IPS: What is the workplace safetyand health framework in Singapore?Briefly describe the underlying prin-ciples behind the framework.

SN: Singapore’s workplace safe-ty and health (WSH) frameworkguides the management of WSH byall stakeholders—the government,industry, as well as employees. Theframework was designed to bringabout a paradigm shift and to ingrain

goodWSH habits in all individualsat the workplace. This is enshrinedin the three key principles of theframework, with risk managementbeing the cornerstone.The first principle under the new

framework is to eliminate or to miti-gate risks before they are created. Allstakeholders in workplaces thus needto conduct risk assessments to helpidentify the risks and their sources,as well as measures that should betaken to eliminate or to reduce therisks identified.The second principle of the new

framework calls forgreater industry owner-ship of WSH outcomes.Industry must takegreater ownership ofWSH standards andoutcomes to effect achange inWSH cultureat the workplace. Thiswould require a shiftfrom a reactiveWSHculture that deals withaccidents after theyhave occurred to onethat is proactive in pre-venting accidents fromoccurring at the work-place. This also requiresthe adoption of a safetyculture at all levels, notjust among the manage-ment or safety officers,but among every singleworker.

The third principle seeks toimpose greater financial disincen-tives and penalties on workplaceswith unsafe practices and systems,even if accidents do not occur. Thisis to create an environment where allworkplaces find it more cost-effec-tive to improve their WSH manage-ment systems, thereby making astrong business case for WSH.

IPS: WSH 2018 Strategy is thenational blueprint/strategy forWSHin Singapore. Briefly explain thisnational strategy and its intendedoutcomes and targets.

SN: To guide the future develop-ment of programs and initiatives, theWSH 2018 Strategy: A Strategy forWorkplace Safety and Health inSingapore, was crafted after extensiveconsultation by MOM and theWork-place Safety and Health Council(WSHC) with industry partners.

In this two-part interview, Suresh Navaratnam, Director of Policy, Information and Cor-porate Service in the Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD) of the Ministry ofManpower (MOM) in Singapore, provides an overview of Singapore’s workplace safetyand health framework as well as an update on the country’s work at height initiatives.

INTERVIEW

Workplace Safety& Health in Singapore

SURESH NAVARATNAM IS DIRECTOR OF POLICY, INFORMATIONAND CORPORATE SERVICE IN THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND

HEALTH DIVISION OF THE MINISTRY OF MANPOWER.

Suresh Navaratnam

PART 1: SINGAPORE’S OSH PROFILE

Figure 1Three Principles of

Singapore’s Workplace Safety& Health Framework

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To realize our goal to achieve oneof the best safety records in the world,we need the right mindset and attitudeto reinforce the importance of WSH.WSH 2018 makes explicit the need toestablish a progressive and pervasivesafety and health culture as one of thefour strategic outcomes (Figure 2).One key national target is to reducethe workplace fatality rate to less than1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018.Since the launch of the new

framework in 2005, Singapore hascontinued to make good progresstoward lowering the workplace fatal-ity rate. It has dropped from 4.9 in2004 to 2.9 in 2009.

IPS:What is the key legislationgoverningWSH in Singapore?

SN: The key legislation is theWSHAct, which is administered bythe Commissioner for WorkplaceSafety and Health. The act intro-duces a performance-based regime.It emphasizes the importance ofmanaging WSH proactively byrequiring stakeholders to take rea-sonably practicable measures toensure the safety and health of work-ers and other persons who may beaffected by the work carried out. TheWSHAct also assigns liability tothose who create and have manage-ment and control over WSH risks.Besides legislation, Codes of

Practice provide practical safety andhealth guidance for specific workareas. These are jointly developed bythe industry and regulatory agencies.With the formation of theWSHCouncil on April 1, 2008, theWSHAct was amended to transfer thepower to issue, approve, amend orrevoke Codes of Practice to theWSHCouncil. TheWSH Council works inclose collaboration with the industryto identify areas where practical guid-ance is required to address improve-ments in WSH standards. TheWSHCouncil will then set industry stan-dards for these areas, which mayinclude standards for WSH manage-ment systems, specific trades andoperation of specific equipment.

IPS:What are the roles of theMinistry of Manpower and the

Workplace Safety and HealthCouncil in Singapore?

SN: Legislation relating toWSHis administered by the Commissionerfor Workplace Safety and Healthunder MOM. MOM’s mission is towork with employers and employeesto achieve a globally competitiveworkforce and a great workplace for acohesive society and a secure eco-nomic future for all Singaporeans.Ensuring that our workplaces are safeand healthy contributes to the overallmission of creating a great workplace.OSHD is the division within MOMprimarily responsible for ensuring thesafety and health of the workforce.OnApril 1, 2008, theWSH Coun-

cil was formed to take on executivepowers to spearheadWSH initiatives.TheWSH Council comprises 18 lead-ers from key industry sectors (such asconstruction, marine, manufacturing,petrochemical and logistics), the gov-ernment, trade unions and profession-als from the legal, insurance andacademic fields. TheWSH Council’smain functions are in capability-build-ing for better management of WSH,promoting safety and health at work,recognizing companies with goodWSH records and setting acceptableWSH practices.

IPS: Briefly outline the key strate-gies and initiatives underWSH2018 National Strategy.

SN: Program-Based Engage-ment (ProBE) The national flagshipProgram-Based Engagement(ProBE) is an intelligence-led andtargeted approach toward tacklingWSH problems in “hotspot” areas.For instance, from 2006 to date,ProBE interventions have tackledhazards, such as work at heights, lift-ing equipment, crane safety, scaf-folds, work in noisy environments,metalworking and confined spaces.Intervention efforts range fromenforcement to outreach-based edu-cation and promotion efforts.More than 9,000 companies have

been engaged under ProBE. Comple-menting ProBE’s systematic processof industry engagement are enforce-ment efforts undertaken by the min-istry. The key learning points andoutcomes from the enforcementactions are shared with the industryto further engage them in capability-building for better management ofthe safety and health risks of theirworkplaces (Figure 3, p. 12).

Business UnderSurveillance Program

Workplaces with higher risks andthose with poor safety and health per-formance are monitored under theBusiness Under Surveillance (BUS)program. Under the scheme, theseestablishments are closely monitoredby the ministry, and where appropri-

Figure 2WSH 2018 Strategic Map

ate, MOM wouldassist them toimprove the man-agement of safetyand health at theirrespective work-places. Top man-agement fromthese businessesare also requiredto develop actionplans to improvetheir WSHperformance.

National Workat HeightSafety Task

ForceIn August

2009, the WSHCouncil-ledNational Workat Height (WAH)Safety Taskforcewas formed toconsolidate ef-forts in involvingall stakeholders

to further reduce the number of fatalfalls at work. Three key recommen-dations from the National WAHSafety Taskforce include buildingstrong capabilities to manage WAHsafety, promoting the benefits of

WAH safety and enhanc-ing the interventionframework for WAH.Since then, the taskforcehas rolled out severalkey initiatives, such asSafety ComplianceAssistance Visits, to pro-vide safety educationaltraining to supervisorsand workers onsite andto accredit trainingproviders to conductcourses on safe WAHpractices.

National CraneSafety Task ForceThe National Crane

Safety Taskforce wasformed in July 2009 toraise Crane Safety stan-dards in Singapore. The

National Crane Safety Taskforce hasworked with theWSH Council andMOM to review crane incidents thathave occurred over the years and hasidentified important learning pointsand areas of improvements for safercrane operations. Based on the reportfindings, the taskforce has made sever-al recommendations and will embarkon a three-pronged strategy with theWSH Council and MOM to improvecrane safety. These include enhancingcompetencies, capabilities and aware-ness of key issues related to the causesof crane accidents, as well as review-ing Codes of Practice and legislationinvolving cranes and lifting operations.

bizSAFE ProgramRisk management is an area where

we have made good progress inrecent years. Risk management wasa relatively new and unfamiliar con-cept to Singapore companies, particu-larly small and medium enterprises(SMEs), just a few years ago. Now,most companies have a good under-standing of what risk managemententails. This has been brought aboutby more companies acquiring riskmanagement capabilities and sys-tems through the bizSAFE Program.Launched in 2007, bizSAFE is a five-step program to assist SMEs in build-

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Figure 3Singapore Workplace Fatalities

(2004-2009)

ing their WSH capabilities. Startingfrom top management, SMEs areguided through a journey to acquirerisk management capabilities andto implement a WSH managementsystem. In the process, participatingSMEs gain the recognition and bene-fits of having a comprehensiveWSHsystem in place.

WSH Professionals FrameworkThe development of theWSH

Professionals Framework is a keyinitiative that will raise the level ofWSH practices in Singapore. It pro-vides a structured framework fortrainingWSH professionals as wellas strengthening their capabilitiesto identify and manage risks and haz-ards. The four levels of occupations intheWSH profession are, namely,WSH Representative, WSH Coordi-nator, WSH Officer andWSHAuditor.

Practical AssistanceTo support businesses and stake-

holders in implementing soundWSHinitiatives at the workplace, a widearray of resources have been madeavailable for their use. These re-sources include codes of practice,technical advisories (for areas such asforklift safety, confined spaces, liftingequipments, and sector-specific guide-lines for healthcare, landscape andmarine) and compliance assistancetoolkits such as checklists and hand-books for supervisors and workers.

Incident InvestigationMOM responds to fatal and serious

accidents or dangerous occurrences byconducting investigations with theobjective of determining their causesand identifying gaps and lapses inWSH management. Through such anapproach, MOM is able to intervenestrategically to bring about an im-provement in WSH standards acrossthe industry. These investigations areconducted by our team of SafetyInvestigators from the OccupationalSafety and Health Inspectorate(OSHI), with the involvement of ourSpecialist Investigators for investiga-tions requiring specific expertise inspecialist fields.

Figure 4WSH 2018: A

National Strategyfor WorkplaceSafety & Healthin Singapore

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Workplace Safety& Health Awards

TheWSHAwards is an annualevent that recognizes both organiza-tions and individuals for activelystriving to create safer and healthierworkplaces. Award winners are en-couraged to share their experiences,best practices and innovative riskcontrol solutions with their industrycounterparts as part of the learningand sharing for the industry.

National WorkplaceSafety & Health CampaignThe National Workplace Safety

and Health (NWSH) Campaign isSingapore’s flagship national eventin promoting workplace safety andhealth. Currently in its fifth year, thethree-month event sees companiesholding in-house activities (oftenwith business stakeholders) to cele-brate annual WSH performances andmilestones, as well as renewing their

pledge to WSH. The cam-paign also provides oppor-tunities to raise awarenessamong companies of bothbroad and specific WSHissues.

International &Regional CollaborationThrough our participa-

tion in international con-ferences and meetings,Singapore has establishedvaluable international andregional networks on theworkplace safety and healthfront. Our partners includeregional and internationalorganizations, such as theAssociation of SoutheastAsian Nations OccupationalSafety and Health Network(ASEAN-OSHNET), WorldHealth Organization, Inter-national Labor Organization(ILO), International Asso-ciation of Labor Inspectionand many others.As an active partner in

ASEAN-OSHNET, Singa-pore has participated inASEAN-OSHNET’s spear-heading of a plan of actionfor ASEAN members tostrengthen their nationalWSH frameworks. The inau-gural WSH Conference,organized by MOM andtheWSH Council, was heldin September 2010. Itreceived strong support fromILO, a strategic partner. Theconference also allowedinternational and regionaldelegates to acquire the lat-

est WSH insights to contextualize andapply to their home countries. As asignatory of the Seoul Declaration forSafety and Health at Work, Singaporeis committed to working toward aglobal culture of safety and health atwork. We will continue to learn frominternational best practices, as wellas contribute to global efforts toachieve safety and health for all inthe workplace.

Left: Singapore’sProgram-BasedEngagement (ProBE)approach engages stake-holders through partner-ships and working welltogether.

Right: MOM enforcers in action.

Left: MOM surveillanceprogram (BUS).

Right: MOM incidentinvestigation.

Above: WSH professionals and supervisors conducting safety briefings for workers.

IPS: On average, how many fallsfrom height occur at worksites inSingapore each year?What are theprimary causes of these falls (faultyfall prevention equipment, lack oftraining and/or supervision, etc.)?

SN: Falls from height in generalaccount for around one third of allworkplace fatalities reported eachyear. Preliminary findings revealcompanies involved in such acci-dents, in general, fail to establish oreffectively implement safety andhealth management systems withproper control measures and appro-priate safe work procedures. Thisincludes an effective fall preventionplan (FPP) for any work that maysubject workers to the risk of fallingfrom height. Other contributorycauses include unsafe workplaceconditions, such as open sides with-out barricades, floor openings,unsafe scaffolds and unsafe accessand egress.

IPS:What standards or guidelinesmust employers and workers inSingapore adhere to when perform-ing work at height?

SN: Under WSH (Risk Manage-ment) Regulations 2006, employersare required to conduct a workplacesafety risk assessment and to take allreasonable practicable steps to elimi-nate any foreseeable risks identified.These risks include working at height.The Code of Practice for Working atHeight (WAH) provides practicalguidance on good practices requiredto prevent persons from falling whileworking at height for all industries.Specific sections in theWSH (GeneralProvisions) Regulations also spell outcertain regulatory requirements relatedto safe work at height. Other regula-tions, which are relevant for WAH atconstruction sites and shipyards, canbe found in theWSH (Construction)Regulations 2007 andWSH (Ship-building and Ship-Repairing) Regu-lations 2008.For more information on the

WAH Code of Practice for Workingat Height, click here.

IPS:What is the NationalWAHSafety Taskforce, and what are itsgoals and objectives for reducingfalls from height in Singapore?

SN: The National WAH SafetyTaskforce was formed in August2009 to address the concern of fallsfrom heights at workplaces. The taskforce comprises industry stalwarts,associations, WAH specialists andgovernment representatives. It aimsto take a more concerted effort toinvolve all stakeholders to furtherreduce the numbers of fatal fallsat work.The task force’s targets include

halving current WAH fatality andinjury rates by 2013 and furtherreduction to achieve the nationalWSH target of less than 1.8 fatalitiesper 100,000 workers by 2018. Thetaskforce also aims to implementFPPs in all construction worksitesand shipyards by 2012 and at allworkplaces by 2015.The National Work at Height

Safety Taskforce made three keyrecommendations:1) Building strong capabilities.

The task force recommends the im-plementation of FPPs to manageWAH at a systemic level. The taskforce and the WSH Council haveintroduced a new Code of Practicefor Working Safely at Height and anewWAH kit for supervisors andworkers. The taskforce will alsodevelop national WAH competencystandards.2) Promoting the benefits of

WAH safety. The task force will col-laborate with relevant industry asso-ciations and partners to reach out to awider audience and to promote theadoption of best practices. It willdevelop a new FALLPREVENTCertification/Recognition Scheme tocertify companies FPPs and to recog-nize their commitment to safety. TheWSH Council will develop a dedi-cated webpage to serve as a one-stopresource for WAH information.3) Enhancing the intervention

framework forWAH. The taskforce

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will work with MOM on the reviewof existing legislation on WAH safe-ty. MOM will also look at ways toextend its enforcement reach to moreworkplaces.

IPS: From April to June 2010,MOM conductedWAH inspectionsof 2,000+ worksites in Singapore.More than 1,800 safety violationswere uncovered.What types ofpenalties or fines were imposed forthese violations?What steps are thecompanies in question taking tocorrect these violations?

SN: During the enforcementblitz, MOM inspectors issued noticesof non-compliance, compositionfines, demerit points and stop workorders for the violations. MOMordered the contractors to rectifytheir safety lapses before work canrecommence at these sites.Following the issuance of the stop

work orders, inspectors revisitedthe worksites to ensure that safetylapses were rectified and adequatelyaddressed. Depending on the type ofsafety violations identified, the con-tractors would take different meas-ures to address their particular safetylapses and violations. Where stopwork orders were issued to contrac-tors due to WAH violations, inspec-tors ensured that the contractorsimplemented adequate FPPs toreduce fall from height risks at theworksites.Under WSH (Risk Management)

Regulations 2006, the employer, self-employed person or principal whofails to conduct a workplace safetyrisk assessment or to take all reason-able practicable steps to eliminateany foreseeable risks shall be liableto a fine up to $10,000. Repeat of-fenders shall be liable to a fine up to$20,000 or to 6 months imprison-ment or both. For more severe viola-tions, the WSHAct provides for evenhigher maximum penalties. Indivi-duals may be liable to a fine up to$200,000 or to 24 months imprison-ment or both. Corporations may beliable to a fine up to $500,000.

IPS: In July 2010, the NationalWAH Taskforce released a training

PART 2: WORK AT HEIGHT

INITIATIVES IN SINGAPORE

15World Focus www.asse.org 2011

course for line supervisors to helpreduceWAH risks in the workplace.How have line supervisors respond-ed to the training course thus far?

SN: Since the launch of thetraining course for line supervisorsin July, more than 300 supervisorshave undergone the 2-day training.We continue to see encouragingresponses as more companies aresending their supervisors to attendthis first-of-its-kind course inSingapore. Comprising both the the-oretical and practical aspects, thetwo-day course covers a wide rangeof topics. These include fall preven-tion systems, use of proper equip-ment, risk assessment awareness,safe work procedures, as well asincident investigations and emer-gency planning. Supervisors whoattended the course gave positivefeedback as they were able to devel-op and implement FPPs at theirworkplaces. In addition, these super-visors are now better equipped toidentify and use appropriate PPE andsystems for their fellow workers.

IPS: How are training providersselected for theWAH trainingcourse?What criteria must trainingproviders meet?

SN: Trainers who wish to con-duct WAH training courses must firstbecome MOMAccredited TrainingProviders (ATPs). Training providersmust undergo a rigorous accredita-tion process where MOM evaluatestheir proposed course syllabus andexamination questions based on theCurriculum Development Advisory(CDA)*, information on their train-ers, layout of the training area andother supporting documents. MOMreviews these documents against theCDA, evaluates the competency ofthe companies and conducts inspec-tion and audits to ensure compliancewith MOM’s requirementsUpon accreditation, ATPs must

conduct the WAH courses in linewith the stipulated learning objec-tives and other criteria listed in theCDA, such as course duration, maxi-mum class size, recommended train-er and trainee ratio, etc. ATPs shall

Left: Toolbox meeting dur-ing WAH training course forline supervisors.

Right: Donning of fallprevention equipment and

conducting self-checksand buddy checks.

Above: Instructor’s demo. Setting uptemporary vertical lifelines.

Above: SCAV vehicle that travels around Singapore to provide practicalassistance to workplaces to improve WAH safety.

Left: Enhancing the standards ofWAH-related safety conditionsand practices by helping compa-nies identify and rectify safetylapses through professionaladvice.

Right: Providing on sitesafety awareness educa-

tion to supervisorsand workers.

16World Focus www.asse.org 2011

also keep proper records of all evalu-ations and feedback received fromparticipants and follow up on them.Additionally, ATPs must providesupport and cooperation to MOM’sofficers who conduct ad hoc trainingaudits from time to time.The WSH Council developed the

CDA document to assist MOMATPs with the instructional designand development of a competency-based training course for WSH.

IPS: The NationalWAH Taskforceplans to fully implement FPPs inworksites and shipyards by 2011.What do FPPs entail?

SN: FPP is a site-specific planthat provides a systematic approachtoward eliminating or reducing therisk of falling from height. It does soby ensuring that all reasonable fallprevention measures have been takenprior to the commencement of work.FPP will need to be planned andimplemented by supervisors andmonitored and reviewed periodicallyto ensure the plan’s relevance andeffectiveness. A comprehensive FPPshould include:a) policy for fall prevention;b) role and responsibilities of per-

sonnel at workplaces;c) hazard identification and risk

assessment;d) control measures undertaken to

address WAH risks;e) develop and implement safe

work procedures;f) ensure that workers are fully

equipped with personal fall preven-tion equipment;g) inspection and maintenance;h) training of personnel involving

WAH;i) incident investigations;j) emergency preparedness.

IPS: Has MOM and the NationalWAH Taskforce seen any improve-ments in workplace safety sinceconducting inspections and compli-ance sites visits and releasing thetraining course?

SN: The strategic enforcementand engagement efforts conductedhave indeed raised awareness and

Left: “Show-and-tell”approach to educate work-ers on the proper usageand wear of fall preventionequipment.

Right: Creating aware-ness of WAH safety bydisseminating educa-

tional materials.

Above: MOM inspectors (in blue) carrying out enforcement to identifylapses pertaining to working at heights.

Above: Approved Code of Practice for WorkingSafely at Height.

17World Focus www.asse.org 2011

safety standards for various work-sites inspected. This could be seen asmore workplaces inspected are nowtaking steps to implement FPPs attheir workplaces.One key program, the Safety

Assistance Compliance Visits(SCAVs) launched by the taskforce,has garnered good and positiveindustry feedback.SCAV is a new, innovative capabil-

ity-building and intervention toolinitiated under the National WAHTaskforce. It involves workplace safe-ty and health professionals who visitsmaller construction worksites acrossthe island to reach out, engage andeducate industry players onWAHissues. SCAV’s objectives are to:a) provide on site safety awareness

education to supervisors and workers;b) create awareness of WAH safety

by disseminating educational materi-als and site demonstration on fall pre-vention-related PPE usage; andc) enhance the standards of WAH-

related safety conditions and prac-tices by helping companies identifyand rectify safety lapses through pro-fessional advice.

Since the program’s launch inApril 2010, more than 900 visits andfollow-up sessions were conducted atthese workplaces. Through thiseffort, more than 3,000 workers andsupervisors were briefed andengaged onsite. As a result, therewas improvement in these work-places, especially in the areas ofWAH management.

IPS: How will worksites that werecited for violations be monitoredfrom this point forward?

SN: Companies that demonstrat-ed poor WSH management (such aspoor site conditions that result instop work orders, fatalities and seri-ous accidents) or have accumulated anumber of demerit points would typ-ically be considered for entry intothe Business Under Surveillance(BUS) program.The BUS Program is a systemic

intervention tool to regulate poor-per-forming companies to focus on devel-oping and implementing a robustsafety and health management systemto improve their WSH performance.Companies in this program would

need to develop and commit to a com-prehensive and sustainable actionplan. The company is held account-able to their proposed action plan andreports the implementation progresson a regular basis to MOM. In addi-tion, inspections will be carried outfrequently by MOM inspectors to ver-ify the progress made. The companywill exit from the program upondemonstrating significant improve-ment in its WSH performance andmanagement. �Suresh Navaratnam’s responsibilitiesfocus on regulatory and policy aspects ofworkplace safety and health, while manag-ing statistical intelligence for developingintervention strategies. Also under hispurview lies the responsibility of ensuringcorporate governance and oversight for thedivision’s daily functions, inclusive of orga-nizational excellence.

A safety professional by training and anASSE member, Navaratnam has also exten-sively applied himself in the field of aviationsafety, having accumulated more than 25years and 4,000 hours as a professional avi-ator. He is a qualified accident investigatorand a member of the International Society ofAir Safety Investigators and has practicedwidely in various aspects of human factorsand safety resource management.

Volunteer opportuni-ties within the

International PracticeSpecialty (IPS) will helpyou sharpen your exist-ing skills, develop newskills in a risk-free envi-ronment, expand yourhorizons, become moremotivated and ener-gized about safety,increase your visibilitywithin the profession,

boost self-satisfactionand demonstrate work-place and leadershipskills that can be docu-mented on your resume.Please contribute in anycapacity that fits intoyour life and set ofdemands. If you areinterested in volunteer-ing, please contact IPS.

Volunteer Opportunities