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4 STRATEGIC STRIDES
Spotlight
ON SAFETY
WSH STATISTICS REPORT 2012
HIGH-RISK SECTORS STILL A CAUSE FOR CONCERN
OTHERS
Manufacturing Marine
Construction
79% 21%
A lesson on safety
SAFETY PROFILE 5
from the London Olympics
FATALITY RATE per 100,000 employed persons
4.9
2004
Released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), Workplace Safety
and Health (WSH) Council and WSH Institute, the latest WSH Statistics
Report shows that the workplace fatality rate has declined to a
record low, from 4.9 per 100,000 employed persons in 2004 to 2.1
per 100,000 employed persons in 2012. However, the number of
reported work injuries and incidences of occupational diseases (ODs)
has increased.
HEIGHTENED MONITORING AND EARLY DETECTION IN
OD CASES
839
CASES
2 0 1 1
2012
18 % 88 %
987
CASES
2 0 1 2
Noise–induced
deafness
987
CASES
OD cases rose by 18%—from 839 reported in 2011 to 987 cases
in 2012. This rise was primarily attributed to increased monitoring
efforts by MOM’s Occupational Safety and Health specialists who
encouraged early detection and reporting. Of the 987 OD cases, 88%
were cases of noise-induced deafness, with over 98% of workers
diagnosed at the early stage when intervention measures can be
taken to prevent further deterioration.
2012 2011
Workplace Injuries 11,113 10,121
Fatal Injuries 56 61
Major Injuries 588 556
Minor Injuries 10,469 9,504
Occupational Diseases 987 839
2.1
2012
Table 1: Number of Workplace Injuries and Occupational Diseases, 2011 and 2012.
The three traditional sectors (manufacturing, marine and construction)
continue to account for 79% of workplace fatalities in 2012. These sectors
also saw a collective increase of 17% in both major and minor injuries.
Together, all three sectors account for close to half of all major and minor
injuries reported in 2012.
Industry 2012 2011
All sectors 56 (55) 61(58)
Construction 26 (25) 22 (21)
Marine 6 (6) 10 (8)
Manufacturing 12 (12) 13 (13)
Logistics & Transport 7 6
Others 5 10
Table 2: Number of Workplace Fatal Injuries by Industry, 2011 and 2012
Figures in parenthesis refer to the number of fatal incidents.
In particular, the construction sector accounted for nearly half of all work
fatalities (46%) and 1 in 4 of major industries. The sector’s fatalities also
rose from 22 in 2011 to 26 in 2012, and posted the highest fatal injury
rate amongst the three sectors.
WORK-RELATED FALLS ON THE WATCH LIST
The number of work-related falls fell from 26 cases in 2011 to 17 in 2012.
However, it was still the leading incident type in 2012, accounting for
30% of all fatalities. Fall-related deaths and injuries were seen across
both traditional sectors and service sectors such as logistics and transport,
telecommunications, advertising and business support activities.
BUILDING A ROBUST WSH CULTURE WITH CULTURESAFE
Highlighting the need for concrete measures and attitudes, Chairman
of the WSH Council, Mr Lee Tzu Yang, said, “Industry players need
to review the trends and compare them against their workplaces
to identify areas of concern. Where shortfalls are seen, companies
must take concrete measures to implement better WSH practices.
To do so, they can tap on various case studies, guidelines and codes
of practice issued by the WSH Council. But beyond this, we must
change attitudes and encourage safe work behaviour. In this aspect,
the Council’s CultureSAFE programme can help.”
The CultureSAFE programme, consisting of a five-step CultureSAFE
cycle, has been developed to help organisations nurture a strong
WSH culture and inculcate the right WSH mindset among the
workforce. Small- and medium-sized enterprises keen to start and
maintain their safety culture within their workplaces can also tap on
the WSH Culture Fund to help defray the associated costs in adopting
the CultureSAFE programme.
To view the WSH Statistics Report 2012 in full or to find out more about the CultureSAFE programme,
visit www.wshc.sg
The health and safety of workers has always been the
priority for the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). In this
issue of SHINE, Mr Lawrence Waterman (Order of the
British Empire), Head of Health and Safety for the ODA
and Past President of Institution of Occupational Safety
and Health, shares with us his experience in constructing
one of the biggest and most challenging projects the
United Kingdom (UK) has ever undertaken – London
Olympics 2012.
When the UK began construction work for London Olympics 2012, it
was calculated that the project would see three deaths, more than
500 workers would be seriously injured and around 100 of them
would have their lives adversely affected by their injuries. However,
the London Olympic facilities turned out to be the first in the history of
the Games to be completed without a fatality.
The Olympic Park built for the London Olympics was a massive project.
Construction for the Olympic facilities involved the 80,000-seater
Stratford Stadium and 2,818 flats for the Olympic Village.
CAREFUL PLANNING AT EVERY STEP
Planning was done based on simple foundations that can be applied
to building projects of any size and place:
• Show commitment to safety
ODA showed its commitment to safety by declaring a zerofatality
target. With measurable objectives and targets, ODA sent
out a clear message on what all workers were expected to work
towards. Leadership was also provided at every level, from the
Chief Executive to every subcontractor to get everyone to work
to prevent deaths onsite.
• Design for safety and health
ODA encouraged designers to design for health and safety in
construction, use and future maintenance.
• Detailed planning and risk management
ODA planned every phase of work, profiled every risk and
managed those risks carefully.
ODA’s determination and attention to planning and risk
management paid off. After 62 million man-hours, the London
Olympic facilities were the first in the history of the Games to be
completed without a fatality. Its onsite accident frequency rate
is less than the all-industry average of 0.21 and from a worker’s
perspective, working at the site of the London Olympics was
equivalent to working in an office.
HEALTH AND WELL-BEING AS CRITICAL AS ACCIDENT
PREVENTION
Research has shown that more construction workers have their
health damaged than there are those who are injured in accidents
during work. This was verified from what they observed during the
construction of the Olympic Park.
They found that an overwhelming number of the 12,000 builders
had an unhealthy lifestyle and many were significantly overweight.
Workers often skipped their breakfasts after indulging in fatty
takeaways the night before and in the one-hour period before lunch,
their minds were usually on what they wanted for lunch rather
than on the job at hand. This distraction was the main reason why
accidents happen. To keep safety on top of the workers’ minds, ODA
offered healthy porridge to them for just £1. The result was — better
diets, lower accident rates and a general boost to health.
LEARNING LEGACY
All these efforts had helped ODA reap rewards of a more efficient
and effective workforce. The approach ODA has adopted is relevant
not only for the construction sector, but also for any workplace.
The construction of Singapore’s venues and public infrastructure
and London Olympic Park are intimately connected. The initiatives
that worked for the Olympic Park can also be applied elsewhere.
Many of the safety procedures at the Olympic Park were not new
but they were implemented consistently and thoroughly. Daily
activity briefings were mandated, even at the smallest site. Onsite
communication, no matter how trivial, was also strongly encouraged.
With visible commitment throughout any project, every organisation
can protect their workers and bring success to their business.