Safety Matters. Making the Difference in Safety

Transcription

1 Safety Matters 03 // Ownership of Risk: The Importance of Early Education for Students in Risk Management 05 // SISO Annual Report // Workplace Safety and Health Statistics Report 2011 Making the Difference in Safety second QUARTER Issue MICA (P) 230/07/2011 a publication of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers

2 2. Issue 2/2012 Contents 02 President s Message 03 Ownership of Risk: The Importance of Early Education for Students in Risk Management 05 SISO Annual Report Workplace Safety and Health Statistics Report Report from Workplace Safety and Health Council and Ministry of Manpower 13 SISO Annual Report List Of New and Upgraded SISO Members in 2011 Appendix A 17 OS+H Asia 2012 Complements National WSH Efforts 20 SISO Annual Report Representations in Other Organisations 2011 Appendix B 23 SISO Courses 24 SISO Reports 38th Annual General Meeting First Specialist Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health (Level C) Graduation from Singapore Institution of Safety Officers 26 News from Ministry of Manpower: Changes to Work Injury Compensation Act WSH Nation now features games and e-greeting cards! 28 News From WSH Council 30 Schedule of SISO Courses 31 Welcome New Members Advertising With Us Feedback/Comments Our Advertisers 04 Messe Dusseldorf Asia Pte Ltd 06 Jubilant International Pte Ltd 08 PDS International Pte Ltd 10 3M Technologies (S) Pte Ltd 12 Drager Safety Asia Pte Ltd 14 QSS Safety Products (S) Pte Ltd 15 King s Safetywear Ltd 16 The Singapore WSH Conference 17 OS+H Asia Kimberly-Clark Singapore Pte Ltd 19 Jubilant International Pte Ltd 21 MSA S.E. Asia Pte Ltd 25 CitiSafe Pte Ltd 27 BIS International Pte Ltd 29 UVEX Safety Singapore Pte Ltd 32 WSH Forum Mailing Address 1010 Dover Road #03-01, Singapore Contact Numbers Office Tel : Fax : info@siso.org.sg Website : Opening Hours : 9am 6pm (Monday Friday) Lunchtime : 1pm 2pm OFFICE BEARERS President Seet Choh San Vice President Bernard Soh Hon. Secretary Edwin Yap Hon. Asst Secretary Andrew H S Tan Hon. Treasurer Seah Liang Bing seet@siso.org.sg bernardsoh@siso.org.sg edwin@siso.org.sg andrew@siso.org.sg liangbing@siso.org.sg President s Message Dear Fellow WSH Professionals, Thank you for your support at our last AGM and the opportunity for this Executive Committee (Exco) to continue building SISO as the leading WSH organisation in Singapore. In the past 60 days, SISO took stock of ourselves - where we are, what we did well, where we could have improved and what we as an Institution and a profession should look like in the coming years. We have met with Director Occupational Safety & Health, DOSH, to get his perception of SISO. The Exco, and some invited SISO members, also had a full-day meeting to calibrate where SISO and the profession is at and should be. SISO must continue to remake itself to further influence the WSH culture in Singapore. To this end, we must introduce Committee Members: Government & International Affairs Niranjan Arun Masurekar niri@siso.org.sg Membership & Activities membership@siso.org.sg Mohd Japa Bin Rusdi japa@siso.org.sg Practices & Competency Roger B C Lim Professional Development Saravanan G Conferences & Events Ong Pak Shoon Executive Manager Jason Phua roger@siso.org.sg training@siso.org.sg pakshoon@siso.org.sg jasonphua@siso.org.sg more programs to extend the competencies of our members. Beyond technical competencies, we should consider the coaching and nurturing especially of newer WSH professionals who have become our members. We should increase engagement with strategic partners, both in quality and quantity. Last but not least, we must increase engagement by members in influencing the WSH Culture in Singapore. These will begin in 2012 and should be implemented in the next 18 months. To support these initiatives, SISO will be looking to expand its full-time staff by at least 50% in Do look out for updates from the Secretariat and come make the difference in Safety with SISO! Ex-Officio: Chan Yew Kwong Workplace Safety and Health Council Ministry of Manpower Hon. Legal Advisor Lee Kwok Weng Editorial Committee: Ong Pak Shoon Anurupa Sarkar Kent Chai Dennis Tay pakshoon@siso.org.sg

3 3. Issue 2/2012 Ownership of Risk: The Importance of Early Education for Students in Risk Management Berni Cameron Senior Lecturer Edith Cowan University, Perth, Western Australia Risk Ownership Whilst risk evaluation is predominantly emphasised as a requirement for teachers to undertake, it is important that the student body is also recognised as playing a significant role in risk minimisation. Ownership of risk should be seen as a dual pathway within the school arena, where both the teacher and the student are responsible and accountable for managing risks. We all take risks. We take risks waking up each morning preparing for the day, each time we drive a car, each time we walk across the road. how we survive without injury, depends on our ability to assess the risks we take, and our knowledge of how to manage that risk. It is a process that began in our early childhood years, and has progressively developed as we age. But how well we manage risky situations is dependent upon how we have been educated in both determining, and managing these risks. At an early age, we are taught by our parents and our first grade teachers about the significant risks, ones we will encounter as part of everyday life, such as burns from hot cookware, hot baths, cars and traffic, sharp objects and so on, and we are taught valuable life-long lessons about how to avoid these dangers, and how to manage the risks associated with them. Then as we begin to take responsibility in our late primary school years, assumptions are made by both parents and teachers that the student is able to, on their own, assess ALL risks and make calculated judgements about whether a risk is worth taking or not. How the teenage brain reacts to these expectations is reliant on numerous influences including maturity, role models, peer pressure and the ability to comprehend hazardous situations. It is also reliant on previous experiences, where the outcomes have either had a positive or negative influence on risk taking attitudes. The Teenage Brain Let us look at some of the underlying facts about cognitive development of teenagers. The teenage brain is far from maturity as that of their adult teachers or parents. Adolescence is a time of profound changes. Brain remodelling in teenagers happens intensively during adolescence, and continues well into the mid-20 s. Physiologically, parts of the teenage brain responsible for impulse control does not reach full maturity until about the age of 25 years, making impulsive, emotional decisions, without thinking through consequences more likely. Some brain changes happen before puberty, and some continue long after. One of the most significant changes is the development of logical and rational thought processes. The way the brain develops is not a characteristic sequence of events that is replicated in each individual. As mentioned earlier, these brain changes depend more on age and experience, and not on when puberty starts. So, even if a child started puberty early, this doesn t necessarily mean that his/her brain changes have started early too. Quite often a very physically mature looking teenager will have a very immature thought processing capacity. The brain is still catching up to the fast growing limbs. So size and stature can be deceiving. Whilst it may be stressful for most adults, teenagers and risk-taking go hand in hand. Although it is acceptable by some that this is the normal pathway of a teenager, or as some would say, It is just a phase they are going through risk taking and risk making are dangerous processes. Whether the risk is at school or at home, management of them needs to be a process that is ingrained and delivered at an earlier rather than later age in life. Where teenagers are taught how to assess risky situations, the likely consequences and outcomes are reduced through positive decision making processes, rather than rash, hasty and often impulsive thought processes. Research has shown that adolescents actually use their brains differently than adults when attempting to reason, solve problems, or deal with stressful situations (Fassler, 2012). Teenage Risk Education Like all learnings, the most effective ones are those taught on a continuum throughout life. This is especially true for lessons in the teenage years, where being taught risk and risk management has its true value and significance. Research supports this in that; The brain learns best when appropriately challenged in an environment that encourages taking risks, but where it is not subjected to high levels of stress, or negative emotional reactions. Unpleasant feelings, such as fear, anger and helplessness, impair thinking, while more pleasant feelings, such as calm, safety and self-determination, tend to enhance thinking. (NSW Government, 2012). There are many methods for delivering safety concepts to the students, however most are specific to the topic studied. For example in science, many risk management strategies are focused in and around laboratory exercises. Others disciplines such as home economics and kitchen needs, physical and outdoor education and computer sciences, address specific needs of each topic. Within this, there may be notable differences between the teachers approach, attitude and past experience to risk education. Where risk experts portray a more formal and technical approach to risk management, teachers or lay people are more likely to use direct experience and subjective reasoning to demonstrate risks. Rather than attempting to meet the same terminology (as the experts) in an attempt to fill the educative gap in risk education, it is often better to use terminology that would be understood by the intended learners. In other words, getting straight to the point, in a language that is relevant to teenagers, and using basic or common terminology will ensure a more receptive understanding of risk than that of expert conceptualisations of risk terminology. Unfortunately in some cases some teachers think that it is not necessary to deliver any form of risk education. There is a strong reliance and belief that one should rely on common sense. But a responsible person would have to ask here how common is common sense? Traditional methods of classroom teaching, combined with e-learning and the wonders of modern technology, can make a dry and somewhat boring topic (to a teenager) fun, interesting and engaging. Risk education can and should be incorporated into existing studies. A number of techniques can be introduced for practical topics relevant to the subject being taught. Role-playing scenarios and videos are excellent ways to sensitise students to the concepts of risk and risk taking in the real-life situations. This is supported by Shearn, (2004, p. 40) who states that, > continued on page 9

4 5. Issue 2/2012 SISO Annual Report 2011 MAJOR EVENTS & PROGRAMMES 37TH Annual General Meeting The 37th Annual General Meeting of the Institution was held on 25th March 2011 at the York Hotel. It was attended by 99 Ordinary Members, 7 Associate Members and 3 Corporate Members. The 2010 Annual Report and Statement of Accounts were tabled and approved at the meeting. Conference On Safety & Health In Research & Education Themed Raising Capabilities to reflect the expanded scope of the conference from a regional platform to an international platform to share strategic capabilities needed for developing sound safety and health management systems in research and educational institutions, the 3rd annual Conference was held on 1 and 2 June at the Shaw Foundation Alumni House Auditorium, NUS. The Conference attracted more than 200 delegates. Boasting speakers from around the world such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Edith Cowan University and Georgetown University, 23 papers were presented, covering a comprehensive range of topics on best safety and health practices, technological advances and innovative ideas, emerging issues related to safety and health and competency requirements for future safety professionals. 9th Annual WSHO Conference The 9th edition of the WSHO Conference, which was supported by the Ministry of Manpower and the Workplace Safety & Health Council, was held at the prominent Marina Bay Sands, on 14 November. SISO was privileged once again to have Er Ho Siong Hin, Workplace Safety & Health Commissioner in a double-billed In Conversation segment which also featured Mr Lai Poon Piau, Executive Director, Workplace Safety & Health Council. This segment afforded the 400 participants first-hand views and insights of Er Ho and Mr Lai on key WSH issues raised at the Conference. INSHPO Annual Business Meeting Vice-President, Seet Choh San attended the 2011 Annual Business Meeting of the International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) Board of Directors held in Istanbul, Turkey from September. SISO is one of the 14-member international OSH practitioner organisations and Seet represents SISO as a member of the INSHPO Board. Workplace Safety & Health WSQ Framework Programmes 2011 marked an important milestone for SISO, with the collaboration of the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA), in providing nationally recognised WSH qualification programmes, i.e. the WSQ Certificate, Advanced Certificate, and Specialist Diploma in WSH. As a WDAappointed Programme Partner, eligible participants who attend the programmes at SISO would get advance course fee grants of between 70% and 90%. This greatly facilitated the take-up rate for the programmes which saw 109 students attending since the launch of these programmes in June Risk Management Tests In accordance with MOM s requirements, WSHOs (other than those trained under the WSQ framework) had to sit for a risk management test in order to renew their registrations. Up to 31 Dec 2011, a total of 1880 WSHOs had taken the test, with 914 of them taking it at SISO. Professional Development As part of our mission and in line with the Workplace Safety & Health Council s objective to raise and sustain improvements in WSH standards in Singapore, the Professional Development Sub-Committee has dedicated itself to delivering quality professional continuing education for WSH practitioners. These programmes benefited a total of 1947 participants. Some of these programmes included: Workplace Safety & Health Committee Training Courses programme. Like the WSH Committee courses, the public courses were conducted monthly. WSH Professional Toolkit Series To provide WSHOs with specialized skills and knowledge, SISO launched a WSH Professional Toolkit series. For enhanced and experiential learning, workshops in selected areas, such as the Working Safely at Height workshop, are held at off-site facilities with practical hands-on exercises and equipment try-outs. Other Highlights Other programmes organised by SISO in 2011 for the benefit of WSHOs and those in industry and the workplace included: Basic Industrial Safety & Health Course for Supervisors (Public) Safe Use of Cranes & Lifting Gears in General Factories Workshop Leading and Influencing Strategies for WSH Professionals Workshop Practical Implementation of Electrical Safety in Industry Workshop Safety Behaviors - Are you Safe by Accident? Workshop Leadership in Process Safety, CEO Breakfast Talk MEMBERSHIP MATTERS 2011 saw the Institution welcoming 204 new members into its fold. We extend a very warm welcome to all the new members (see Appendix A) and look forward to their support of the Institution and all its activities. These new members comprise of 155 Professional, 39 Associate, and 10 Corporate Members. SISO continued to run the Workplace Safety and Health Committee Training Course to equip participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform and discharge their responsibilities as safety committee members. The course attracted more than 615 participants from the many different industries and workplaces. The addition of the new members brings the total number of members in the Institution to 1,251. This number comprises of 4 Fellow Members, 995 Professional Members, 161 Associate Members and 91 Corporate Members. At the end of 2011, however, 92 members subscriptions had either lapsed or they had yet to update their subscriptions on time. Risk Management Courses Members Nite SISO trained 204 participants during 2011 with the public and in-house Risk Management Courses. These courses are tied to level 2 of the WSHC S bizsafe About 140 members and guests enjoyed a night out at the Furama Riverview held on 6 January This networking gathering was the perfect setting for members and > continued on page 11

5 7. Issue 2/2012 Workplace Safety and Health Statistics Report Report from Ministry of Manpower and Workplace Safety and Health Council In the latest Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Statistics Report 2011 issued by the WSH Council and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), workplace fatalities went up from 55 in 2010 to 61 in 2011, of which 26 (or 43%) involved slips, trips and falls from heights. Workplaces lost more productive hours, with a 6% increase in man-days lost due to work incidents. Another notable statistic was the increase in confirmed Occupational Diseases (OD). This rise was primarily due to efforts to address potential under-reporting of workplace health concerns in Singapore s workplaces. Overall work injuries in 2011 fell by 1.9%, while permanent disablement cases registered a drop of 11%. The workplace fatality rate stood at 2.3 per 100,000 employed persons, as compared to 2.2 in Sector-specific overview The three traditional sectors (Construction, Marine and Manufacturing) accounted for more than 70% of workplace fatalities, permanent disablements and occupational diseases Overall Workplace Injuries 10,121 10,319 Fatal Permanent Disablement Temporary Disablement 9,939 10,126 Occupational Diseases Table 1: Number of Workplace Injuries and Occupational Diseases, 2010 and 2011 Fatalities Permanent Disablements Temporary Disablements Occupational Diseases Industry Construction ,820 2, Marine Manufacturing ,224 2, Transport and Storage Other Sectors ,824 4, All Sectors ,939 10, Table 2: Number of Workplace Fatalities by Industry, 2010 and 2011 Overall, the Marine and Manufacturing sectors showed an increase in numbers reported. The Manufacturing sector (especially the metalworking sub-sector) continued to account for most permanent disablements (about 39%) and occupational diseases (about 46%). In contrast, the Construction sector, while still the top contributor of workplace fatalities, registered a decrease in fatal numbers for the first time in the past 3 years. While traditional sectors account for most of the more serious injuries, in terms of temporary disablements, the transport and storage, hotels and restaurants, wholesale and retail, and other sectors accounted for more than 50% of the cases. Commenting on the report, Mr Heng Chiang Gnee, Acting Chairman of the WSH Council said, The downward trend in injuries in the traditional sectors suggest that our efforts may have helped to improve overall safety practices, hence, leading to fewer injuries. However, their fatality numbers remain high. We are deeply concerned that the Small and Medium-size companies (SMEs) in these sectors, which account for most of the cases, continue to see recurrence of incidents that could have been prevented if risk management measures were well implemented. The Council will be stepping up efforts, such as through the WSH Assist programme, to focus on getting SMEs to improve their WSH management in a more structured manner, especially in areas of concern like work at heights. Almost One-Third of Fatalities Due to Falls From Heights There was a notable increase in slips, trips and falls from heights incidents from 22 in 2010 to 26 in Of the 26 cases, 17 cases involve falls from heights, which accounted for 28% of the total fatalities last year. To address falls from heights issues, the Council-led Work at Heights Taskforce has engaged construction sites and shipyards over the past two years. While the construction and marine sectors saw a drop in falls from heights fatalities from 14 cases in 2010 to 9 in 2011, MOM s inspections reveal lingering concerns in these areas. In addition, the number of such incidents from the Manufacturing and others sectors rose from 3 cases in 2010 to 8 in Falls from heights risks were seen in works on roofs, ladders, as well as open sides in buildings under construction and lack of barricades in structures. Highlighting MOM s plan to focus on falls from heights is WSH Commissioner Mr Ho Siong Hin, MOM will need stronger measures than before to tackle falls from heights across all sectors. Hence, we had announced possible new legal requirements on working at heights in Parliament last week. This may include mandating fall prevention plans that the Council has been promoting to specific sectors over the past two years, as well as a Permit to Work system for hazardous works such as working on roofs. Consultation on the possible new regulations will take place in the first half of this year. In the meantime, we will intensify our enforcement efforts nation-wide including more inspections, to ensure workplaces put in place proper measures to protect workers from fatal falls. Industry stakeholders who want to find out about the Report can visit the WSH Council website (

6 9. Issue 2/2012 < continued from page 3 Ownership of Risk: The Importance of Early Education for Students in Risk Management rather than present risk education as a new curriculum, teachers should be encouraged to recognise the value of their existing (formal and informal) approaches to risk communication, and to build upon their existing skills of risk management and risk education. The majority of young workers in Australia (and in many other countries) enter the workforce well before completing secondary studies. Preparing students for the workplace through school-based OHS education will hopefully aim at reducing injuries for this age group. Limited knowledge among young people about workplace hazards, together with inconsistency in the provision of workplace OHS training, supports the push from interdisciplinary agencies to encourage more school-delivered OHS education programs. Internationally, safety education interventions targeting adolescents have achieved mixed results. However, those programs that were engaging, interesting and interactive were more effective in achieving safety knowledge acquisition. There is evidence that schoolbased educational programs have the potential to significantly increase knowledge about safety, it cannot be assumed though that this knowledge will translate to greater safety and risk awareness or less risk taking behaviours (Nethery, 2011). Games of Safety and Risk The power of using games to teach students about risk should not be overlooked. As mentioned, health and safety topics, especially risk can be perceived as boring or dull topics to teach. One of the important things many teachers need to realise is that learning has changed in a fundamental way. It used to be that we were taught things just in case we needed to know it. Now we learn things just in time all it takes is a quick Google search. But in the case of risk education, just in time learning may not be enough. This is where game design is a powerful tool. By designing educational games, students can be immersed in environment where just in case learning is given relevance... just in time to progress through the game. Additionally, a good game will allow students to take risks and learn from mistakes essentially creating an environment where it is safe to fail. As failure is fundamental to learning and development, games provide a rich opportunity to embed real learning of risk education in a way that is far more relevant and engaging than traditional teaching methods (Fox, 2012). This is evident in a study conducted in the United Kingdom by Porter (2005). He identified through the use of a computer program Risk-ed, the student s understanding of risk before and after using the web based skills test had significantly increased. The web site aims to help students to understand the concept of risk and assist them in gaining the skills needed to make informed decisions about their actions and lifestyles. The tasks were performed independently of any teacher and it was given to the students as homework. Nine schools and 157 students participated in the study. The outcomes indicated that the use of the website improved the understanding of risk significantly. Overall it was found that the students enjoyed using the website as it was a different forum for learning, it was interactive and engaging, and most of all it was fun. From the Schoolyard to the Workplace The most significant outcome for all from this educative process is for the students to hopefully take learned skills from the classroom and endorse them into workplace practices. Whilst we do not expect our children to have life experience behind them on their first day in the workplace, we can hopefully at least have the comfort of knowing they will have some recognition of the potential risks that will face them on a day to day encounter. The British Safety Council has looked closely at this need. In 2007, they introduced a qualification to keep young people healthy and safe in the workplace (BritSafe, 2010). The unique aspect of this qualification was that it did not begin in the workplace during the induction period. Rather, it begins when the individual is still in high school and on completion, is a recognised qualification for workplace entry. The aim of the Entry Level Award in Workplace Hazard Awareness was to raise young people s comprehension of workplace hazards BEFORE they embarked on any workplace experience, or BEFORE their first employment period. Workplace injuries that involve young people between the ages of 15 to 25 years of age are extremely high in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Currently in Australia, there are no provisions for accredited workplace health and safety training in schools for workplace entry recognition. The United Kingdom however, has taken the lead in this area. The Award as mentioned above, is accredited by the United Kingdom National Qualifications Framework (UKNQF), and provides a formal assessment for the outcomes of workplace safety training. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE is the government regulator for health and safety in the UK) also supports the program. The training not only raises awareness of important aspects of health and safety for the student, but also increases the individual s self esteem and confidence. Programs like these do not become overnight success stories and require support from all stakeholders in both the private and government sectors. As yet, few studies have been completed to determine whether this earlier education program has reduced the number of workplace injuries for this age group, but one could make an obvious assumption, that health and safety education BEFORE workplace entry, is better than no education or guidance at all. Risk management will be on a continuum for all students throughout both their school and working career. To have a good grounding in risk management earlier in the schooling process, rather than later makes good sense. Trying to endorse risk management skills later, after the horse has bolted so to speak, may be still effective but may also be too late. Is this a risk worth taking? References Fassler, D. (2012). Your teens brain; driving without thinking. Scientific American. Retrieved 18th March, 2012, from: Fox, J. (2012). Game on! - Using games to make everything work better. Avocado Publishing: Perth, Western Australia Gordon, P. (2010). A school OSH qualification development, implementation and results. Unpublished presentation for the British Safety Council. Retrieved 18th March, 2012 from Nethery, J. (2011). Understanding young workers - the key to improved safety, productivity and performance. Unpublished paper presented at Safety in Action conference, 2011 April, Melbourne. New South Wales Government (2012). Closed for construction - adolescent brain development in the middle years. Department of Education and Training. Retrieved 18th March, 2012, from: Porter, C. (2005). Evaluation of the risk education website for secondary-aged students. Health & Safety Executive. University of York. Research report 317. Crown: York. Risk Ed. A web site aims to help students to understand the concept of risk. Retrieved 18th March 2012 from; Shearn, P. (2004). Teaching practice in risk education for 5-16 year olds. Health & Safety Laboratory. Report number, HSL/2005/23 Crown: Sheffield.

7 11. Issue 2/2012 < continued from page 5 SISO Annual Report 2011 guests to interact and catch up with old friends and make new ones. Group Personal Accident Insurance The Group Personal Accident Insurance policy for the Institution s members was renewed for another year from 19 Jun 2011 to 18 Jun This provides for a $20, cover for each paid-up individual member, up to age 77 in the event of death or permanent disability. Our Safety Matters Magazine During the year, four quarterly issues of SAFETY MATTERS were published with a circulation of 2,200 copies. We take this opportunity to thank all our advertisers for their continued support and our contributors for the many articles, which together made our publication a choice read. We also wish to express our appreciation to Ong Pak Shoon, one of our Fellow Members and the Editor for his continuing dedication in ensuring the regular publication of this magazine. COMMITTEES & REPRESENTATIONS Executive Committee The Executive Committee for continues to initiate, develop and manage the affairs of the Institution and the many varied programmes and activities which contribute to the continued development and growth of SISO. Members of the Committee comprises of: Edwin Yap - President Seet Choh San - Vice-President Andrew H S Tan - Hon Secretary Roger Lim - Treasurer Seah Liang Bing - Asst Secretary Niranjan Masurekar - Member (Lead, GIA) Mohd Japa Bin Rusdi - Member (Lead, Membership) Bernard Soh - Member (Lead, PD - Events) Tan Yen Ping - Member (Lead, PD courses) (replaced Amresh Gauba, resigned) S Damodaran - Member (Lead, Practices & Competency) (replaced Ong Yong Seng, resigned) Saravanan G - Co-Opted Member Lim Say Thiam - Co-Opted Member Phyllis Teo - Co-Opted Member Goh Chye Guan - Ex-officio, WSHC In addition, the Executive Committee is supported by a strong team of permanent staff of 4, led by Jason Phua, our Executive Manager. Representations In Other Organisations Several SISO members represented the Institution in committees and working groups set up by other organisations, like WSHC, MOM, Workforce Development Agency (WDA), SPRING, etc. These volunteer members participated actively in developing and improving WSH guidelines, codes, and standards for Singapore. The list of these volunteer members can be found in Appendix B. ENGAGEMENT & OUTREACH Visit By Korea Industrial Safety Association As part of the ongoing efforts to network with international WSH organizations, SISO hosted a delegation from the Korea Industrial Safety Association on 25 Oct Both organisations exchanged valuable views and insights into each other s programmes and structure. Dialogue With Central Enforcement Department, SCDF At the invitation of the Industrial Premises Committee of the National Fire and Civil Emergency Preparedness Council, SISO, as well as FSMAS, participated in a dialogue with the Central Enforcement Department, SCDF, on 25 Mar The dialogue allowed all parties to understand the roles and ongoing challenges stakeholders faced in maintaining good fire safety standards in industrial premises. ISPE Singapore Conference 2011 Together with Mr Goh Chye Guan, Director, Industry Capability Building, Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC), Niranjan Masurekar (Niri) presented a paper on An Overview of the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health Strategy and Its implication at the Keynote Plenary Session of the International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering Singapore Conference 2011 on 30 May. MINDEF/SAF Career Transition Seminar President, Edwin Yap gave a talk on career opportunities in WSH at a career transition seminar for Warrant Officers and Specialists from the SAF on 13 July 2011 at the Hotel Intercontinental. Review Of Guidelines The GIA Sub-Committee, comprising of SISO Members from various industry groups such as Chemical, Construction, Healthcare, Metalworking, Shipyard and Electronics, completed a review of the Guidelines on Leading Indicators for the Process Industry. This was part of the WSHC s Chemical Industry Committee initiative. Other Events During 2011, SISO supported and participated in various events held by other organisations. These events enhanced participating SISO members knowledge and at the same time offered great networking opportunities for them. Some of these were: Basic Industrial Safety & Health Workshop on Recognising & Reporting Occupational Diseases on 8 Jul 2011, organised by National Skin Centre Construction Safety Seminar 2011 on 25 Aug 2011, organised by the Real Estate Developers Association of Singapore The inaugural AIHA Asia Pacific OH + EHS Conference + Exhibition on Oct 2011, organised by the American Industrial Hygiene Association WSH Council Forum New Developments in Workplace Health, jointly organized by Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and Ministry of Manpower, on 19 Nov 2011 Launch of the following Singapore Standards organised by Singapore Manufacturers Federation on 28 Oct 2011: - SS 567:2011 (formerly CP 27) Factory Layout Safety, health and welfare considerations - SS 568:2011 (formerly CP 84) Confined Spaces > continued on page 13

8 13. Issue 2/2012 < continued from page 11 SISO Annual Report List Of New and Upgraded SISO Members in 2011 Appendix A Upgrade from Associate Membership to Professional Membership 1) Chong Chyang Ngan 2) Fock Bey Bey 3) Lam Mei San Michelle 4) Loh Lee Wah 5) Lye Edrei 6) Muthiah Logeswary 7) Palani Chockalingam 8) Pay Boon Tat 9) Sarkar Anurupa 10) Tan Bok Koon Professional Membership 1) Alagappan Ganesan 2) Abdul Malik Bin Ab Star Quraishi 3) Amirtham Alexander 4) Ananthasekaran Ramesh 5) Ang Yew Ghee 6) Antony Komala 7) Ariff Shah Bin Mohamed Azhar 8) Arumugam Natarajasundaram 9) Chan Hock Nan 10) Cheng Eng Choon 11) Cheong Cheng Chye 12) Cheung Hun Doo Handel 13) Chin Keong Yew 14) Ching Wee Pin Kent 15) Chong Chee Onn 16) Chong Kim Chuan 17) Chong Kong 18) Chong Ngek Leong 19) Chua Wee Ping 20) Chui Kum Sing 21) Daniel Oh 22) Dashyrul Bin Taib 23) Dela Roca Nilo De Guzman 24) Dhatchana Moorthy Saravanan 25) Dwi Widyati Agustiningsih 26) Goh Wei Siang 27) Govindaswamy Vivekananthan 28) Guay Ying Leong 29) Han Wee Guan 30) Hong Chia Yun 31) Imran Bin Ismail 32) Ja afar Bin Abu Hasan 33) Jagg Singh S/O Hari Singh 34) James Wong Chee Meng 35) Jandhyala Kumar 36) Joo Teck 37) Joseph Thangaiya Rathinam 38) Kamil Bin Yus 39) Kee Eng Ann 40) Koh Boon Chuan Alex 41) Koh Siok Kwee, Karen 42) Koh Then Soung 43) Koong Yew Chiong 44) Krishnan Mayazhagu 45) Kum Yeo Lum Greg 46) Kwek Chin Hung Nicholas 47) Kyaw Ang Yong Khunn 48) Lam Keng Wah 49) Lee Kee Siong 50) Lee Meng Shiong 51) Lee Zhen-Long Tyrone 52) Leong Fook Yuen Edward 53) Li Wei Xiong Joseph 54) Lim Chiong Eng 55) Lim Siong Pew 56) Lim Yew Jong Michael 57) Loh Hoon Nee 58) Looi Yoke Ling 59) Low Heok Chay 60) M Subeeri Bin Ali Adi 61) Mak Lai Yong 62) Malayappan Muthaiah 63) Mathews S/o Joseph 64) Matthew Koo Eng Hao 65) Md Ashraful Islam 66) Md Hasibur Rahman 67) Md Nur Islam 68) Md Ruhul Amin 69) Md Salahuddin Kader Mazumder 70) Mendoza Babylyn Serrano 71) Milton Mulapampalil Augustine 72) Mohamed Abdul Rahim Bin Osman 73) Mohamed Amir Bin Rahmatullah 74) Mohammad Munsur Ahmed 75) Mohammad Mynhart Masni 76) Mohammad Nazreen bin Mohamed Hussein 77) Mohammed Ferozshah Bin Mohd Sikander 78) Mohammed Nazrul Islam Abdul Ghouse 79) Mohanaeswaran Manickam 80) Mohd Nordin Bin Hassan 81) Moi Choong Ling Calvin 82) Muhammad Habibur Rahman 83) Muthu Vetriselvam 84) Nadarajan Jeyakumar 85) Neo Choon Hao 86) Ng Chew Eng 87) Ng Jui Sing 88) Ng Kim Yew 89) Ng Kok Wah 90) Ng Shun Wei Gary 91) Ng Swee Ann 92) Ngo Seow Kuan 93) Ong Kok Sheong 94) Ong Ting Hock 95) Ong Yew Lee 96) Pang Joo Tzuan 97) Parwinderjit Singh 98) Phee Wee Keong 99) Po Eng Tee 100) Praveen Ganapathy 101) Pugazhendhi S/O Mahalingam 102) Quek Cheok Miang 103) R Kannan S/O N. Ramachandran 104) Radhakrishnan Amuthan 105) Radhakrishnan Karumuthu Manigandan 106) Rajagopal Suresh 107) Ridzwan Bin Hj Rahmat 108) Rong Feng 109) S. Samuel Shanmuganathan 110) Sankaranarayanan Manikandan 111) Seah Wei Fen 112) Seenuvasan Raja 113) Senduran Vasudevan 114) Senthil Nanthan S/O Elankovan 115) Shamm K 116) Siew Wei Keong 117) Sim Pheng Boon 118) Soon Boon Chew 119) Soon Chin Ming 120) Su Caizheng 121) Subari Bin Supaat 122) Suen Boon Thong Andy 123) Syed Sultan s/o Maidin Pitchay 124) Tai Soo Ping 125) Tan Boon Heng 126) Tan Eng Siong Edwin 127) Tan Fong Yann Kris 128) Tan Jerome Yape 129) Tan Kheng Wah Rendell 130) Tan Kian Hong 131) Tan Poh Hock Wilson 132) Tang Pui Lynn 133) Teo Boon Kheow 134) Teo Eng Hui Bernard 135) Teo Heng Chye 136) Teo Peng Tiong 137) Than Htut Oo 138) Tin Htun 139) Toh Chin Kiat Victor 140) Toh Low Ing 141) Toledo Manolito Digal 142) Vairamani Thananjeyan 143) Veerasamy Gunasekaran 144) Vikneshvaran s/o Selvadurai 145) Wee Yat Kee 146) Win Nyunt 147) Wong Chee Wah 148) Woo Soon On 149) Yak Eng Chuan Dan 150) Yap Chee Kong 151) Yeo Ming Mark 152) Yin YanLing 153) Yuvaraj Karthik 154) Zhuang Hexiang 155) Zulhilmi Bin Mohamed Yatim Associate Membership 1) Abdillah Az-Dzohry Bin Hashim 2) C.K. Rama Chanderan 3) Chan Chee Kin 4) Chan Wee Ping Veronica 5) Chern Win Zee 6) David Noel S/O Ariokiasamy 7) Govindaswamy Ramesh 8) Ho Pok Sian 9) Hoe Chee Meng 10) Jaspal Muhammad Ridzwan 11) Johnvictor Charles 12) Kaliyamoorty Sarathy 13) Kumaran S/o Perumal 14) Lee Kian Yi 15) Leong Hong Wee Samuel 16) Letchumy Ramalu 17) Lim Eng Hian 18) Lim Ghee Teck Edmund 19) Lim Jiehui 20) Md Hafiidh Bin Asnan M 21) Muhamad Erwandy Bin Mohamed Ali 22) Munoz Gerry Dimalanta 23) Nah Siew Siew 24) Neo Chu Yeow Frederick 25) Ng Chai Hin Johnson 26) Nur Irwan Bin Abu Bakar 27) Richard Paul Aguas Naval 28) Sai Kwok Woon 29) Seet Thong Sen Maximilian 30) Shylesh Kumar Gopalakrishnan Thampy 31) Siak Tuck Seng 32) Tan Boon Hong Mark 33) Tang Han Kiang 34) Tay Keng Hoe 35) Tee Boon Sern Jason Emmanuel 36) Teo Pan Tek 37) Tharma s/o Govindarajan 38) Thiagarajan Balamurugan 39) Yap Pao Tong Benny Corporate Membership 1) Feoso (Singapore) Pte Ltd 2) Global Safety Mgt Services Pte Ltd 3) Helios Terminal Corporaton Pte Ltd 4) Indeco Engineers Pte Ltd 5) Inspectorate (Singapore) Pte Ltd 6) MTQ Corporation Ltd 7) Nelco Products Pte Ltd 8) NRG Engineering Pte Ltd 9) Schindler Lifts (Singapore) Pte Ltd 10) Union Inks & Graphics Pte Ltd > continued on page 20

9 OS+H Asia 2012 Complements National WSH Efforts National Workplace Safety and Health Campaign 2012: Stop the Assumptions. Stop Work Accidents Go-to Engagement approach for SMEs New ways of reporting occupational hazards: 16 MAY 2012 According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), every year more than 1.1 million people die from occupational accidents or work-related diseases in Asia-Pacific. While it is not realistic to bring down this number to zero on a short term, every society aims to eventually eliminate work-related fatalities. To achieve this goal it is fundamental to inform and train all stakeholders in proper safety, health and hygiene etiquette at work to create a preventive workplace safety and health culture. OS+H Asia 2012, to be held from September 2012 at Suntec Singapore (Halls 402 & 403), will provide an excellent platform for all participants regardless of industry and occupation to update themselves on the latest products, applications and solutions for a healthier and safer working environment. Organized by Messe Düsseldorf Asia, the exhibition takes centre stage with the theme Risks Injuries Diseases How Safe Are You At Work? alongside strong government support as the region s leading occupational safety and health forum. The exhibition is well timed as it comes on the back of the recently launched National Workplace Safety and Health (NWSH) Campaign 2012 a year-long effort to raise awareness and enhance WSH practices in Singapore organized by the WSH Council and the Ministry of Manpower. Stop the Assumptions. Stop Work Accidents This year s NWSH Campaign highlights the importance of getting every stakeholder actively involved in preventing workplace safety and health accidents and fatalities. The assumption that safety has been taken care of or is the responsibility of someone else is a key contributing factor for many accidents. Hence, our message this year serves to remind one and all not to make assumptions but to instead, take personal responsibility towards WSH, commented Heng Chiang Gnee, Acting Chairman of the WSH Council during the launch of the NWSH Campaign on 26 April. In order to create more awareness and reach out to a wider range of stakeholders, the WSH Council together with the Ministry of Manpower has developed a range of initiatives all aiming at reducing the number of work-related accidents, injuries, diseases and fatalities in Singapore. SMEs in Singapore to benefit from Go-to Engagement Approach According to the latest WSH statistic report many work-related accidents occurred in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), hence the WSH Council strives to approach SMEs directly, for instance by conducting WSH briefings at the companies premises or via roadshows. According to Minister of State for Manpower and National Development, Tan Chuan-Jin, in a recent report there is no room for complacency, but certainly there is room to continue reducing fatalities and injury by raising awareness and capabilities, addressing unsafe work practices and cultivating safety mindsets. Further to this, SMEs can seek support from the WSH Council by tapping on the WSH Assist programme. Consultants will view the workplaces and provide their expertise in order to develop an action plan to address WSH issues they encountered during their visit. The WSH Council has announced that a funding of up to 80% can be granted. According to the Council a pilot run of this programme took place beginning 2012, helping some 300 SMEs. WSH Assist is set to be launched officially by mid-2012, just before OS+H Asia 2012 will take place in September SNAP@MOM Engaging and Encouraging Mass Involvement The new smart phone application SNAP@MOM (for iphone and Android) is probably the easiest and most extensive initiative. Keeping the importance of all stakeholders involvement in mind, this App aims to encourage the public to spot and provide feedback on hazardous and risky workplace safety and health conditions for occupiers and employers. The report will be sent via the application together with a picture of the unsafe work situation, the location (highlighted via the phones GPS function) and a short description. The occupier or owner of the workplace will then be provided with the feedback and can take immediate action. In line with this year s message Stop the Assumptions. Stop Work Accidents, this initiative aims to educate the public to become more aware of unsafe workplaces and make a conscious effort to achieve healthier and safer workplaces in Singapore in the long run, said Tan Chuan-Jin in his speech at launch of the NWSH Campaign. He trusts that this effort will lead to employers taking prompt actions in order to rectify risky and hazardous working conditions. With these strong and comprehensive initiatives from the Singapore WSH Council and Ministry of Manpower, Singapore will continue to rank among Asia s safest working environments. Messe Düsseldorf Asia will do its part by presenting OS+H Asia 2012 for the 8th time and hence providing a central forum where all stakeholders can engage face-to-face and get the latest updates on occupational safety and health to prevent work-related risks, injuries and diseases in Asia. Together with the concurrently held Singapore WSH Conference 2012 (12 and 13 Sept 2012), IPAF Asia Conference 2012 (14 Sept 2012) and Forum on Workplace Safety and Health (14 Sept 2012) the OS+H Asia exhibition is an essential platform for the regional workplace safety and health landscape. About OS+H Asia 2012 For the 8th time Messe Düsseldorf Asia presents OS+H Asia, The Occupational Safety + Health Exhibition for Asia. Driven by the sector s leading international exhibition for Personal Protection, Security and Health at the Workplace, A+A 2011 (organizer: Messe Düsseldorf), OS+H Asia 2012 expects to see some 150 international and regional exhibitors from 20 countries and over 6,000 visitors. The 3-day exhibition will be open to trade visitors from September 2012 from 10.00am to 6.00pm at the Suntec Singapore Convention Centre. All trade visitors and professionals are required to register their visit. Concurrent Events: The second Singapore WSH Conference 2012, organized by the WSH Council, Ministry of Manpower and WSH Institute, will be held on 12 and 13 September. The Conference, with the theme Changing Landscapes, Shaping a Progressive WSH Culture, will bring together CEOs, senior government officials and WSH professionals to discuss topics, such as WSH: Important for business sustainability?, WSH Professionals: Operational or strategic? or How to leverage on partnership for WSH? (More information at The IPAF Asia Conference 2012, held on 14 September aims to bring industry stakeholders for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms (MEWPs) together to understand and create awareness on the latest issues, standard and legislation for Mobile Elevated Work Platforms industry in Singapore. Organizer, the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), has lined up stakeholders in their industry to be the speakers on the day; The Ministry, Manufacturer, Rental Company, User, Training Center. This very 1st IPAF Asia Conference will mark the start of an annual event that is dedicated to nothing but Mobile Elevated Work Platform. (More information at On 14 September the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) and Messe Düsseldorf Asia will once again organize the Forum on Safety & Health. The theme this year is Embracing Challenges Enhancing Professionalism. This event will provide an excellent opportunity for Workplace Safety & Health (WSH) Experts, Professionals, and Specialist Service Providers & Manufacturers in the region and around the world to share and showcase the latest insights and technological advancement in key safety and health issues such as work at height, crane safety and innovative WSH solutions. (More information at Concurrent Exhibitions Alongside OS+H Asia 2012, Messe Düsseldorf Asia will also organize MEDICAL FAIR ASIA 2012, the 9th International Exhibition on Hospital, Diagnostic, Pharmaceutical, Medical & Rehabilitation Equipment & Supplies, which is sponsored by the Singapore Ministry of Health, and MEDICAL MANUFACTURING ASIA 2012, which focuses on manufacturing of medical devices and equipment, jointly organized by Messe Düsseldorf Asia and Singapore Precision Engineering & Tooling Association (SPETA). For more information on OS+H Asia 2012, please visit Press contact: Ariane Seifert Tel: (65) ariane@mda.com.sg Exhibitor contact: Lee Ai Ling Tel: (65) ailing@mda.com.sg

10 20. Issue 2/2012 < continued from page 13 SISO Annual Report Representations in Other Organisations 2011 Appendix B S/N Organization Name of Committee Name of SISO Representative 1. International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) 2. LTA Annual Safety Award Convention 2011 Board of Directors Panel of Judges Mr Seet Choh San Mr. Bernard Soh 3. Ministry of Health Management of Drug Overdose and Poisoning Mr Niranjan Masurekar 4. National Environment Agency (NEA) Singapore Environment Institute Board of Examiners for Environmental Control Officers Course Mr Andrew H S Tan 5. National Fire and Civil Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC) Industrial Premises Sub-Committee Mr Ong Pak Shoon 6. Singapore Accreditation Council Technical Experts on OHSMS Construction Shipbuilding & SSR Metalworking Mr Timothy Yen Mr Andrew JJ Tan Mr Frank Teo Yik Tet 7. SCAL Ltd Construction Safety, Health and Security Campaign Mr Timothy Yen 8. SCAL Ltd Panel of Judges for WSH Innovation Convention 2011 Mr Mohamad Japa 9. Singapore Construction Safety Consultancy (SC2) Committee of Impartiality Mr Andrew H S Tan 10. SPRING Singapore TC on Personal Safety & Health Mr Seah Liang Bing 11. SPRING Singapore TC Safety & Health Involving Use of Equipment Mr Choo Chong Huat 12. SPRING Singapore TC on Workplace Safety & Health Mr Saravanan 13. SPRING Singapore Working Group to review CP 42 on Guarding & Safe Use of Woodworking Machines 14. SPRING Singapore Council Committee for Accreditation of Management Systems and Product Certification Bodies 15. SPRING Singapore General Engineering and Safety Standards Committee 16. SPRING Singapore Occupational Safety & Health Management Tech Committee (OSHMTC) 17. SPRING Singapore Working Group to review SS473: 1999: Personal Eye Protectors 18. SPRING Singapore Chairman, Working Group to review CP 101: Safe Use Powered Counterbalanced Forklifts 19. SPRING Singapore Working Group to review CP 27 Factory Layout: Safety, Health & Welfare Considerations 20. SPRING Singapore Working Group to Review SS 497: 2002 Design, Safe Use and Maintenance of Overhead Travelling Cranes 21. SPRING Singapore ISO/TC 44: Welding and Allied Processes National Mirror Committee 22. SPRING Singapore Working Group to review CP 92: 2002 on Manual Handling Mr Mohd Zailani Mr Seet Choh San Mr Seet Choh San Mr Ong Wee Liang Mr Anwar Bin Taib Mr S Damodaran Mr Lim Say Thiam Mr Bernard Soh Mr Tay Cheng Pheng Mr Timothy Yen > continued on page 22

11 22. Issue 2/2012 < continued from page 20 SISO Annual Report Representations in Other Organisations 2011 Appendix B 23. SPRING Singapore Working Group (WG) on SS98 Industrial Safety Helmets under Technical Committee on Personal Safety and Health, GESS Committee, SPING 24. SPRING Singapore WG to review CP84 Entry into and Safe Working in Confined Space Mr Lim Say Thiam Mr Seah Liang Bing 25. SPRING Singapore WG to review CP 91 Lockout Procedures Mr Roger Lim 26. SPRING Singapore Working group to review CP on Protection of persons working in trenches, pits and other excavated areas Mr S Damodaran 27. TÜV SÜD PSB Advisory Committee for Certification Mr Seet Choh San 28. WSH Council WSHC (Industry Capability Building) Committee, Deputy Chairman Mr Edwin Yap 29. WSH Council WSH (Marine Industries) Committee Mr Seah Liang Bing 30. WSH Council WSHC (Metalworking & Manufacturing) Committee, Deputy Chairman 31. WSH Council Work Group for WSH Guidelines for Managing S & H for Metalworking SMEs, Lead Mr Andrew H S Tan Mr Andrew H S Tan 32. WSH Council WSHC (Construction & Landscaping) Committee Mr Bernard Soh 33. WSH Council WSHC (Engagement & Outreach) Committee Mr Ong Yong Seng 34. WSH Council Work Group on Technical Advisory for Work in Confined Spaces Mr Wendall Harms 35. WSH Council WSHC (Chemical Industries) Committee Mr Niranjan Masurekar 36. WSH Council WSHC (Logistics & Transportation) Committee Mr Mohamad Japa 37. WSH Council Panel of Judges for the WSH Officer Award 2011 Mr Edwin Yap 38. WSH Council WSHC (Workplace Health) Committee Mr Andrew H S Tan 39. WSH Council WSHC (Workplace Health) Integrated WSH Services Sub committee Mr Roger Lim, Alternate: Mr Ong Yong Seng 40. SIM University Advisory Committee of Human Factors in Safety Mr Edwin Yap 41. SPACO, MOM WSHO Interview Panel Mr Seet Choh San 42. MOM National GHS Task Force Mr Edwin Yap 43. WDA Manpower Skills and Training Council (MSTC) Mr Andrew H S Tan, Alternate: Mr. Bernard Soh 44. WSH Council & ST Engineering Member of panel of judges for Safety@Work Creative Awards WDA & SISO WDA/SISO Joint Committee for WSH Professional WSQ Framework Training, Co-chair 46. WDA & SISO WDA/SISO Joint Committee for WSH Professional WSQ Framework Training 47. WDA & SISO WDA/SISO Joint Committee for WSH Professional WSQ Framework Training Mr Andrew H S Tan Mr Edwin Yap Mr S Damodaran Mr Saravanan

12 23. Issue 2/2012 SISO Courses Risk Management Courses bizsafe Level 2 WSH Committee Training Courses 6 &7 Mar 2012 (Trainer: Ngiam Bo Han) Mar 2012 Group 1 (Trainer: Dennis Tan) 10 & 11 Apr 2012 (Trainer: Philip Au) Mar 2012 Group 2 (Trainer: Ngiam Bo Han) 8 & 9 May 2012 (Trainer: Seet C S) Beware Legal Pitfalls & Liabilities Workplace Safety, Health and Environment Apr 2012 Group 1 (Trainer: Ngiam Bo Han) 27 & 28 Feb 2012 (Trainer: Lee Kwok Weng) Behavioural-Based Safety A Primer Apr 2012 Group 2 (Trainer: Dennis Tan) 18 May 2012 (Trainer: Edmund Tai) May 2012 (Trainer: Indy Lim)

13 24. Issue 2/2012 SISO Reports 38th Annual General Meeting Jason Phua Executive Manager The 38th Annual General Meeting of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers was held at the York Hotel on Friday, 16 March Attended by 96 members, the meeting commenced at 7.25pm. The Exceutive Committee for the Term 1 Apr 2012 to 31 Mar 2014 was confirmed at the meeting as follows: Members of the meeting adopted the minutes of the previous AGM held on 25 March 2011, the Annual Report 2011 and Statement of Accounts for the year ended 2011 audited by Odds & Even Associates (CPA). The meeting placed on record its appreciation to the following members for their contribution as Executive Committee/Co-Opted members for the previous term Office President Vice President Honorary Secretary Honorary Treasurer Assistant Secretary Member Member Member Member Member Name Seet Choh San Bernard Soh Hong Kuan Edwin Yap Seng Wee Seah Liang Beng Andrew H S Tan Roger Lim Boon Chiow Niranjan Arun Masurekar Mohd Japa bin Rusdi Saravanan Gunaratnam Ong Pak Shoon Amresh Gauba Ong Yong Seng Damodaran s/o Subbarayan Tan Yen Ping Lim Say Thiam (coopted) Phyllis Teo Chwee Ling (coopted) The meeting also placed on record its appreciation to Mr Goh Chye Guan, Director, Industry Capability Building, Workplace Safety and Health Council for his contributions as WSHC Ex-Officio up to Oct 2011 and welcomed Mr Chan Yew Kwong, Director, Industry Capability Building WSHC as the new Ex-Officio from Nov First Specialist Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health (Level C) Graduation from Singapore Institution of Safety Officers Jason E. Tee Boon Sern Seven months have passed and the pioneer batch of SISO s Specialist Diploma in Workplace Safety and Health (Level C) have completed their course. In the seven months, the candidates have invested their energy, time and commitment to the completion of their studies. They had to balance their full-time jobs with their personal time with their families during this period. One of the main reasons the candidates had put themselves through this grueling process is to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge and training for them to make a difference in safety at their work places. Regardless of their intentions, they had shown commitment and effort to complete the specialist diploma course. The candidates are grateful to SISO for conducting the specialist diploma course in a professional manner. During their training, they had received all the necessary support and assistance from SISO s efficient administrative team. They would also like to express their gratitude to all the trainers that had spent their time and efforts in conducting the classes and assessments. The experience and knowledge that the candidates had received from the experienced and dedicated trainers were invaluable. The trainers provided an insight into safety in the various industries to the candidates and the requirements and effort needed to be a successful safety officer. The candidates were thoroughly trained to prepare themselves in making a difference in safety! The completion of the specialist diploma in WSH is just the beginning for the candidates. From now on, they will be responsible for ensuring the safety of their colleagues and that of their work places. As the famous phrase goes With great power, comes greater responsibilities!, the candidates are therefore well aware of the need for continual learning and making reasonably practicable decisions that will be faced by them in the near future. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the graduates of the inaugural specialist diploma course in WSH (Level C)!

14 26. Issue 2/2012 News from Ministry of Manpower: Changes to Work Injury Compensation Act 1. The Parliament has passed the amendments to the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). The changes are made based on two key principles: Striking a fair balance between compensation for injured employees and the obligations placed on employers/ insurers Ensuring that the WICA framework remains expeditious and employees are able to receive compensation promptly 2. The changes will take effect on 1 June The key changes are as follows: a) Updating Compensation limits As part of MOM s regular review of WICA compensation, the limits will be increased to account for the change in nominal median wages and healthcare costs since the limits were last set in b) Disallowing compensation for workrelated fights The rationale for the amendment is that while work disputes may arise from time to time, employees should not resort to fights to resolve them, and employers should not have to bear the cost of injury. As such, employers will generally not be liable under WICA to compensate workers who are injured in work-related fights, except in certain scenarios such as when the worker was a victim and did not participate in the fight, or when he was injured while exercising private defence, or instructed to break up the fight, safeguard life/property or maintain law and order. c) Expanding scope of compensable diseases Currently, diseases are compensable only when they are listed in the Second Schedule, for example noise-induced deafness, or as a result of a specific accident at work. With the change, diseases contracted due to work-related exposure to chemical or biological agents will be compensable. The Second Schedule will also be refined to include a new occupational disease (exposure to excessive heat), remove SARS and Avian Influenza and broaden scope of some of the existing occupational diseases. d) Disallowing work-related exclusion clauses Work-related exclusion clauses, except pertaining to asbestos, will be prohibited for the purpose of WIC insurance. With these changes, insurers will be liable to make payment of the compensation even if work-related exclusions exist in the policy. Insurers will continue to be able to seek contractual recovery from the employer if such recovery is allowed in the insurance policy. e) Clarifying the liability of employer s insurer to pay when there are multiple insurance policies Certain industries have the practice of having multiple parties provide insurance coverage for workers. When there is an accident, the various insurers may dispute liability and compensation to the injured worker is unduly delayed. With the change, where there are multiple work injury compensation insurance policies, the employer s insurance policy will first be used to satisfy a claim. MOM will allow third parties to pay compensation as long as they convey in writing to MOM their intent to pay compensation on behalf of the employer s insurer, before the notice of assessment is issued. f) Clarifying the timeframe for filing a claim if one wishes to claim under WICA after having filed a common law claim earlier Injured employees have up to one year from the date of the accident to decide whether they wish to file a claim under WICA. Claimants who filed a common law claim but subsequently wish to file a claim under WICA have to do so within one year of accident. If the claim was made after this one year timeframe, it will not be admitted under WICA. 3. Please visit for more details. Death Total Permanent Incapacity* Medical Expenses Limits Existing Limit New Limit Minimum $47,000 $57,000 Maximum $140,000 $170,000 Minimum $60,000 $73,000 Maximum $180,000 $218,000 Up to $25,000 or 1 year from date of accident, Up to $30,000 or 1 year from date of accident, whichever is reached first whichever is reached first * This excludes the additional 25% compensation that is paid to workers with total permanent incapacity to offset the cost of care for the injured worker. WSH Nation Now Features Games and e-greeting Cards! Thank you for taking the first step towards making your workplace safer. Since the launch of WHS Nation in end-september 2011, response to our cause has been enthusiastic. To continue to spread the messages on the importance of Workplace Safety and Health (WHS), we have made enhancements to the website. New games and contest We ve added two games to our site, please check them out. Also, stand a chance to win a Motoral Xoom table in our Safety Shots Facebook game. e-greeting cards Send birthday or celebratory electronic greetings to colleagues, family and friends and remind them of the importance of staying safe at work. Corporate Commitment Initiative WHS Nation has recently launched the Corporate Commitment Initiative where we hope your organisation steps up their commitment to WHS by pledging to eliminate all risks at work at your workplace.

15 28. Issue 2/2012 News From Workplace Safety and Health Council Managing the Dangers of Hot Work Hot work poses serious explosion hazard and raises major concern on the safety of workers involved in such activity. The flames, sparks and heat produced during the hot work are ignition sources that can cause fires and explosions in many different situations. A recent report released by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) on a fatal welding explosion in a chemical facility highlighted the need to mitigate the risks from hot works. A welder was performing hot work on a tank which, unknown to him, contained flammable vinyl fluoride vapour at explosive concentrations. Ignition of the vapour resulted in an explosion that killed the welder and injured another. Some learning points from this report include: Before and during any hot work, atmospheric and gas monitoring must be performed outside and inside the tanks to identify presence of any flammable vapours. For a very large tank, it is advised to carry out the gas monitoring in multiple locations (top, middle and bottom) to ensure no residual flammables. All process pipings, including vent lines on tanks, are to be positively isolated before authorising any hot work. Rigorous hot work training and permitting procedures must be enforced. Whenever possible, avoid hot work and consider alternative non-spark producing methods. Worker Fell from Top Rung of Ladder A worker was tasked to remove an existing ceiling lighting at the ground floor of a private apartment. The floor to ceiling height on the ground floor is 5m and the worker used a 2.8m aluminium A-frame ladder for his work (Figure 1). In the late afternoon, the employer, who was installing ceiling lighting at the 2nd floor, heard a crash from the ground floor. He proceeded to the ground floor and found the A-frame ladder had toppled with the worker on the ground. The worker was found bleeding slightly from his mouth but was conscious. He succumbed to his injuries later that same day in the hospital. According to the employer, the victim was standing at the upper rung of the A-frame ladder to dismantle the ceiling lightings. Recommendations Occupiers and employers undertaking similar work activities are advised to prevent recurrence by conducting risk assessment and applying suitable control measures prior to work commencement. Examples of control measures include: Use the right ladder for the job. For example, the ladder must be high enough for you to reach your work area without having to stand on its top rung. Standing on the top rung of a ladder is highly unsafe and it should never be done (Figure 2). As ladder has little or no fall prevention mechanism, the use of other safer equipment like scissor lifts or tower scaffold to reach higher work area may be recommended. Provide sufficient supervision to ensure onsite adherence to work safely Figure 1 If it is necessary to work on a ladder, work a few steps below the top rung, so that a handhold can be maintained (Figure 3). Figure 2 Figure 3 For more information, please visit