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Issue<br />

JULY 2008 01<br />

S A F E T Y + H E A L T H I N V O L V E S E V E R Y O N E<br />

03<br />

WSH Guardian<br />

Steps Up<br />

04<br />

Ball Start for<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Month<br />

06<br />

Transit of a<br />

40-foot<br />

Transformer<br />

09<br />

Taking Nothing<br />

for Granted<br />

11<br />

Making the<br />

Impossible<br />

Possible


STRATEGIC STRIDES<br />

ProBE 2008<br />

Takes on Limbs<br />

The <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />

(WSH <strong>Council</strong>) was established on 1<br />

April 2008 to raise the workplace safety<br />

<strong>and</strong> health st<strong>and</strong>ards in Singapore. The<br />

<strong>Council</strong> comprises 16 leaders from the<br />

major industry sectors, the Government,<br />

unions <strong>and</strong> professionals from the legal,<br />

insurance <strong>and</strong> academic fields. The<br />

<strong>Council</strong>’s key thrusts are to build the<br />

capabilities of industry to better manage<br />

WSH, to promote safety <strong>and</strong> health at<br />

work, to recognise companies with<br />

good WSH records <strong>and</strong> to set acceptable<br />

WSH practices. There are five industry<br />

committees focusing on the areas of<br />

construction <strong>and</strong> l<strong>and</strong>scaping, healthcare,<br />

logistics <strong>and</strong> transportation, marine works<br />

<strong>and</strong> metalworking <strong>and</strong> manufacturing.<br />

Two functional committees have also<br />

been formed to identify, champion <strong>and</strong><br />

implement initiatives in the areas of<br />

engagement <strong>and</strong> outreach <strong>and</strong> industry<br />

capability building.<br />

SHINE is a quarterly newsletter on<br />

workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health issues.<br />

MICA (P) No. 261/06/2006<br />

Demolition works <strong>and</strong> work related to machines, cranes <strong>and</strong> hazardous substances<br />

join ‘work at heights’ to form the focus areas for this year’s Programme-Based<br />

Engagement (ProBE) initiative. These key strategic intervention areas were<br />

announced by Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, Deputy Chairman of the WSH <strong>Council</strong> at the<br />

Seminar on 2007 WSH Statistics <strong>and</strong> ProBE Areas 2008 held on 25 March 2008.<br />

In highlighting the trends in 2007 that saw among others a drop in overall workplace<br />

fatality rate to 2.9 per 100,000 employed persons, Mr Heng Chiang Gnee said “The<br />

2006 <strong>and</strong> 2007 ProBE results have been encouraging”. He emphasised that due to<br />

the ProBE initiative coupled with the industry’s commitment, a 22% drop in fatalities<br />

in the ProBE focus areas had been recorded in 2007. “Our success has spurred us to<br />

continue the ProBE initiative for 2008,” he added.<br />

High-risk Areas Targeted for 2008<br />

The limelight is on limbs this year as ‘Work<br />

Involving Machines Dangerous to H<strong>and</strong>s’ is a<br />

priority area for ProBE 2008. A 59% increase<br />

in the number of cases of permanent<br />

disablement was seen in 2007 compared<br />

to 2005 <strong>and</strong> largely originating from the<br />

manufacturing industry, especially in the<br />

metalworking sector.<br />

For contributions, feedback or more<br />

information, please e-mail to the WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong> Office at contact@wshc.gov.sg<br />

Publisher<br />

<strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />

Address<br />

5 Maxwell Road, #20-00 Tower Block<br />

MND Complex<br />

Singapore 069110<br />

Contact<br />

Tel: (65) 6324 7206<br />

Fax: (65) 6324 7578<br />

No part of this publication may be<br />

reproduced or transmitted in any form or<br />

by any means without the prior written<br />

permission of the publisher.<br />

Yet another area of focus is ‘Work Involving<br />

Flammable <strong>and</strong> Hazardous Substances’.<br />

Accidents due to such substances accounted<br />

for 14% of workplace fatalities in 2007. A<br />

good example is a fire in an oil refinery last<br />

year that resulted in two workers being<br />

killed on site <strong>and</strong> two others suffering<br />

severe burns, of which one succumbed to his<br />

injuries subsequently.<br />

Two other new areas to be targeted are<br />

demolition works which saw three fatalities<br />

late last year <strong>and</strong> crane-related activities<br />

which took three lives more recently. With<br />

a noticeable uptrend in demolition work<br />

<strong>and</strong> construction activities due to the<br />

construction boom <strong>and</strong> increased collective<br />

property sales, the potential for things to<br />

go wrong will increase <strong>and</strong> hence the<br />

inclusion of these two work areas in this<br />

year’s programme.<br />

Last year’s initiative on ‘Work at Heights’ will<br />

extend into this year as this area contributed<br />

to more than one-third of all workplace<br />

fatalities. These incidents occurred<br />

predominantly in the construction sector.<br />

Commitment from All for Success<br />

The WSH <strong>Council</strong> will be employing creative<br />

methods to engage all affected parties to<br />

strengthen the safety <strong>and</strong> health st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />

in the ProBE 2008 focus areas. The success<br />

of this programme ultimately hinges on<br />

the commitment of all stakeholders via<br />

participation in activities organised <strong>and</strong><br />

implementation of workplace safety<br />

<strong>and</strong> health processes. Together, we can<br />

create safer <strong>and</strong> healthier workplaces<br />

in Singapore.


STRATEGIC STRIDES<br />

<br />

WSH Guardian Steps Up<br />

The <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong><br />

Advisory Committee, the guardians of<br />

workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health (WSH)<br />

in Singapore, became the statutory<br />

<strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> <strong>Council</strong><br />

(WSH <strong>Council</strong>) on 1 April 2008.<br />

Strengthened with an enhanced agenda<br />

<strong>and</strong> capabilities, the <strong>Council</strong> will<br />

spearhead the workplace safety <strong>and</strong><br />

health efforts in Singapore.<br />

The <strong>Council</strong> comprises 16 members who are<br />

leaders from key industry sectors (such as<br />

construction, manufacturing, petrochemical,<br />

logistics, etc), the government, unions <strong>and</strong><br />

professionals from the legal, insurance<br />

<strong>and</strong> academic fields. Under the <strong>Council</strong> five<br />

industry committees have been formed to<br />

address the specific WSH challenges in the<br />

varied sectors. They are the Construction<br />

<strong>and</strong> L<strong>and</strong>scaping Committee, <strong>Health</strong>care<br />

Committee, Logistics <strong>and</strong> Transportation<br />

Committee, Marine Industries Committee<br />

<strong>and</strong> Metalworking <strong>and</strong> Manufacturing<br />

Committee. Two functional committees have<br />

also been formed to identify, champion<br />

<strong>and</strong> implement initiatives in areas such as<br />

engagement <strong>and</strong> outreach <strong>and</strong> industry<br />

capability building.<br />

With a vision for “A safe <strong>and</strong> healthy<br />

workplace for everyone; <strong>and</strong> a country<br />

renowed for best practices in WSH” the<br />

guardians of WSH have a tall order to<br />

fulfil. Adding to the challenge is the aim to<br />

decrease the fatality rate to 1.8 by 2008.<br />

With the commitment <strong>and</strong> cooporation of all<br />

stakeholders, the <strong>Council</strong> is confident that it<br />

is a goal within reach.<br />

THREE KEY THRUSTs OF WSH COUNCIL<br />

Man with a Vision<br />

Heading the WSH <strong>Council</strong> Office as the new Executive Director is Mr Samuel Tso.<br />

The former Business Director ASEAN, DuPont <strong>Safety</strong> Resources, is a staunch safety<br />

advocate. He believes that all incidents can be prevented <strong>and</strong>, being a leader in the<br />

organisation, he must walk the talk to demonstrate his commitment to safety. He strongly<br />

upholds the safety messages he preaches, paying attention to finer details like being<br />

familiar with emergency exits at any venue he visits. Saying that he is proud to be able to<br />

contribute in Singapore’s journey towards excellence in WSH, he added that the difficulty<br />

lies in convincing Singapore businesses that safety is a good value <strong>and</strong> a strategic element<br />

to achieve business excellence. “<strong>Safety</strong> increases productivity <strong>and</strong> lowers costs, <strong>and</strong> can serve<br />

as a catalyst for achieving operational excellence <strong>and</strong> sustainable growth,” he enthused.<br />

Asked about his personal vision for the WSH <strong>Council</strong>, he said, “The <strong>Council</strong> is steering the<br />

transformation of workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health in Singapore. The initial WSH <strong>Council</strong> roadmap<br />

may have more pit stops as we will need to guide or even h<strong>and</strong>-hold industry efforts. In the<br />

long run, however, I envisage us having a smoother ride taking the backseat as the autodrive<br />

kicks in. I see the <strong>Council</strong> acting more as an advisor as the industry gradually takes on<br />

greater ownership <strong>and</strong> initiative to create their own roadmaps for continual improvement in<br />

safety <strong>and</strong> health in their businesses.”


CENTRE STAGE<br />

Ball Start for<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Month<br />

The National <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

<strong>Health</strong> (NWSH) Campaign 2008, got<br />

off to a bouncy start at the Orchard@<br />

Atrium venue on 29 April 2008, with the<br />

endorsement of the new WSH <strong>Council</strong><br />

by 35 industry partners. The partners<br />

showed their support for the <strong>Council</strong><br />

by signing on grey <strong>and</strong> green balls,<br />

the colours of the WSH <strong>Council</strong> logo.<br />

The balls were later used to complete<br />

a fabricated WSH <strong>Council</strong> logo placed<br />

onstage with the last ball being placed<br />

by the Guest of Honour, Prime Minister<br />

Lee Hsien Loong thus unveiling <strong>and</strong><br />

launching the new WSH <strong>Council</strong> <strong>and</strong> its<br />

logo. He also went on to officially launch<br />

the NWSH Campaign 2008.<br />

A Milestone in WSH<br />

Mr Lee Tzu Yang, Chairman of the WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong>, described the launch of the<br />

statutory WSH <strong>Council</strong> as a significant<br />

milestone in the WSH l<strong>and</strong>scape of<br />

Singapore. PM Lee in his speech said,<br />

“<strong>Workplace</strong> safety systems around the world<br />

have shown that better safety outcomes<br />

can only be achieved if all stakeholders are<br />

fully engaged.” He added that the <strong>Council</strong><br />

is therefore an important initiative with<br />

the broad representation from employers,<br />

professional associations <strong>and</strong> the unions.<br />

Elaborating on the three main <strong>Council</strong><br />

agenda of setting safety st<strong>and</strong>ards, building<br />

new capabilities <strong>and</strong> changing mindsets,<br />

PM Lee said, “The biggest challenge for the<br />

<strong>Council</strong> lies in its third area of responsibility<br />

– outreach, engagement <strong>and</strong> ultimately,<br />

changing mindsets. To bring about a<br />

quantum improvement in our safety <strong>and</strong><br />

health outcomes, every individual must take<br />

ownership of safety issues <strong>and</strong> see this as<br />

his own responsibility.”<br />

Describing the early efforts by the<br />

<strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Advisory<br />

Committee as encouraging with fatality rate<br />

hitting an all-time low of 2.9 in 2007 he<br />

set a more ambitious target for the <strong>Council</strong><br />

from 2.5 fatality rate by 2015 to 1.8 fatality<br />

rate by 2018. “We should aim not only for<br />

as good a safety record as the developed<br />

countries, but to have one of the best<br />

workplace safety records in the world,”<br />

he added.<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Starts with Me<br />

As if echoing PM Lee’s message that<br />

everyone has to take ownership of<br />

workplace safety issues, this year’s<br />

campaign theme was “<strong>Safety</strong> Starts with<br />

Me”. As Mr Lee Tzu Yang aptly described,<br />

“Your safety <strong>and</strong> the safety of all who are<br />

around you at work, is related to all that<br />

you do.”<br />

Targeting to create this awareness in<br />

the masses <strong>and</strong> especially workers, the<br />

launch event was followed by a threeday<br />

roadshow. Visitors were treated to<br />

an array of activities including a 40-foot


CENTRE STAGE<br />

<br />

container exhibition (see article on page<br />

6) that was unveiled at the NWSH launch<br />

event, booths set up by training providers,<br />

Singapore Workforce Development Agency,<br />

<strong>and</strong> exciting stage events hosted by the<br />

effervescent Y.E.S. 93.3FM DJ Bukoh Mary.<br />

Over 3,000 people visited the three-day<br />

roadshow <strong>and</strong> more than 200,000 workers<br />

are targeted for outreach when the<br />

container exhibition hits the roads <strong>and</strong> visits<br />

over 50 venues in Singapore over the year.<br />

Running alongside for the month will be<br />

over 60 activities such as conferences,<br />

seminars, workshops organised by WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong> industry partners. This year sees<br />

dedicated activities held for the six sectors<br />

newly covered under the WSH Act. Events<br />

catering to among others, employees in<br />

the hotel <strong>and</strong> food <strong>and</strong> beverage sector<br />

as well as in the healthcare sector have<br />

been planned.<br />

First Batch of Graduates<br />

Another first for the NWSH Launch event was<br />

the awarding of certificates to the inaugural<br />

batch of over 50 graduates who participated<br />

in the improved WSH Officers course under<br />

the new WSH Professionals Workforce Skills<br />

Qualifications (WSHP WSQ) framework.<br />

The graduates had undergone 240 hours<br />

of the WSQ diploma in WSH course over<br />

a period of six to eight months to earn<br />

their qualifications. Also launched was the<br />

Professionals Coversion Programme for WSH<br />

Officers. The Programme aims to provide<br />

a training pathway <strong>and</strong> opportunities for<br />

professionals, managers, executives <strong>and</strong><br />

technicians for a mid-career switch to<br />

become WSH professionals.<br />

A Creative Closure<br />

Providing a creative twist to the closing<br />

cum appreciation ceremony for the partners<br />

of the NWSH Campaign on 30 May 2008<br />

was the presentation of the awards to<br />

the winners of the <strong>Safety</strong>@Work Creative<br />

Awards. Running into its fourth year, <strong>and</strong><br />

open to tertiary students, the competition<br />

comprises two categories, the poster <strong>and</strong><br />

the animation competitions. A total of 14<br />

awards were presented in this competition<br />

jointly organised by Singapore Technologies<br />

<strong>and</strong> WSH <strong>Council</strong> in collaboration with the<br />

Ministry of Manpower.<br />

This year has seen many a first, a new<br />

<strong>Council</strong>, an exciting 40-foot container<br />

exhibition, fresh sectors embraced by the<br />

WSH Act, eager graduates from a new WSH<br />

Course <strong>and</strong> a challenging target for the WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong>. These beginnings are harbingers<br />

of more firsts to come as the WSH <strong>Council</strong><br />

rolls out more programmes <strong>and</strong> initiatives to<br />

make Singapore a record breaker in WSH.<br />

Deserving<br />

Special Mention<br />

The NWSH Campaign actively<br />

sought <strong>and</strong> received encouraging<br />

sponsorship for its cause. We wish<br />

to thank our sponsors <strong>and</strong> supporters,<br />

especially our main sponsors SembCorp<br />

Marine <strong>and</strong> Keppel Offshore <strong>and</strong> Marine<br />

for their valuable contribution to<br />

the NWSH Campaign 2008.


CENTRE STAGE<br />

Transit of<br />

a 40-foot<br />

Transformer<br />

Rolling out to a workplace near you <strong>and</strong><br />

hoping to captivate minds to create greater<br />

awareness of workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health<br />

hazards is the WSH <strong>Council</strong>’s 40-foot<br />

Transformer; a container that opens to<br />

reveal an informative <strong>and</strong> interactive WSH<br />

exhibition within.<br />

The container exhibition, first unveiled at<br />

the launch of the National <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong><br />

<strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Campaign at the Orchard@<br />

Atrium on 29 April 2008, has been wellreceived<br />

by the public who thronged the<br />

three-day roadshow held there, thereafter.<br />

A brainchild of the WSH <strong>Council</strong>, the ordinary<br />

container was transformed to include six<br />

safety <strong>and</strong> health stations dedicated to<br />

critical workplace hazards including manual<br />

h<strong>and</strong>ling <strong>and</strong> work at heights. To hike up the<br />

excitement factor, interactive games to test<br />

visitors’ knowledge on hazard prevention<br />

<strong>and</strong> an enthralling 3D hologram depicting<br />

case studies of past work accidents have<br />

been installed.<br />

This is the first time in Singapore that<br />

a unique avenue to create workplace<br />

safety <strong>and</strong> health awareness has been<br />

employed. Taking more than a month from<br />

conceptualisation to actual production,<br />

the container exhibition had to undergo a<br />

rigorous risk assessment process to ensure<br />

structural <strong>and</strong> operational integrity prior to<br />

the launch.<br />

To extract more mileage from this project,<br />

the container will be plying to over 50<br />

locations isl<strong>and</strong>wide including industrial<br />

estates to spread the message to Singapore<br />

workplaces. An offshoot of this container<br />

exhibition is the modular exhibition<br />

whereby two of the stations amenable<br />

to easy transport <strong>and</strong> set-up have been<br />

duplicated to be displayed at locations which<br />

have space <strong>and</strong>/or structural constraints<br />

<strong>and</strong> cannot cater to an entire container. An<br />

additional 50 locations have been targeted<br />

for the modular exhibitions. For more<br />

information on the 40-foot Transformer’s<br />

road trip <strong>and</strong> when it will be visiting a<br />

location near you, log on to the WSH <strong>Council</strong><br />

website at www.wshc.gov.sg


CENTRE STAGE<br />

<br />

H<strong>and</strong>ling Chemicals<br />

A True Story - Worker<br />

Falls off Scaffold<br />

A 22-year-old scaffold erector<br />

was working at height but did<br />

not anchor his safety harness to<br />

a secure point or safety line. He<br />

subsequently lost his balance<br />

<strong>and</strong> fell 30 metres from the<br />

tower scaffold he was helping<br />

to erect onto the ground <strong>and</strong><br />

died on the spot. A simple step<br />

of hooking up his safety harness<br />

to an anchorage point could<br />

have saved this young life.<br />

All accidents are preventable,<br />

exercise caution at work, adhere<br />

to safe work procedures <strong>and</strong> help<br />

identify unsafe work practices<br />

<strong>and</strong> dangers at work.<br />

Carry Loads Properly<br />

Poor manual lifting methods can<br />

cause serious back injuries. Use<br />

mechanical lifting equipment<br />

to lift heavy loads. If you have<br />

to lift manually observe the<br />

following:<br />

• Distribute heavy <strong>and</strong> bulky<br />

loads into smaller <strong>and</strong> less<br />

heavy packages.<br />

• Have at least two persons to<br />

carry a heavy load.<br />

• Adopt proper lifting<br />

techniques – bend your<br />

knees <strong>and</strong> keep your back<br />

straight.<br />

Look, Think <strong>and</strong> Do<br />

You can help make your<br />

workplace safer <strong>and</strong> healthier by<br />

observing the following:<br />

• LOOK out for hazards. Some<br />

common hazards are falling<br />

objects, tripping hazards,<br />

electrocution <strong>and</strong> flammable<br />

<strong>and</strong> poisonous materials.<br />

• THINK about the safety<br />

measures to be taken.<br />

• DO everything you can to<br />

protect yourself such as<br />

wearing <strong>and</strong> using proper<br />

personal protective equipment<br />

correctly.<br />

WSH <strong>Council</strong><br />

Need more information on safety<br />

hazards <strong>and</strong> what you can do<br />

to prevent workplace incidents<br />

Visit the WSH <strong>Council</strong> website at<br />

www.wshc.gov.sg<br />

Chemicals can cause severe<br />

allergy, burns, cancer, asthma<br />

<strong>and</strong> poisoning. Protect yourself<br />

from being harmed by chemicals<br />

by observing the following:<br />

• Read the labels on the<br />

chemical container <strong>and</strong> the<br />

safety data sheet for<br />

information on the harmful<br />

effects of the chemical.<br />

• Wear personal protective<br />

equipment when h<strong>and</strong>ling<br />

chemicals.<br />

Prevent Falls from<br />

Height<br />

Workers who fell from heights<br />

made up almost 40% of all<br />

workplace fatalities in 2007.<br />

Protect yourself while working<br />

at height by observing the<br />

following:<br />

• Ensure that there are barriers<br />

or guardrails at the open<br />

sides of a building under<br />

construction.<br />

• Use appropriate work platforms<br />

to reach higher places.<br />

• Wear <strong>and</strong> secure your safety<br />

harness.


FACT FILE<br />

Choosing<br />

Hearing<br />

Protectors<br />

Noise-induced deafness (NID) is the most prevalent occupational<br />

disease in Singapore. It accounted for an average of 73% of all<br />

occupational diseases reported annually between 1995 <strong>and</strong> 2006. The<br />

recent years have seen a significant increase in the number of NID cases.<br />

Many of the NID cases came from workplaces where there is a lack of<br />

good noise control measures, low awareness of the risks from excessive<br />

noise exposure, as well as, inadequate hearing protection. Hearing<br />

protection is critical to prevent NID <strong>and</strong> there are specific criteria to<br />

consider in selecting appropriate Hearing Protection Devices (HPD).<br />

Criteria for Selection<br />

Noise Reduction<br />

The first criteria to consider is the<br />

rated performance of the HPD which is<br />

determined by the amount of ambient noise<br />

it can reduce, measured in decibels (dB).<br />

However, in the real world, users usually<br />

get much less attenuation, especially when<br />

the HPD is not worn correctly. In addition,<br />

selection of a HPD with high noise reduction<br />

rating (NRR) may result in too much<br />

attenuation, thus affecting communication<br />

<strong>and</strong> reduced wear time. The attenuation<br />

ratings reveal only the capability of the<br />

hearing protector, not its effectiveness. This<br />

is because the HPD with the highest ratings<br />

may not always be worn correctly, may not<br />

necessarily fit well or worn all the time due<br />

to discomfort.<br />

Comfort Factor<br />

Comfort is another important consideration<br />

as greater comfort means better compliance<br />

<strong>and</strong> wear time which thus results in higher<br />

protection. Plugs are often preferred in<br />

warm climates <strong>and</strong> muffs may be preferred<br />

in cold climates. Studies have shown<br />

that even a few minutes of non-wear<br />

time dramatically affects effective noise<br />

reduction.<br />

Userability<br />

Ease of use is another criterion to consider<br />

when selecting hearing protectors.<br />

Compliance is reduced when the HPD<br />

is complicated. There are reusable <strong>and</strong><br />

disposable plugs available. Some styles<br />

of HPD are designed for workers who go<br />

between loud <strong>and</strong> quiet areas frequently.<br />

Other considerations include style;<br />

compatibility with other Personal Protective<br />

Equipment (PPE) such as respirators, safety<br />

eyewear <strong>and</strong> hardhats; availability of sizes<br />

to accommodate small, large <strong>and</strong> odd ear<br />

canals; <strong>and</strong> whether there is presence<br />

of diseases of the ear where the use of<br />

earplugs may not be feasible.<br />

‘Hear Safe’, wear ear protection devices<br />

at workplaces.<br />

Noise-induced Deafness<br />

Prevention Programme<br />

The NID Prevention Programme aims<br />

to identify noisy workplaces <strong>and</strong><br />

processes for targeted engagement,<br />

to raise awareness of workplace<br />

noise hazards <strong>and</strong> its prevention<br />

<strong>and</strong> manage noise hazards through<br />

implementation of an effective<br />

hearing conservation programme.<br />

For more information on the<br />

programme visit the <strong>Council</strong> website:<br />

www.wshc.gov.sg<br />

This article is contributed by 3M Technologies (S) Pte Ltd.


FACE TO FACE<br />

<br />

What made you decide to first embark<br />

on this as a career<br />

I started when the Personnel Manager of<br />

Far East - Levingston Shipbuilding Ltd gave<br />

me a call <strong>and</strong> enquired whether I would like<br />

to take up a position as a safety officer. At<br />

that time, safety was still new <strong>and</strong> being a<br />

state registered nurse, I thought safety was<br />

related to health <strong>and</strong> therefore, why not<br />

take up the challenge The interview took<br />

place <strong>and</strong> I was offered the job as well as<br />

running the first aid room in the shipyard.<br />

What does it take to be a safety officer<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> is now accepted by most, if not all,<br />

industries. At times, we hear company<br />

executives stating that they are unable to<br />

afford adequate health <strong>and</strong> safety measures.<br />

My belief is that if the company cannot<br />

afford safety, they should not be in the<br />

business. That is the challenge we put up to<br />

the managers <strong>and</strong> employees in Cameron<br />

Singapore – if we cannot plan <strong>and</strong> work<br />

showed that the company had accepted my<br />

efforts to make safety an integral part of<br />

business <strong>and</strong> supported my application for<br />

the award. Another memorable moment<br />

was when I retired in June 2007. Cameron<br />

Singapore offered me a contract to be the<br />

HSSE Advisor, which goes to show that they<br />

treasured my participation in the company.<br />

Has there been a change in attitude<br />

towards workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health,<br />

compared to a year ago<br />

Yes – practically all sectors – the government<br />

has put in much effort to drive <strong>and</strong> bring<br />

down the incident fatality rate. The<br />

formation of the WSHAC, <strong>and</strong> now the WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong>, is another step. Industry players are<br />

also chipping in to make their workplace a<br />

safer one.<br />

As for Cameron Singapore, I can see changes<br />

in the management’s attitude towards<br />

workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health compared<br />

professional <strong>and</strong> be sought after by the<br />

management for input <strong>and</strong> advice. He must<br />

set priorities <strong>and</strong> act with urgency. He<br />

has to have perseverance, <strong>and</strong> challenge<br />

non-compliance. He has to be proactive in<br />

getting things done <strong>and</strong> take action <strong>and</strong><br />

be reliable. He should be a people person,<br />

influencing behaviour <strong>and</strong> being a good<br />

listener <strong>and</strong> communicator. Finally, he must<br />

have the personality to be seen around at<br />

the workplace. These are the eight Ps for a<br />

safety officer.<br />

Taking Nothing<br />

for Granted<br />

Mr Ong Ann-Pang, recipient of a <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Officer Award<br />

in 2007, gives us a brief glimpse into his rewarding career as a safety officer.<br />

Starting out in the profession back in 1971, it is no mean feat for Mr Ong, who<br />

has 37 years of experience in this field, to get to where he is today, as he tells us<br />

in an interview that being a safety officer means “taking nothing for granted”.<br />

safely, we should not proceed with the job.<br />

My key challenges are ensuring all staff<br />

adhere to <strong>and</strong> take responsibility for<br />

workplace safety <strong>and</strong> health requirements<br />

<strong>and</strong> procedures. I also have to ensure<br />

compliance to legal requirements <strong>and</strong><br />

changing the behaviour of employees so that<br />

they adopt safe behaviour in their daily work.<br />

Share with us some of your most<br />

memorable moments along the road in<br />

your safety career.<br />

One would be when I received the WSHO<br />

Award from the Minister of Manpower. It<br />

to a year ago. The top management<br />

continuously pushes for safe operation<br />

<strong>and</strong> targets set for safety achievement<br />

were raised to a higher level than<br />

last year’s.<br />

If someone wanted to become a<br />

safety officer, what advice would<br />

you give him<br />

It is important that he must have the<br />

passion for safety work <strong>and</strong> be fully<br />

committed to improve on safety culture.<br />

He must be patient <strong>and</strong> prepared to<br />

answer lots of questions. He needs to be


10 SAFETY PROFILE<br />

Confined Space Work<br />

on <strong>Council</strong> Radar<br />

Creating beeps <strong>and</strong> flashes on<br />

the WSH <strong>Council</strong> radar were two recent<br />

unfortunate incidents at shipyards<br />

involving confined space work. They<br />

also serve as a stark reminder that more<br />

has to be done at shipyards to protect<br />

workers engaging in such work.<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Lapses Onboard<br />

On 8 June 2008, a fire broke out on board a<br />

vessel causing the death of two workers <strong>and</strong><br />

seriously injuring four others. At the time of<br />

the accident, four workers were inside four<br />

separate ballast tanks carrying out spray<br />

painting works in the interior of the tanks.<br />

Another four workers were on the deck of<br />

the vessel to assist them. In yet another<br />

incident on 17 Jun 2008 five workers were<br />

injured <strong>and</strong> two died. The workers had been<br />

carrying out hot-works within two tanks of a<br />

vessel at the time fo incident. In the absence<br />

of fires, it is suspected that the collapse<br />

may have been due to a lack of oxygen or<br />

exposure to toxic gases.<br />

<strong>Council</strong> on Marine <strong>Safety</strong><br />

In the light of the above incidents, the WSH<br />

<strong>Council</strong> will be going all out to engage<br />

the industry to improve safety st<strong>and</strong>ards<br />

<strong>and</strong> work processes at shipyards. First up<br />

were visits to the accident sites by the<br />

Chairman of the WSH <strong>Council</strong>, Mr Lee Tzu<br />

Yang together with industry leaders to offer<br />

assistance <strong>and</strong> to find out key leaning points<br />

for the industry. Saying that he is deeply<br />

saddened by the recent accidents he added,<br />

“As more work <strong>and</strong> projects are being taken<br />

up by shipyards, it is critical that they remain<br />

vigilant <strong>and</strong> ensure that the necessary<br />

measures are in place. These measures are,<br />

in fact, not new but in the face of mounting<br />

workload, the <strong>Council</strong> is concerned that<br />

they may not be followed as closely as<br />

they should be. Therefore, the <strong>Council</strong> will<br />

undertake the task to remind shipyards<br />

of their role to keep workers safe.” Plans<br />

underway to educate the industry include<br />

technical advisories on confined space<br />

work <strong>and</strong> prevention of fires <strong>and</strong> explosions<br />

tol be distributed in upcoming industry<br />

events. Concurrently, the WSH <strong>Council</strong><br />

Marine Industries Committee is working on<br />

educational materials, including manuals<br />

<strong>and</strong> videos that will be distributed directly<br />

to shipyards to educate workers on key WSH<br />

issues. The marine industry is also being<br />

encouraged to review their existing work<br />

procedures to safeguard their workers.<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Tips for<br />

Confined Space Work<br />

C In confined space work such as in a<br />

tank where toxic gases or liquids can<br />

enter, ensure that a work system is in<br />

place to positively isolate the source<br />

of such toxic gases or liquids to<br />

prevent the entry of these substances.<br />

C Ensure all personnel working in confined<br />

spaces <strong>and</strong> those working near or around<br />

the area adhere to all the safety<br />

procedures in place to prevent possible<br />

leakage or inadvertent release of toxic<br />

gases or liquids.<br />

C Provide adequate training <strong>and</strong><br />

communication to all personnel on the<br />

risk of working in such an environment<br />

<strong>and</strong> the precautionary measures to take<br />

at work <strong>and</strong> in an emergency.<br />

C Have in place a warning system <strong>and</strong> an<br />

emergency preparedness programme <strong>and</strong><br />

have it tested on a regular basis to ensure<br />

that they are effective.<br />

C Before work can be carried out, risk<br />

assessment must be conducted to<br />

identify <strong>and</strong> mitigate the risks involved.<br />

All stakeholders must be aware of these<br />

risks <strong>and</strong> the safety measures to adopt.<br />

C A Permit-to-Work must be issued by a<br />

ship repair manager after a qualified<br />

safety assessor has ascertained that all<br />

reasonably practicable measures have<br />

been taken for work safety.<br />

C All practical measures must be taken<br />

to remove any flammable paint vapour<br />

or ender them non-flammable for<br />

spray painting.<br />

C Equipment <strong>and</strong> fittings used in potentially<br />

flammable <strong>and</strong> explosive environment<br />

must be explosion/flame proof or<br />

intrinsically safe.<br />

C Workers carrying out spray painting<br />

onboard vessels must be provided<br />

with suitable breathing apparatus such<br />

as airline respirator where there is a<br />

continuous supply of fresh air.


SAFETY PROFILE<br />

11<br />

Making the Impossible Possible<br />

When it was announced that the<br />

Development Driller 3 (DDIII) would be<br />

built in 11 shipyards throughout Asia,<br />

there was concern that there wouldn’t be<br />

enough ‘h<strong>and</strong>s-on’ coverage to ensure<br />

all involved in the project complied with<br />

safety st<strong>and</strong>ards which GlobalSantaFe<br />

(GSF) members were accustomed to.<br />

The GSF <strong>Safety</strong> Team, <strong>Health</strong>, <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong><br />

Environment Training (HSET) Advisor Donny<br />

Hutchison <strong>and</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> Training Coordinator’s<br />

(STC) Ch<strong>and</strong>ramoorthi Subramaniam <strong>and</strong><br />

Mr Nathan Senthil quickly realised that<br />

without total cooperation from all the<br />

Keppel <strong>and</strong> subcontractor supervisors,<br />

the task was nearly impossible.<br />

When operations began in Benoi Singapore,<br />

the GSF team suggested contractor<br />

supervisors be trained in Advanced<br />

<strong>Safety</strong> Auditing (ASA) behavioral safety<br />

processes <strong>and</strong> take a greater responsibility<br />

for managing their own safety. “At first,<br />

the contractor management thought that<br />

we had redirected the supervisors from<br />

their usual tasks to more of a safety role,”<br />

Mr Ch<strong>and</strong>ra revealed. “We had to explain<br />

to the managers that the two roles go<br />

h<strong>and</strong>-in-h<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> lead to a more efficient<br />

workplace.”<br />

On 1 June 2007, 15 subcontractor companies<br />

formed the B288 (DDIII) <strong>Safety</strong> Watch Group,<br />

which, progressed from weekly meetings<br />

<strong>and</strong> work site audits to conducting daily<br />

cross-audits, weekly walks through project<br />

work areas <strong>and</strong> forming teams to address<br />

safety issues. Mr Ch<strong>and</strong>ra stressed, “As<br />

a team, it is easier to maintain a higher<br />

st<strong>and</strong>ard of safety quality <strong>and</strong> health<br />

because they will all work towards one<br />

goal.” It was deemed a success when the<br />

group members started a project, ‘Time<br />

Out for <strong>Safety</strong>’, to address house-keeping<br />

<strong>and</strong> cable management issues. The group’s<br />

enthusiasm led to its recognisation with an<br />

inaugural ceremony on 18 August 2007.<br />

Despite the multi-national workforce<br />

assigned to the project, the Watch Group<br />

successfully forged a strong team, partly<br />

due to the group’s own mixed nationalities,<br />

which assisted in communication, <strong>and</strong><br />

also due to new levels of cooperation. The<br />

group is assisted in administrative work<br />

by the Keppel Shipyard HSE department<br />

<strong>and</strong> supported by Mr Lim Ai Kok, the B288<br />

Keppel Shipbuilding Senior Project Manager,<br />

<strong>and</strong> GSF <strong>Safety</strong> Advisors.<br />

In addition, the group developed a new<br />

Fire Watch procedure among several other<br />

new measures. Said Mr Ch<strong>and</strong>ra, “It was<br />

very gratifying to see all of the contractors<br />

working in harmony with one another <strong>and</strong><br />

assisting with any problems that arose<br />

on site.”<br />

Following the success of the Benoi Watch<br />

Group, a new Watch Group was set up at<br />

the Pioneer yard. Its early days combined<br />

with a high level of activity <strong>and</strong> turnover<br />

of contractor personnel makes it difficult<br />

to obtain the same level of enthusiasm but<br />

there are gradual signs of acceptance. As<br />

Mr Ch<strong>and</strong>ra put it, “There are many levels<br />

of safety at the workplace <strong>and</strong> each level<br />

is equally important to promote a high<br />

level of safety consciousness, <strong>and</strong> when<br />

one can have a good night’s sleep <strong>and</strong> not<br />

worry about what has happened or what<br />

will happen, every day will be a milestone<br />

achieved.”<br />

A worker gets rewarded for his sfatey awareness <strong>and</strong> compliance<br />

with workplace safety procedures with a <strong>Safety</strong> Award from<br />

Mr Ch<strong>and</strong>ramoorthi Subramianiam.<br />

A worker being advised why a cutting disc, normally<br />

used for grinding, is not safe for side grinding as it<br />

may cause injury to the user.<br />

A UniVenture worker receives a <strong>Safety</strong> Award from the HSE<br />

Advisor for his compliance with PPE requirements on the<br />

B288 project.<br />

The <strong>Safety</strong> Watch Group <strong>and</strong> GlobalSantaFe personnel at the<br />

KFELS <strong>Safety</strong> Champions for the B288.


Salahuddin Mohammed Sona Miah,<br />

Scaffold Erector for 9 years


National <strong>Workplace</strong> <strong>Safety</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Health</strong> Campaign 2008<br />

Featuring Singapore’s first 40-foot WSH Container Exhibition<br />

This year’s campaign slogan “<strong>Safety</strong> Starts with Me” highlights<br />

the need for each individual to be safe at work.<br />

C<br />

B<br />

C<br />

FOLD UP<br />

A<br />

B<br />

A<br />

F<br />

E<br />

D<br />

D<br />

E<br />

F<br />

FOLD UP<br />

G<br />

FOLD DOWN<br />

G<br />

Create Your Own Miniature<br />

40-foot Container Exhibition<br />

Instructions: Simply tear along the perforated line<br />

<strong>and</strong> fold along the dotted lines to create your very<br />

own 40-foot WSH Exhibition Container.

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