend at least 75% of the course and
complete the assessment
Corporate customers need to log in SkillsConnect website
before registration for those who are applying for the
funding for participant(s)
WTS funding only applies to company-sponsored trainee
who is 35 years old and above with a monthly income of
$1,900 and below.
WSQ - Develop a Business Case for WSH
To provide learners with required the knowledge, skills and attitudes
required of required of a WSH Officer to analyse, create and communicate a
successful business case to meet an organization’s WSH needs. All learners
will be awarded with Statement of Attainment (SOA) upon meeting 75% of
the required course attendance and assessed to be competent.
Implement Incident Management Processes
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge required by the person in
charge of a facility to implement the incident management process during
an emergency incident in a process facility. This unit covers the approach,
structure, tools, processes, communication methods that can be utilised
during an emergency incident.
Date
Time
Duration
CPD points
Fee
1. Monday, 13 July 2015
2. Thursday, 20 August 2015
3. Monday, 21 September 2015
4. Monday, 19 October 2015
9am – 6pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
2 days
8 SDUs (For WSHO)
10 CPUs (For FSM)
S$417.30* (SISO Member)
S$470.80* (Others)
*Fee includes GST refreshments and training materials
Develop a Workplace Safety and Health Management System
(WSHMS) Implementation Plan (BizSAFE Level 4)
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge to be a WSHMS Program
Lead for the organisation in preparing a WSHMS implementation plan to
meet the requirements of SS 506 and risk management code of practice
and for recognition of bizSAFE Level 4 by Workplace Safety and Health
Council. It entails reviewing the current WSH policy, risk management plan,
and WSH programmes. It also includes establishing frameworks for WSH
management programmes and emergency preparedness and response
plan in accordance with organisational safety and health needs and WSH
legal and other requirements.
Date
Time
Duration
CPD Points
Fee
1. Tuesday, 7 July 2015 to Friday, 10 July 2015
2. Tuesday, 13 October 2015 to Friday, 16 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
4 days
28 SDUs
S642.00* (SISO Member)
S$706.20* (Others)
*Fee includes GST
WSH (Construction) Regulations
This workshop on the WSH (Construction) Regulations, will be led by Mr
Lee Kah Bee, an ex-MOM officer who oversaw the review and drafting
of WSH legislation. He will go through the statutory requirements under
the said Regulations. He will also share some common safety lapses
uncovered by MOM inspectors during their routine inspections as well as
during special operations. Some common misconceptions and key court
decisions will also be discussed. Participants will also be doing case studies
based on past accident cases.
Date
Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Tuesday, 7 July 2015 to Wednesday, 8 July 2015
Time
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
Time
9am – 6pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
Duration
CPD points
Fee
2 days
14 SDUs
$492.20* (Full course fees)
$147.70* (Nett course fees after WDA funding for
S’porean & PR)
Duration
CPD points
Fee
1 day
7 SDUs (Pending)
S$192.60* (SISO Member)
S$321.00* (Others)
Date
*Fee includes GST refreshments and training materials
16
*Fee includes GST refreshments and training materials
courses
Workplace Safety & Health (Safety) Committee Training Course
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to perform and
discharge their responsibilities as safety committee members, as required
by the Workplace Safety and Health Act. Upon completion of this course,
learners will contribute effectively to the improvement of safety and health
at the workplace.
Date
Time
Duration
Fee
1. Wednesday, 22 July 2015 to Friday, 24 July 2015
2. Wednesday, 19 August 2015 to Friday, 21 August 2015
3. Wednesday, 16 September 2015 to Friday,
18 September 2015
4. Wednesday, 21 October 2015 to Friday, 23 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
3 days
S$449.40*
*Fee includes GST refreshments and training materials
Risk Assessment for a Safe Workplace
(Code of Practice on WSH Risk Management)
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to implement
effective risk assessment (RA) in their workplaces. Learners will learn to
adopt a systematic methodology in developing appropriate control initiatives
with reference to the Code of Practice on Workplace Safety and Health Risk
Management. Upon completion of this course, learners will understand the
legal requirements, be able to identify hazards, evaluate risks and implement
appropriate risk control measures.
Date
Time
Duration
Fees
1. Thursday, 30 July 2015 to Friday, 31 July 2015
2. Thursday, 27 August 2015 to Friday, 28 August 2015
3. Monday, 14 September 2015 to Tuesday, 15 September 2015
4. Thursday, 15 October 2015 to Friday, 16 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
2 days
S$450.00* (SISO Member)
S$490.00* (Others)
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
ISO 9001:2008 Internal Quality Auditor Training
This program provides participants with the practical know-how of
conducting internal audits effectively. Key audit processes from
planning up to reporting and follow-up are clearly explained using simple
to understand slides. The technique of conducting internal audits is
taught with many practical exercises and quizzes to engage trainees
and give them a sound understanding of the complete internal
audit cycle.
Date
Time
Duration
CPD Points
Fees
*Fee includes GST, refreshments and training materials
Enhanced Risk Management Code of Practice (RMCP)
This program provides participants with a better understanding of
culture and personal risk factors that could compromise worker’s
ability and safety (e.g., decreased mental alertness, fatigue, inherent
personal health risks uncovered from medical examinations, individual
susceptibility to particular health risks). Participants will also know the
main changes to the 2015 revision of the Code of Practice on Workplace
Safety and Health (WSH) Risk Management, (“RMCP”).
Date
Time
Duration
CPD points
Fees
*Fee includes GST, refreshments and training materials and is preSDF Funding
OHSAS 18001 & SS 506 Part 1 Internal Auditor Course
To provide learners with the skills and knowledge required to plan and
conduct effective internal audits on OHS management systems. Learners
will learn to report audit findings clearly and undertake effective follow-up
audits on corrective actions taken so as to ensure continual improvement.
This course also provides an introduction to the requirements of OHS
management systems (OHSAS 18001 & SS 506 – Part 1).
Date
Time
Duration
CPD points
Fees
1. Tuesday, 28 July 2015 to Wednesday, 29 July 2015
2. Tuesday, 20 October 2015 to Wednesday, 21 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
2 days
14 SDUs
S$450.00* (SISO Member)
S$490.00* (Others)
*Fee includes GST, refreshments and training materials
Complimentary: SS 506 – 1: 2009 guidelines will be handed out
Interpreting & Implementing the Draft International Standard
ISO / DIS 9001
This seminar will cover the terms and definitions of ISO/DIS 9001, as well
as the major differences in terminology between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO
9001:2015.
Date
Time
Duration
CPD Points
Fees
Friday, 10 July 2015
1.30pm – 5pm (Registration starts at 1pm)
0.5 day
3 SDUs
S$60.00* (SISO Member)
S$90.00* (Others)
1. Monday, 20 July 2015 to Tuesday, 21 July 2015
2. Wednesday, 21 October 2015 to Thursday, 22 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
4 days
14 SDUs (Pending)
S$450.00* (SISO Member)
S$490.00* (Others)
1. Wednesday, 22 July 2015 to Thursday, 23 July 2015
2. Thursday, 20 August 2015 to Friday, 21 August 2015
3. Monday, 21 September 2015 to Tuesday, 22 September 2015
4. Monday, 19 October 2015 to Tuesday, 20 October 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
2 days
4 SDUs
S$450.00* (SISO Member)
S$490.00* (Others)
*Fee includes GST, refreshments and training materials
Workshop on Implementation of Business Continuity
Management (BCM)
This program will cover risk assessment and their impact on business
operations. It will address the various solutions and selection of mitigating
strategies to relevant stakeholders. In line with the business continuity
strategies, delegates will be equipped on how to develop a Business
Continuity Plan. A plan has to be tested and exercised periodically to
ensure relevance and workability. In addition, participants will be provided
with relevant toolkits which they may use and contextualized to the
industry they come from.
Date
Time
Thursday, 30 July, 2015
9am – 5pm (Registration starts at 8.45am)
Duration
CPD points
Fees
1 day
7 SDUs
S$275.00* (SISO Member)
S$325.00* (Others)
* Fee includes GST, refreshments and training materials
To those of you who received
honors, awards and distinctions,
I say well done. And to the C students,
I say you, too, can be president of
the United States.
George W Bush, 43rd President of USA
*Fee includes GST, refreshment and seminar hand-outs
17
safety
COURSES
SAFETY MATTERS / Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
Snapshots@
SISo Courses
I enjoy coming to SISO for short courses to learn about the
regulations, as the trainer explains and guides participants on
understanding the legislation. It’s like a ‘tuition class’ where we
share our knowledge and experiences of our workplace. This also
provides WSH Associates a basic platform to the industry.
– Nurul Hadi Bin Abd Wahab (Operations Controller)
Resourceful and informative centre to get the latest WSH updates
– Lim Chee Chau, Daniel (WSHE Manager, Sim Lian Construction Co (Pte) Ltd
Legislation Workshop
on the WSH
(Work at Heights) Regu
lations and the WSH
(Confined Spaces) Regu
lations
27 March 2015
Conducted by: Mr Lee Kah
Bee
Well organised and arranged. Schedule is well
covered for my knowledge and skills. Trainer is well
prepared and organised.
– Sam Sachu Mathew (Executive Engineer, SBS Transit)
Fun and learning experiences at SISO. Hope my
company will send more employees to SISO.
I learnt a lot during the course.
aining Course
ETY) Committee Tr
WSH (SAF
– Allan Chua Chin Siang (Technician II, The Polyolefin Company (S)
Pte Ltd)
18 to 20 March 2015
nnis Tan
nd
Co ucted by: Mr De
MEWP for Manager Course
16 April 2015
Conducted by: Mr Hansen Ng
This is the first time I attended a course which
is organised by SISO. It is a good experience for
me to know more about specification of MEWP.
– Ng Aik Tat (Trainer, Absolute Kinetics Consultancy PC)
20
WSH (SAFETY) Co
mmittee
Training Course
21 to 23 April 2015
Conducted by: Mr Ng
iam Bo Han
Wonderful experience; Knowledgeable
trainer; Humorous trainer.
– Yusman Bin Yusoff (STO, YTL Power Seraya Pte Ltd)
COURSES
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
OHSAS 18001 & SS506 Part 1 –
Internal Auditor Course
28 to 29 April 2015
Conducted by: Mr Chong Hai Soon
Made a lot of friends. The staff are friendly so are my
classmates and lecturer. It is an enjoyable experience
during my course at SISO.
– Sim Kian Kok
Develop a Business Case for WSH
27 to 28 April 2015
Conducted by: Mr Leonard Tay
The courses modules are comprehensive and detailed.
Very much similar to my daily job scope except that,
after attending the course, I know how to convince my
boss on future business case proposal.
– Alan Teo (Assistant EHS Manager, Carrier Transicold Pte Ltd)
Behavior-Based Safety (BBS)
Observation and Feedback
23 to 24 April 2015
Conducted by: Mr Edmund Tai
The BBS Level 1 course was a good starting platform for
the few of us who are learning how to implement a BBS
program. The trainer also delved into the psychology
aspect of behaviour rather than focusing on the
methodology which was very helpful.
Design and Implement Behavioural
Safety Programme Workshop
14 to 15 May 2015
Conducted by: Mr S Damodaran
Very professional, knowledgeable and assertive.
Thank you.
– Susan B. Chitranggi (EHS Engineering Coordinator, HP)
– Rebecca Toh (EHS Engineer, Global Foundries Singapore Pte Ltd)
Enhanced Risk Management Code of
Practice (RMCP)
14 to 15 May 2015
Conducted by: Ms Soh Guat Hiong
Experienced and knowledgeable trainer to share their
own experiences and ideas. Comprehensive training
material and friendly staff to attend our queries.
– Ramasamy Anand (Project Manager, SR Engineering Pte Ltd)
Develop a WSH Culture Workshop
12 to 13 May 2015
Conducted by: Mr Dennis Tan
I had a better understanding of cultivating a safe
working environment at workplace and how to tackle
individuals even top management on safety issues.
– Andy Masagus (QA & EHS Coordinator Lead, Multiheight Scaffolding
Pte Ltd)
21
ADVERTORIAL
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
3M Anti-Fatigue Mats:
An Ergonomic Solution
in the Workplace
You may already know that the No.
2 leading occupational disease (oD)
within Singapore is Work-Related
Musculoskeletal Disorders (WRMSDs),
but do you know which simple
ergonomic measures can significantly
reduce the occurrence of WRMSDs?
Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and
ergonomics are not one and the same.
MSDs are the result of incompatibilities
between the work conditions, work
demands and the worker capabilities.
Ergonomics is the science of fitting
workplace conditions and job demands
to the capabilities of workers. In other
words, MSDs are often the result of poor
ergonomics, whereas good ergonomics
is the solution to reducing WRMSDs.
Research organizations, such as
Workplace Safety and Health (WSH)
Institute, National Institute of
occupational Safety and Health (NIoSH),
Institutes of Higher Learnings (IHL)
and 3M are independently researching
possible solutions to these disorders,
which have consequences that extend
far beyond a missed workday for an
injured worker.
The Enemy: Musculoskeletal Disorders
As defined in the WSH Guidelines
published in January 2014, MSDs are
muscle, tendon or nerve disorders
caused by repetitive exertions, rapid
motions, awkward postures, high force
contact stresses, vibrations, and/ or low
temperatures. WRMSDs are also referred
to as cumulative trauma disorders,
repetitive strain injuries, or repetitive motion
illnesses. These disorders are characterized
by discomfort, impairment, disability, or
persistent pains in joints, muscles, tendons
or other soft tissues. The severity of MSDs
can range from mild periodic symptoms to
severe chronic and debilitating injuries or
conditions.
WRMSDs can affect the lower body and
extremities, causing backache, slipped
discs, osteoarthritis and venous pooling
– the last being a symptom commonly
experienced by employees who are
required to stand for long periods of time.
Think of the last time you stood in a long
line waiting. Did your feet, legs and back
have pain or discomfort? How long did it
take to become uncomfortable: 10, 20 or
30 minutes? Now think of jobs that require
standing for eight hours a day and how
uncomfortable those workers are.
A Historical Perspective
(United States of America)
• Ramazzini,anItalianphysicianin
the 1700s, lists diseases of the
hands, arms, legs and feet according
to occupations (baker’s hands,
gamekeeper’s thumbs and others),
which are examples of MSDs.
• Inthelate1910sandearly1920s,
many articles and books were written
discussing the pain, suffering and
deaths of the American worker caused
by the poor and unsafe working
conditions. References on how people
tried to change their work were
included.
• Workers’compensationlawscameinto
effect in the United States in 1923.
• Earlyinterventionswereavariety
of materials that “softened” the
area where workers had to stand.
Cardboard, carpet and wood were
commonly used.
• Earlycommercialproducts(1950s)
were called “industrial mats”, which
evolved into “anti-fatigue mats”.
• Intheearly1960s,themilitarylooked
into ways to reduce standing fatigue,
with the Navy contracting a company
to build Watch Mats.
• Inthemid-to-late1980s,anti-fatigue
mats are referred to as a type of
“engineering control” by OSHA, when
used to alleviate MSDs in the workplace
for jobs requiring prolonged standing.
Risks to Industry and to Workers’ Health
Workers who suffer from WRMSDs
experience not only pain and discomfort,
but also a decrease in their productivity and
their quality of work. It can also impact their
everyday lives adversely, compromising
their ability to perform everyday tasks,
exercise, and even sleep.
For employers, WRMSDs would likely
reduce productivity, reduce product quality,
increase worker absenteeism, and in turn
lead to increased costs in production and
worker compensation or medical insurance
premiums.
In 2014, there were 992 confirmed cases
of ODs within Singapore, reflecting
an incidence rate of 29.5 per 100,000
employed persons. Among these cases,
the second leading OD WRMSDs
accounted for 32% of the total 992
confirmed cases. More worryingly, such
incidents had increased by 33% compared
to 2013.
In Singapore, ergonomic health issues were
found to cost the republic a mammoth
SGD$3.5 billion a year.
But industry workers aren’t the only
victims of WRMSDs, and Singapore, a
country whose service sector drives its
economy, is a good example to illustrate
this point. A recent study conducted by the
Singapore General Hospital (SGH) with a
sample of 324 office workers found that
73.4% reported experiencing pain in at
least one area of their bodies with neck
(46%), shoulder (42%) and lower back
(42%) pain being the leading ailments.
(continued on page 25)
23
feature article
24
SAFETY MATTERS / Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
ADVERTORIAL
3M Anti-Fatigue Mats:
An Ergonomic Solution in
THe Workplace
(continued from page 23)
The study also revealed that there was a
higher occurrence of MSDs among females
(78.8%) compared to males (63.9%).
Several workplace risk factors such as
force, cold temperatures, repetition, contact
stress, vibration and, more notably, static
or awkward postures have been identified
by OSHA to cause WRMSDs. At the same
time, the group also learnt that good
ergonomics is a vital solution to reducing
cases of WRMSDs among workers. ODs
such as WRMSDs can be mitigated by
implementing simple ergonomic measures
in the workplace.
An Ergonomic Solution:
3M Anti-Fatigue Mats
While providing employees with shoes
with well-cushioned insteps and insoles
is one way of reducing the frequency of
ODs, 3M has found that the use of antifatigue matting within office and industry
environments offers a more ergonomic
and safe alternative. 3M Anti-Fatigue Mats
enable workers to stand comfortably for
long periods while minimizing fatigue
associated with working while standing.
These mats are based on two technologies:
The first technology utilizes a “coiled
spring” polymeric construction that
compresses uniformly and continually to
provide greater comfort and less fatigue
for workers who must walk as well as
stand while performing their duties. Such a
design results in a stable surface that gently
responds to surface activity. Coil-spring antifatigue mats are ideal for light industrial and
light-to-medium commercial applications.
The second technology utilizes an integrated
“Z” polymeric closed cell foam design.
It provides independent support across
the bottom of the foot to keep the foot
cushioned and stabilized while standing. This
phenomenon is similar to air-filled tires and
independent suspension on automobiles
that provide a cushioned yet stable ride.
These mats are ideal for damp areas such
as kitchens or cleaning areas as its design
allows liquids to pass through easily.
In a physiological study that required 10
healthy subjects to stand for up to four hours,
both versions of the 3M™ Anti-Fatigue Mats
reduced overall fatigue and extended their
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
duration of standing by 40% to 85% as
compared to standing on hard floor.
The test subjects also enjoyed better
retention of ability to perform routine
computer scanning tasks for longer periods
of time. Altogether, both versions of 3M™
Anti-Fatigue Mats offered a secure, stable
footing and a more comfortable physical
and mental working experience.
Standing on
Hard Floor
Standing on 3M™
Anti-Fatigue Mat
This provides increased traction in wet areas.
Be it industrial or office environments, there
are various applications for 3M™ Anti-Fatigue
Mats. They include dry work areas where
workers at assembly lines, packing areas,
security posts and front desk are typically
required to stand for prolonged periods
of time. Anti-Fatigue Mats are also ideal
in bakeries, pantries, restaurant kitchens,
bathrooms and swimming pools in which
its sold grease and oil resistant vinyl Z-web
construction allows ease of maintenance
and provides an anti-slip benefit, on top of
reduced fatigue.
The Benefits
On top of reduced fatigue, 3M™ AntiFatigue Mats also feature a range of
benefits that include:
Impact absorption: Whether on the factory
floor or in the office, the human body is
consistently subject to impact from walking
or carrying loads. These forces of impact
lead to cartilage damage in joints and over
time, result in degenerative joint disease.
Fortunately, lab tests have proven that
3M™ Anti-Fatigue Mats addresses these
workplace risk factors by distributing and
reducing pressure from standing by 60%.
The mat’s softness also promotes walking
stability and conserves energy, as it
cushions impact while walking and returns
energy to the foot while striding. An ‘egg
drop’ test was conducted at hip height to
demonstrate the mat’s ability to absorb the
impact of the drop, and spring the egg back
up intact. This also means that the mat is
able to reduce damage to falling goods.
Durable cushioning: The 3M™ AntiFatigue Mats are also able to retain their
strength and cushioning properties after
extended use. Over a course of two years,
the tensile strength and compression
displacement of the mat experienced only a
6% and 3% reduction respectively.
Reducing incidents of slips, trips and falls:
3M™ Anti-Fatigue Mats feature excellent
slip resistance and was awarded an ASTM
D-1894 standard, a standard issued by ASTM
International that measures the frictional
properties of a material. Additionally, mats
that utilize the integrated “Z” polymeric
closed cell foam design allow liquids and
small debris to fall and flow through.
3M™ Safety-Walk™ Cushion
Matting 3270 Textured solid
top surface, anti-fatigue
cushion mat.
3M™ Safety-Walk™ Cushion
Matting 5100 Unbacked, vinyl
Z web cushion mat.
In summary, workers have known for years
that their workplace is a source of risk
to injury and they have also known their
workplace can hold the key to reducing
that risk.
Employers need to respond to their
workers’ concerns, but also be proactive
and reduce the risks of WRMSDs before it
becomes a source of injury.
Government, independent researchers and
3M all agree: Musculoskeletal disorders’
impact doesn’t end with the worker; the
impact is felt on the employer’s bottom
line, and is reflected in billions of dollars
of workers’ compensation costs for the
country as a whole.
With the development and implementation
of WSH guidelines and ergonomics
standards, workers and employers all serve
to benefit by addressing MSDs proactively.
(Footnotes)
1 CDC/NIOSH Ergonomics and MSS Fact Sheet 1997
2 WSH Guidelines_Improving Ergonomics in the
Workplace January 2014
3 The Biomechanical Basis of Ergonomics, E.R.
Ticjauer, Wiley-Interscience, New York 1978
4 WSH Institute, Workplace Safety and Health Report 2014
5http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news
singapore/story/ergonomics-problems-cost-
singapore- 35-billion-year-20140327?itemid=969
6http://www.healthxchange.com.sg/healthyliving/
HealthatWork/Pages/Musculoskeletal-Disorders- Body-Aches-and-Pains-Common-in-Office-Workers.
aspx
25
REPORTS
SAFETY MATTERS / Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
NETS’ Comprehensive
Guide to Road Safety
The Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) has developed a comprehensive
guide to road safety for employers with large or small fleets and new, developing, or
advanced road safety programmes in US. Companies and organisations interested to
learn the road safety programmes for their operations may refer to this guide as an
additional resource.
NETS categorises road-safety management requirements into four areas:
(i) road-safety management system
(ii) driver and passenger requirements
(iii) journey management requirements, and
(iv) vehicle requirements.
The guide provides a template covering elements in the four areas that are critical in
developing, implementing and sustaining a road safety initiative, and includes references
to model policies, best practices and implementation tips which can be adapted for
use. Additionally, it can be used as an audit and benchmarking tool to identify gaps and
opportunities for improvement to advance road safety.
Register for Learning
& Sharing Session:
“Role of Human Error
in Process Safety”
In this session, participants will have
an understanding on how human
error leads to accidents through
learning from real case studies in the
chemical industry.
Date: 28 July 2015 (Tuesday)
Time: 2.30pm – 5.00pm
Venue: Singapore Chemical
Industry Council
8 Jurong Town Hall Road
#25-04, The JTC Summit
Singapore 609434
To register or for more information,
please visit www.wshc.sg
For more information, please visit www.wshc.sg
SISo’s Participation
at the U SAFE Awards 2015
Michael Teo
Administrator
membershipadmin@siso.org.sg
The National Trades Union Congress
(NTUC), NTUC LearningHub (LHUB)
and Devan Nair Employment and
Employability Institute (e2i), in partnership
with the Workplace Safety and Health
(WSH) Council, organised the inaugural
U SAFE Award on 28 April 2015 for
unionised companies and individuals
who have contributed towards achieving
excellence in workplace safety and health.
Through this award, the Labour
Movement hopes to encourage more
organisations to take on initiatives in
heightening the importance of workplace
safety and health practices within the
organisation, and empowering workers
with the skills and knowledge to initiate
and implement good practices in their
areas of work. Singapore Institution of
Safety Officers (SISO) participated in the
U Safe Awards Exhibition Area with the
aim of recruiting new SISO members
as well as to support NTUC’s efforts in
promoting workplace safety and health.
28
We would like to take this opportunity to
congratulate the following Individual Star
Award winners and the eight corporate
Sparks Awards winners:
Commendation Award (Cluster)
Oil, Petrochemical, Energy and Chemical
(OPEC) cluster
Spark Award (Corporate)
1. ABB Pte Ltd
2. Damen Shipyards Singapore Pte Ltd
3. Keppel DHCS Pte Ltd
4. Makino Asia Pte Ltd
5. MediaCorp Pte Ltd
6. Natsteel Holdings Pte Ltd
7. Sembwaste Pte Ltd
8. Senoko Energy Pte Ltd
Star Award (Individual)
1. Mr Chan Hien Wah, Group Director,
Housing Management Group Housing
Development Board
2. Mr Goh Lai Leong, Operations
Manager, Ramky Cleantech Services
Pte Ltd
3. Mr Lim Chee Khian, Supervisor, DDW
Paxocean Shipyard
4. Mr Mohd Ismail Bin Meerasah, Senior
Technician, Panasonic Industrial Devices
Materials Singapore Pte Ltd
5. Ms Thanakodi d/o Gangatharan, Branch
Chairperson, TCG Rengo (S) Ltd
Attendees enjoying their networking lunch at the
exhibition
Mr Chan Chun Sing with the award recipients
FEATURE ARTICLE
SAFETY MATTERS / Issue 02/2015
WICA Clinic
T
he Work Injury Compensation
department assesses claims for
compensation to employees who
have suffered work-related injury, death or
occupational disease under the Work Injury
Compensation Act. Among other things,
it also administers the incident reporting
system, dispute resolution for injured
employees and employers and carries out
outreach activities to promote awareness
of work injury compensation rights and
responsibilities.
In this 2nd instalment of our four-part Q&A
series to address commonly encountered
queries on work injury compensation
issues, you will learn which party bears
the burden of proof to show injury is
work-related, the differences between
WICA and common law, and work injury
compensation insurance (WICI).
1. An employee returns to work on
Monday morning and reports that he
injured his left toe last Friday before the
shift ended. He claims that he thought
that it was fine and did not take off his
shoes to examine the toe, and also did
not report to his supervisor immediately.
• Theemployeevisitedadoctoron
Saturday and was given 2 days medical
leave plus 2 more days on Monday.
• Investigationscouldnotconfirmthatthe
employee was injured at the workplace
or that there was a witness.
• Theemployeewasawarethatany
accident must be reported to his
supervisor immediately, but did not do
so as he claimed that it was at the end
of the shift and he did not want to miss
the company bus.
Who is responsible to prove that the
accident occurred in the course of work?
If the employer disputes the accident
was work-related, does he still have to
submit incident report to MoM?
The worker is responsible to prove that
his injury was caused by a work-related
accident. If the employer disputes the
accident, the employer should inform the
employee to submit report online. The
employer can follow up with a letter / email
to MOM at mom_oshd@mom.gov.sg to
explain why it is not making the iReport.
At the same time, it should inform its
insurer(s) about this matter, via the insurers’
own notification mechanism, not through
our iReport.
The Ministry will then carry out the
necessary investigations.
2. Can an injured employee file a claim
under the WICA and at the same time
sue his employer under Common Law
for compensation or damages arising
from the injury?
An injured employee can claim from either
WICA or common law but not both. The
timeline to file a claim under WICA is one
year from the date of accident.
If an employee wishes to claim
compensation under WICA, he only needs
to show that his injury arose out of and in
the course of employment. His employer
(or employer’s insurer) is liable to pay the
compensation regardless of who caused
the accident / disease, and even after the
employee has left the company.
Alternatively, an employee may file a civil
suit under common law for damages. To
succeed, he will need to prove that there is
negligence by the employer or a third party.
The compensation amount is not fixed but
he will also have to justify the amount of
damages before the Courts.
3. Who are required to be insured
under the Act?
Every employer must purchase insurance
to cover his liabilities under WICA for his
employees who are
(i) doing manual work, regardless of
salary; or
(ii) doing non-manual work earning $1,600
or less per month.
It is not mandatory for employers to
maintain insurance for non-manual
employees earning more than $1,600 a
month. Nonetheless, employers will be
required to pay compensation in the event
of a valid claim, even if they do not buy
insurance. As such, employers can decide
whether or not to buy insurance for this
Source: Ministry of Manpower Workwise Website.
group of employees, after weighing their
risks with the cost of insurance premiums.
4. An employee is injured at work.
What is the liability of the employer’s
insurer when there are multiple
insurance policies?
When there are multiple WIC insurance
policies in place, the employer’s insurance
policy will first be used to satisfy a claim.
This helps ensure timely receipt of
compensation by the injured employee.
A third party’s insurance policy can be
allowed to pay the compensation if they
convey in writing to MOM its intent to pay
compensation on behalf of the employer’s
insurer, before the notice of assessment
is issued.
5. Incident Reporting is required for
work-related traffic accidents. Should
the insurance claim fall under Work
Injury Compensation Insurance or one’s
personal motor insurance?
The injured employee can seek
reimbursement for his medical expenses
once. No double claim is allowed.
He can consider the different benefits under
the different insurance policies and seek
his insurance agent or legal advice before
making an informed decision.
For more information on WICA, please visit
our website at http://www.mom.gov.sg/wic.
31
REPORTS
SAFETY MATTERS / Singapore Institution of Safety Officers
Construction Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Leadership
Summit 2015: SISo is one of ten Construction Industry
Association Leaders at the Summit
Michael Teo
Administrator
membershipadmin@siso.org.sg
The Construction Workplace Safety and
Health (WSH) Leadership Summit 2015 was
held at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront
Hotel on 7 July 2015. More than 300
participants involved with the Construction
industry attended the Summit.
As one of the highlights of the Summit,
10 Construction industry association
leaders, including Mr Seet Choh San,
President of SISO, gathered on stage and
reaffirmed their commitment to reduce the
workplace fatality rate in the industry to
less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018.
This requires a reduction of the workplace
fatality rate by 25% every year for next
three years. To achieve Vision Zero, the
industry has put together a set of WSH
action plans towards achieving better WSH
performance in the Built Environment.
The action plans will focus on six areas
spanning the life cycle of construction
projects, namely leadership, procurement,
Design for Safety (DfS), training, WSH
culture, and WSH practices.
be mandatory for projects of contract
value of SG$10 million and above. Second,
to support the implementation of DfS,
MOM will work with the industry to train
1,000 DfS professionals by 2018 and
review existing DfS courses. Third, MOM
will be piloting the Developer & Designer
Early Engagement (D2E2) programme on
engaging developers and designers earlier
to achieve better WSH outcomes.
Guest-of-Honour, Mr Lim Swee Say,
Minister for Manpower emphasised that
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be
supporting the action plans with initiatives
to help the industry. First, the WSH (Design
for Safety) Regulations will be gazetted
by August 2015 and will come into effect
a year later. The Regulations will outline
the roles and responsibilities of all parties
involved in construction projects and will
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