WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013

Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013

PART II
GENERAL PROVISIONS
Avoidance of work at height

4. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that no work at height is carried out where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work safely otherwise than at height.

Fall prevention plan

5.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of every workplace specified in the Schedule, and in which work at height is carried out, to establish and implement a fall prevention plan.

(2) The fall prevention plan referred to in paragraph (1) shall be established and implemented in accordance with the requirements of the approved code of practice relating to safe and sound practices for fall prevention.

(3) It shall be the duty of the occupier of every workplace specified in the Schedule to ensure that the fall prevention plan referred to in paragraph (1) is made available for inspection upon request by any inspector.

(4) Any occupier of a workplace specified in the Schedule who contravenes paragraph (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000.

(5) This regulation shall apply only to work at height carried out on or after 1st May 2014.

Training for persons at work

6. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that the person shall work at height in a workplace only after he has first received adequate safety and health training to familiarise himself with the hazards associated with work at height and the precautions to be observed.

Supervision of work at height

7. It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that the person shall work at height in a workplace under the immediate supervision of a competent person for that work.

Open sides and openings

8.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to comply with paragraphs (2), (4) and (5).

(2) Subject to paragraphs (3) and (5), every open side or opening into or through which a person is liable to fall more than 2 metres shall be covered or guarded by effective guard-rails or barriers to prevent fall.

(3) The cover, guard-rail or barrier referred to in paragraph (2) may be removed where free access is required for work actually in progress at or near the open side or opening.

(4) Every cover, guard-rail or barrier referred to in paragraph (2) which is removed under paragraph (3) shall be reinstated or replaced immediately when access of persons or movement of materials is not taking place at or near the open side or opening.

(5) Where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with paragraph (2), or where a cover, guard-rail or barrier is removed under paragraph (3), or during the installation, alteration or removal of the covers, guard-rails or barriers —

(a)a travel restraint system shall be used to prevent a person falling into or through the open side or opening referred to in paragraph (2); or

(b)where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with sub-paragraph (a), a fall arrest system shall be used.

Cover, guard-rail and barrier to prevent fall

9.—(1)  This regulation does not apply in relation to any scaffold in a workplace which is, is being or is to be constructed, erected, installed, used, re-positioned, altered, maintained, repaired or dismantled.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) Where a cover is provided in a workplace to prevent any person from falling, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that the cover —

(a)is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength to withstand the impact during the course of work in the workplace; and

(b)is securely fixed in place to prevent accidental displacement.

(3) Where any guard-rail or barrier is provided in a workplace to prevent any person from falling, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that —

(a)every guard-rail or barrier —

(i)is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength to withstand the impact during the course of work in the workplace;

(ii)is placed on the inside of the uprights or structures and secured so as to prevent accidental displacement; and

(iii)is so placed so as to prevent the fall of any person;

(b)the top guard-rail or the barrier is at least one meter above the work platform or working place from which any person at work is liable to fall; and

(c)the vertical distance —

(i)between any 2 adjacent guard-rails provided; or

(ii)between any work platform or working place and the guard-rail immediately above it,

does not exceed 600 millimetres.

Travel restraint system

10. Where a travel restraint system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height to ensure that —

(a)the travel restraint system —

(i)is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength;

(ii)is free from patent defects; and

(iii)is suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended; and

(b)every person using the travel restraint system is trained in the safe and correct use of the system.

Fall arrest system

11.—(1) Where a fall arrest system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out at that workplace any work at height to ensure that —

(a)the fall arrest system —

(i)is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength;

(ii)is free from patent defects; and

(iii)is suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended;

(b)every person using the fall arrest system is trained in the safe and correct use of the system; and

(c)no part of the fall arrest system comes into contact with anything that could affect the safe use of the system.

(2) Where a fall arrest system using a full-body harness is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out at that workplace any work at height to ensure that —

(a)the system incorporates a suitable means of absorbing energy and limiting the forces applied to the user’s body; and

(b)in the event of a fall, there is enough fall clearance available to prevent the user from hitting an object, the ground or other surfaces.

Inspection

12.—(1) Where any travel restraint system or any fall arrest system is to be used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out at the workplace any work at height to appoint a competent person for the purpose of inspecting the anchorage and anchorage line of the travel restraint system or fall arrest system.

(2) It shall be the duty of the competent person appointed by a responsible person under paragraph (1) —

(a)to inspect the anchorage and anchorage line of the travel restraint system or fall arrest system at the start of every work shift to ensure that they are in good working condition and are safe for use;

(b)to immediately remove from service any such anchorage or anchorage line which is found to be defective;

(c)to immediately enter the results of every inspection referred to in sub-paragraph (a) into a register containing such details as may be required by the Commissioner; and

(d)to provide the register to the responsible person before the end of the work shift.

(3) It shall be the duty of the responsible person referred to in paragraph (1) —

(a)to keep each entry in the register referred to in paragraph (2)(c) for not less than 2 years from the date it is made; and

(b)to produce for inspection, upon request by any inspector, any entry in the register which is so requested to be inspected.

(4) Any responsible person who contravenes paragraph (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Staircases

13. It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to ensure that every staircase in the workplace or every staircase which affords a means of exit from the workplace shall be provided and maintained with a substantial handrail and lower rail or other barrier to prevent any person falling, which —

(a)if the staircase has an open side, shall be on that side; or

(b)if the staircase has 2 open sides, shall be on both sides.

Safe means of access and egress between different working levels in building or structures

14. Where in a workplace any person is required to carry out any work at height —

(a)in or on an elevated place from which the person could fall;

(b)in the vicinity of an opening through which the person could fall;

(c)in the vicinity of an edge over which the person could fall;

(d)on a surface through which the person could fall; or

(e)in any other place (whether above or below ground) from which the person could fall,

it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure safe means of access to and egress from any area in the workplace referred to in paragraph (a), (b), (c), (d) or (e).

Teagle openings

15.—(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to ensure that every teagle opening or similar doorway used for hoisting or lowering goods or materials in the workplace, whether by mechanical power or otherwise —

(a)is securely fenced; and

(b)is provided with a secure handhold on each side of the opening or doorway.

(2)  It shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that every fencing referred to in paragraph (1) shall —

(a)be properly maintained; and

(b)be kept in position, except when goods or materials are being hoisted or lowered at the opening or doorway.

Work on roofs

16.  Where in a workplace any person carries out any work on any roof from which he is liable to fall off or through a distance of more than 2 metres, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of that person —

(a)to provide and maintain —

(i)protection of the person against any sliding or falling from the roof (which may include crawler boards or roof brackets); and

(ii)sufficient and secured anchorage for the attachment of a full-body harness or a restraint belt, as the case may be, in the course of the person’s work; and

(b)to ensure that the person who carries out such work in that workplace uses the protection and anchorage referred to in paragraph (a).

Fragile surfaces

17.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height to ensure that the person at work —

(a)shall not pass across or near a fragile surface; and

(b)shall not work on, from or near a fragile surface,

where it is reasonably practicable to carry out the work without him doing so.

(2)  Where it is not reasonably practicable to carry out work at height safely without passing across or near, or working on, from or near, a fragile surface, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height to, so far as is reasonably practicable, provide and maintain suitable and sufficient platforms, covers, guard-rails or similar means of support or protection so that any foreseeable loading is supported by such supports or borne by such protection.

(3) Where any person carrying out work at height may pass across or near, or work on, from or near, a fragile surface, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of that person to ensure —

(a)that prominent warning notices are affixed at the approach to the place where the fragile surface is situated; or

(b)where it is not reasonably practicable to comply with sub-paragraph (a), that the person at work is made aware of it by other means.

Ladders

18.—(1) Where a ladder is being used to carry out any work at height in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of the person who is carrying out or is to carry out the work to ensure that the requirements in paragraphs (2) to (6) are complied with.

(2) Every ladder in a workplace shall —

(a)be of good construction, sound material and adequate strength;

(b)be free from patent defects; and

(c)be suitable and safe for the purpose for which it is intended.

(3) The surface upon which any ladder (except for fixed ladders) rests or bears upon when used by a person shall —

(a)be stable;

(b)be level and firm; and

(c)be of sufficient strength to safely support the ladder and any person and load intended to be placed on it.

(4) Every ladder in a workplace shall be so positioned as to ensure its stability during use.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraph (4), every ladder which leans against a wall, building, structure or tree during use shall be securely fixed or lashed, or is firmly held by a person stationed at the foot of the ladder to prevent the ladder from slipping.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(6) Where a ladder is used for access or as a working place, the ladder shall rise, or adequate handhold shall be provided, to a height of at least one metre above —

(a)the place of landing; or

(b)the highest rung to be reached by the feet of any person working on the ladder.

(7) Where a fixed vertical ladder is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the workplace to ensure that the requirements in paragraphs (8), (9) and (10) are complied with.

(8) Every fixed vertical ladder or run of fixed vertical ladders used by any person carrying out any work which rises a vertical distance of over 9 metres shall, if practicable, be provided with an intermediate landing place so that the vertical distance between any 2 successive landing places does not exceed 9 metres.

(9) Every landing place referred to in paragraph (8) shall be provided with sufficient and suitable guard-rails or barriers to prevent falls.

(10) Where a fixed vertical ladder used by any person carrying out any work in a workplace rises a vertical distance of more than 3 metres, there shall be provided a safety cage or other practicable measures to prevent fall of the person.

PART III
PERMIT-TO-WORK SYSTEM
FOR HAZARDOUS WORK AT HEIGHT

19. [Deleted by S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

Implementation of permit-to-work system

20.—(1) Before the carrying out of any hazardous work at height at a factory, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the factory to —

(a)appoint a competent person for the hazardous work at height at the factory to carry out the duties of an authorised manager in accordance with this Part; and

(b)appoint a competent person for the hazardous work at height at the factory to carry out the duties of a work‑at‑height safety assessor in accordance with this Part.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) Before and during the carrying out of any hazardous work at height at a factory, it shall be the duty of the occupier of the factory to ensure that a permit‑to‑work system in accordance with this Part is implemented for that hazardous work at height.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(3) The permit-to-work system referred to in paragraph (2) shall provide that —

(a)the hazardous work at height is carried out with due regard to the safety and health of persons carrying out the work;

(b)such persons are informed of the hazards associated with the hazardous work at height and the precautions they have to take; and

(c)the necessary safety precautions are taken and enforced when the hazardous work at height is being carried out.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

No hazardous work at height without permit-to-work

21.—(1) Subject to paragraph (2), any person who carries out any hazardous work at height in a factory without a permit-to-work first issued by the authorised manager in respect of that hazardous work at height shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) shall operate to interfere with or render unlawful any rescue work or other work necessary for the general safety of life or property.

Application for permit-to-work

22. An application for a permit-to-work to carry out any hazardous work at height shall —

(a)be made by the supervisor of the person who is to carry out the hazardous work at height;

(b)be made in such form and manner as may be required by the authorised manager;

(c)state the measures which will be taken to ensure the safety and health of the person who is to carry out the hazardous work at height; and

(d)be addressed to the authorised manager and submitted to the work-at-height safety assessor where the hazardous work at height is to be carried out.

Evaluation of application

23.—(1) On receipt of the application for a permit-to-work, the work-at-height safety assessor shall —

(a)assess whether all reasonably practicable measures have been taken to ensure the safety and health of the person who will be carrying out the hazardous work at height; and

(b)inspect the site (including its surroundings) where the hazardous work at height is to be carried out together with the supervisor of the person who is to carry out the work, to ensure that the hazardous work at height can be carried out with due regard to the safety and health of the person and any other person at work in the factory who may be affected.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2)If the work-at-height safety assessor is satisfied that the hazardous work at height can be carried out in the factory with due regard to the safety and health of persons who are to carry out the hazardous work at height and of other persons at work in the factory who may be affected, he shall endorse the application for the permit-to-work and forward the endorsed application to the authorised manager.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(3) It shall be the duty of the work-at-height safety assessor to exercise all due diligence when performing his functions in relation to the evaluation and endorsement of an application for a permit-to-work under paragraphs (1) and (2).

Issue of permit-to-work

24.—(1) The authorised manager for any hazardous work at height at a factory may issue a permit-to-work in relation to any hazardous work at height which is to be carried out in the factory if the authorised manager is satisfied that —

(a)there has been a proper evaluation of the risks and hazards involved in the carrying out of the work based on the available information;

(b)no incompatible work which may pose a risk to the safety and health of other persons at work in the factory will be carried out at the same time in the same vicinity as the hazardous work at height;

(c)all reasonably practicable measures will or have been taken to ensure the safety and health of the persons who carry out or are to carry out the hazardous work at height; and

(d)all persons who are to carry out the hazardous work at height are informed of the hazards associated with it.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) An authorised manager who issues a permit-to-work in respect of any hazardous work at height shall retain a copy of the permit-to-work.

(3) It shall be the duty of the authorised manager to exercise all due diligence when performing his function in relation to the issuance of a permit-to-work under paragraph (1).

(4) Subject to regulation 28, a permit-to-work shall be valid for the period stated therein, and if the hazardous work at height for which the permit-to-work is issued is not completed within the validity period, a fresh application shall be made in accordance with regulation 22.

Posting of permit-to-work and supervisor’s duty

25. It shall be the duty of the supervisor of any person who carries out any hazardous work at height in a factory —

(a)to clearly post, at the work area where the work is carried out, a copy of the permit-to-work issued in respect of that hazardous work at height, including (where reasonably practicable) a sketch of any area where the hazardous work at height is permitted; and

(b)to ensure that the copy is not removed until the date of expiry or date of revocation of the permit-to-work, or on completion of the hazardous work at height, whichever is the earlier.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

Monitoring of work

26.—(1) It shall be the duty of the authorised manager for any hazardous work at height at a factory to continually review the progress of all hazardous work at height being carried out in the factory to ensure that the hazardous work at height is carried out with due regard to the safety and health of the persons carrying out the hazardous work at height in the factory.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) It shall be the duty of the supervisor of any person who carries out any hazardous work at height in a factory —

(a)to ensure that the measures necessary to ensure the safety and health of the person at work are taken and are in place at all times during the validity period of the permit-to-work; and

(b)to inform the authorised manager upon completion of the hazardous work at height.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

Duty to report incompatible work

27.—(1) It shall be the duty of any person who is aware of any work being carried out in a factory which is incompatible with any hazardous work at height being carried out at that factory to immediately report the incompatible work to his supervisor, the workplace safety and health officer, the workplace safety and health co-ordinator or the authorised manager for that hazardous work at height.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) In this regulation, any work in a factory which is carried out at or in the vicinity of any hazardous work at height and which is likely to pose a risk to the safety or health of persons at work in the factory shall be treated as incompatible work.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

Daily review and revocation of permit-to-work

28.—(1) It shall be the duty of the authorised manager for any hazardous work at height at a factory to review and assess the need to continue the hazardous work at height on a daily basis, and to revoke the permit-to-work issued in respect of the hazardous work at height if he thinks fit to do so.

[S 280/2014 wef 01/05/2014]

(2) If after issuing a permit-to-work in respect of any hazardous work at height at a factory, the authorised manager is of the view that the carrying out of the hazardous work at height poses or is likely to pose a risk to the safety and health of the persons at work in the factory, he may order the hazardous work at height to cease immediately and revoke the permit-to-work.

PART IV
INDUSTRIAL ROPE ACCESS SYSTEM
Industrial rope access equipment and personal protective equipment

29.—(1)Where any industrial rope access system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height at a workplace to ensure that —

(a)it comprises at least 2 independent anchorage lines, of which one is the working line and the other is the safety line;

(b)the person who uses the industrial rope access system is provided with a suitable harness connected to the working line and the safety line;

(c)the working line is equipped with safe means of ascent and descent and has a self-locking system to prevent the user from falling should he lose control of his movements; and

(d)no part of the system comes into contact with anything that could affect the safe use of the system.

(2) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height at a workplace to ensure that every equipment of the industrial rope access system used in the workplace —

(a)is of good construction, sound material and adequate strength;

(b)is free from patent defects;

(c)is properly maintained; and

(d)carries a unique marking to allow traceability to a test inspection, thorough examination or a certificate of conformity.

Design and inspection

30.—(1) Paragraphs (2), (3), (4) and 7(a)(ii) shall not apply in respect of an industrial rope access system used for tree-cutting or pruning.

(2)  Where an industrial rope access system is used in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to ensure that every anchorage and anchorage line of the industrial rope access system is installed in accordance with the design and drawings of a professional engineer.

(3) It shall be the duty of a professional engineer who designs any anchorage and anchorage line of an industrial rope access system referred to in paragraph (2) —

(a)to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures to ensure that his design can be executed safely by any person who installs or uses the industrial rope access system according to his design; and

(b)to provide to any person who installs or is to install the industrial rope access system, all design documentation (including all relevant calculations, drawings and construction procedures) as is necessary to facilitate the proper installation of the industrial rope access system according to his design.

(4)It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to ensure that no industrial rope access system is used at the workplace unless the design and drawings certified by the professional engineer are kept available at the workplace.

(5)It shall be the duty of the responsible person of a person who carries out or is to carry out work at height in a workplace to appoint a competent person for any work at any workplace at which an industrial rope access system is used for the purpose of inspecting the industrial rope access system.

(6)It shall be the duty of the competent person referred to in paragraph (5) —

(a)to inspect the industrial rope access system at the start of every work shift to ensure that it is in good working condition and is safe for use;

(b)to immediately remove from service any equipment of the industrial rope access system which is found to be defective;

(c)to immediately enter the results of every inspection referred to in sub-paragraph (a) into a register containing such details as may be required by the Commissioner; and

(d)to provide the register to the responsible person before the end of the work shift.

(7) It shall be the duty of the responsible person of any person who carries out or is to carry out any work at height —

(a)to keep —

(i)each entry in the register referred to in paragraph (6); and

(ii)the design documentation referred to in paragraphs (3) and (4),

for not less than 2 years from the date it was made; and

(b)to produce for inspection, upon request by an inspector, any entry in the register which is so requested to be inspected.

(8) Any responsible person who contravenes paragraph (7) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

To learn more about the Work at Heights legal requirement, check out the Singapore Statues Online and and update your organization compliance obligation procedure

Risk Management Procedure

OBJECTIVE

To define the process of the implementation of Risk Management (RM) in the workplace through Risk Assessment (RA) to identify hazards and environmental aspects, assess and prioritise EHS risk (WSH risks and environmental impacts) arising from organization’s activities/ processes, products and services.  Guidelines on selection of effective additional control measures are provided to minimise the probability and/or impact of undesirable EHS consequences.

SCOPE

Applies to all routine and non-routine activities/processes, products and services of all persons having access to the organization(including contractors and visitors) including non-production related activities, e.g. administration.

RESPONSIBILITY

Management shall:

Ensure RA is conducted on EHS risks with any activity in the workplace.

Take all reasonably practicable steps to eliminate any foreseeable risk to any person / environment

Support the implementation of risk control measures recommended by the RM or RA Teams.

Require the contractor or supplier where work has been assigned or awarded to, to conduct RA.

Designate, appoint or engage a competent person leading a team of personnel (including contractors) associated with the activities/products/services to conduct risk assessments;

Review and if necessary, revise the RA at least once a year from RA approval date, or when there are:

a)Accidents, near misses or dangerous occurrences as a result of exposure to a hazard.  These may or may not result in injury.

b)Introduction of new raw materials, significant change in processes, facilities, work practices or procedures, or change in workplace condition and site layout or ;

c)New information on EHS risks is made known; 

Provide training for relevant personnel in risk management;

Ensure that Risk Register is available and maintained at the workplace.

Ensure that Risk Register is readily available for review by designated persons at the workplace and by regulatory agencies

Managers

The Manager who oversee the area, function or activity where EHS risk exists shall:

Ensure that RA is carried out and risk control measures are implemented before any new work is carried out in the Manager’s area;

Approve the RA conducted for his/her area.  The Manager shall also ensure that the risk level is not rated “High Risk” when approving work to be carried out.

Ensure that the risk control measures are implemented without delay.

Ensure that, where applicable, all operations have established Safe Work Procedures (SWP)

Ensure all persons exposed to the risks are informed of:

• Nature of risks
• Any measures or SWP implemented; and
• The means to minimise or eliminate the risks.
• Ensure that the effectiveness of the risk control measures is monitored.
• Revise the RA if the risk control is inadequate and ineffective after implementation.
• Maintain RA documentation with measures and SWP implemented

The Manager may authorise other persons to execute the duties mentioned above but remains accountable for them. 

RM / RA Leaders

The RM Leaders shall assist the Management as the focal point for co-ordinating RM within the workplace. The RM or RAs Leader shall:

Provide regular updates to Management, preferably monthly (such as but not limited to Monthly Highlight Reports, etc) but no less than once a year, regarding appropriate risk control measures implemented to reduce or eliminate risks identified.

Facilitate / Conduct RAs of newly identified processes or tasks with their team through weekly pre-start work / toolbox meetings so as to ensure there is participation amongst rank-and-file members of the team.

Facilitate / Conduct continuous review of existing RAs with their team through weekly pre-start work / toolbox meetings so as to ensure there is participation amongst rank-and-file members of the team.

Assist Management to ensure that the Risk Register is prepared and maintained.

Employees

Employees are to adhere to the measures stipulated in the RAs. 

DEFINITION

Environmental aspects - element of an organisation’s activities, products and services that can interact with the environment;

Environmental impacts - Any change to the environment, whether adverse or beneficial, wholly or partially resulting from an organisation’s activities, products or service.

Indirect Environmental Aspects and Impacts - Aspects and impacts from activities, products, and service of suppliers and contractors, which company cannot control but can influence.

HOD - Head of Department

Accident – An incident which has given rise to injury, ill health or fatality. 

Incident – Work-related event(s) in which an injury or ill health (regardless of severity) or fatality occurred, or could have occurred. 

Emergency – An incident resulting in death/serious injury to people, damage to property and environment, shutdown of all operations.

Hazard – Source, situation or act with a potential for harm in terms of human injury or ill health, damage to property, damage to the environment, or a combination of these.

Risk - The combination of the likelihood of an occurrence of a hazardous event or exposure(s) and the severity of injury, ill health or environmental impact that can be caused by the event or exposure(s). 

Risk Assessment (RA) – Process of evaluating the risk(s) arising from a hazard(s) and/or environmental aspects, taking into account the adequacy of any existing controls, and deciding whether or not the risk(s) is acceptable.

Risk Management – Identification, assessment and prioritisation of EHS risks followed by the application of control measures to minimise the probability and/or impact of undesirable EHS consequences.

Risk owner – The HOD or Contractor who manage activities that contain hazards and result in risks in the organisation.

Risk Register – Collection of RAs within the organisation.

Acceptable risk - Risk that has been reduced to a level that can be tolerated by the organisation having regard to its legal obligations and it’s own policy.

Interested parties – person or organisation (external and internal) that can affect, be affected, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity made by the organisation.    

Normal / Routine - Day-to-day operations and routine functions whereby processes/activities are working in the intended manners.

EHS – Environmental, Occupational Health & Safety

PROCEDURE

PREPARATION 

Formation of Risk Management (RM) Team 

Management shall:

• Appoint a RM Team Leader
• Appoint RM Team members

The RM Team shall be responsible for overall RM direction and RM activities in the Workplace.  The RM team can also function as a RA Team

The RM Team shall:

• Have a thorough knowledge of the work to be assessed; and
• Be multi-disciplinary, diverse with representation from major stake-holders of the workplace operating functions
• The RM leader should have direct access to the Management or shall at least be a senior member of the workplace

Management shall ensure that the RM Leader is competent for the task. Having attended a RM course conducted by MOM Approved Training Provider (ATP) or equivalent is sufficient demonstration of the fact.

RM Team members shall be made up of management staff, facility/process engineers, technical personnel, production operators, engineering staff and WSH personnel if available.

Risk Assessment (RA) Team 

All Supervisors have responsibility to lead their team in RAs and RA reviews.  In this sense, they also assume the role of RA Team Leaders. Non-Supervisors may also be appointed as RM Team Leaders by Management.

All employees have responsibility to participate in their team’s RAs and RA reviews. Especially employees involved in day-to-day factory operations. They assumed the role of RA Team members.

RA Teams shall have representatives from both the management and non-management levels.

RA Teams are responsible for conducting RAs within the scope defined by the RM team.  The scope of the RA shall be by functional area and work activities of each department.

Different RA Teams can be formed to conduct RA for work activities for the different departments.

The RA Team should include personnel who are involved with the work, including contractors and suppliers.  If available, persons who are familiar with the design and development of the site, machine or process should be included.

If RA experience or expertise is lacking, a WSH Officer, WSH Auditor or Approved Risk Consultant who is trained and has experience in conducting RA should be engaged to assist the RM/ RA leader in the conduct of the RA

Inventory of Work Activity Form

For each department’s identified functional areas and work activities to be assessed, the “Inventory of Work Activities” form  shall be used.

The following information is to be completed in the form:

• State the Department
• Complete the Location, Process and Work Activity
• List the Work Activity in sequential steps

Gather relevant Information

The risk assessment team shall gather the following information as far as possible:

• Plant/Workplace layout plan
• Process flowchart
• List of work activities in the process
• List of chemicals, machinery and/or tools used
• Records of past incidents and accidents
• Relevant legislation (These can be obtained via the organisation’s internal  network)
• Relevant codes of practice or specifications
• Observations and interviews
• EHS Inspection records
• Details of existing controls measures
• Environmental, Health and Safety audit reports
• Feedback from staff, clients, suppliers, or other stakeholders
• Safe Work Procedures
• Other information such as Safety Data Sheets (SDS), manufacturer’s instruction manual
• Copies of any relevant previous risk assessments
• Medical condition (e.g., allergy) of workers in the workplace or activity being assessed

RISK ASSESSMENT

General Requirement 

The steps in 2.2 Hazard and Environmental Aspect Identification, 2.3 Risk Evaluation and 2.4 Risk Control specify the methodology in conducting the RA

When the steps from 2.2 to 2.4 have been recorded in the “RA Form” (Appendix E) for a hazard / environmental aspect, the same steps from 2.2 to 2.4 are to be repeated till all the “Work Activity” from the “Inventory of Work Activities”  has been assessed.

All RA shall be reviewed continuously but no later than 1 year from its last review or when there are:

Accidents, near misses or dangerous occurrences as a result of exposure to a hazard.  These may or may not result in injury;

Introduction of new raw materials, significant change in processes, facilities, work practices or procedures, or change in workplace condition and site layout or; New information on EHS risks is made known

To promote good practice of continuous review on RAs of each department, RA leaders are advised / recommended to conduct one RA review per week with their team members at pre-start work briefings, toolbox meetings, dept safety meetings, etc.

Hazard and Environmental Aspect Identification 

General

The RA Team Leader is to determine the most appropriate way(s) of identifying the hazards.  These may include brain-storming, systemic process reviews, Process Hazard Analysis or Job Observations, etc.

When identifying hazards, the RA team is to consider if the hazards could cause harm beyond their immediate area of the work.

Work Activity

Copy the contents in “Work Activity” column of the “Inventory of Work Activities” form  to column (b)Work Activity in the “RA form” Identify the environmental aspect and/or hazard and record them in column (d)Aspect / Hazard

If there is more than one hazard for the work activity, different hazards should be recorded in different lines. 

Determine whether the hazard can occur under the following conditions and record it in column (c)Condition:

N – normal operating conditions e.g., preparatory and troubleshooting activities.

Ab – abnormal conditions e.g. shut down, start up, commissioning or maintenance of plant, untrained/new staff.

E – reasonably foreseeable accident or emergency situation

Where relevant, the following categories of environmental aspect should be considered:

• emission to air
• releases to water 
• waste management
• contamination of land
• use of raw materials and natural resources
• noise, dust, odour

When identifying hazards, consider the following sources of harm (List not exhaustive): 

• Behaviour, Capabilities, Other Human Factors
• Failure to successfully carry out an operation that is part of normal duties.
• Erroneously carrying out an operation that is not part of normal duties.
• Failure to respond correctly to an alarm situation (failure to control or making a situation worse).
• Deliberate or inadvertent degradation of the safety of a plant (eg switch an alarm off, or bypass a safety system)
• Deliberate rule flouting (eg smoking in a non-smoking area).
• Decision making errors (person making an action but the wrong one)
• Errors of omission (person failing to act)
• Introduction of failures by damaging equipment or leaving equipment mis-aligned during testing or maintenance
• Work ability – Rehabilitation, disability, aging workforce.
• Human failure resulting from actions, omissions and decisions taken by other people other than front-line persons (includes designers, managers, etc)
• Little time to perform (e.g., during abnormal or emergency operating conditions, Pressure to meet quota, etc)
• Fatigue (e.g., consecutive overtime, workload increase)
• Under influence of drugs, medication
• Highly complex task (Operator being asked to do a critical task that would probably be more reliably done automatically)
• Undue reliance on an Operator to identify and respond rapidly to an alarm condition.
• Experience (previous experience with equipment, etc)

Physical Hazards 

• Electrical hazards; frayed chords, missing pins, improper wiring
• Fire hazards; accumulation of rubbish in stairwells, overheating of faulty equipment, etc.
• Wearing unsuitable clothing or PPE when operating machinery
• Constant loud noise
• Exposure to extreme temperatures (heat or cold)
• Work at heights (2 m and above), on ladders, roofs
• Objects falling from height (unsecured, loose containers, tools, etc)
• Working with forklifts, reach trucks
• Trip hazards such as wet floors, cords running across floors 

Mechanical Hazards 

• Moving parts; rotating parts of machinery.
• Unguarded machinery and moving machinery parts; guards removed or moving parts that a worker can accidentally touch;

Biological Hazards 

• H5N1 virus 
• Blood or other body fluids (e.g., unprotected resuscitation to Hepatitis C virus carrier, etc)  

Ergonomic Hazards 

• Poor lighting 
• Improperly adjusted workstations and chairs 
• Frequent lifting
• Carrying for long periods of time
• Lifting / carrying loads above 20 kg
• Repeated stretching
• Poor posture 
• Repeating same movements (for long periods of time)
• Applying too much force (repeatedly)

Chemical Hazards 

• Hazardous substances such as flammables, toxics, corrosives, reactive materials, etc.
• Exposure to hazardous substances in the form of gases, dust, fumes, vapors,  liquid and solids (contact with eyes, skin, inhalation, ingestion)
• Fire & Explosion from use of flammable liquids

When Aspect / Hazard Identification is complete, proceed with 2.3 Risk Evaluation 

Risk Evaluation

Impact and Consequences

For each Aspect / Hazard identified, determine the environmental impact and consequences (possible injury / ill health) and record these in column (e)Impact / Consequence and Person(s)-at-risk 

Also record persons-at-risk in column (e)Impact / Consequence and Person(s)-at-risk. Persons-at-risk are not limited to persons performing the work.  They can also include suppliers, contractors and visitors.

When identifying environmental impacts, consider, where relevant, the following:

• global warming
• ozone depletion
• acid rain
• water pollution
• soil and ground water contamination
• noise pollution
• depletion of natural resources
• employee’s safety and health

When identifying consequences (possible injury / ill health), the following shall be considered:

• Physical injuries (e.g. cuts, fractures, bruises, loss of body parts etc.)
• Ill-health (headaches, breathlessness, deafness, limb disorders, diseases, etc)
• Property damage

Existing Risk Controls

Identify the existing risk controls for the aspect / hazard and record these in column (f) Existing Risk Controls 

When there is more than one existing risk control for the aspect / hazard being evaluated, they should be recorded in the same line as the aspect / hazard.

Also record persons-at-risk in column (e) Impact / Consequence and Person(s)-at-risk. Persons-at-risk are not limited to persons performing the work.  They can also include suppliers, contractors and visitors.

When there is more than one existing risk control for the aspect / hazard being evaluated, they should be recorded in the same line as the aspect / hazard.

Assessment of Severity

With the existing risk controls in consideration, each team member is to rate the most likely severity outcome of the possible impact / consequence (possible injury or ill-health)  

Enter the number average of the RA Team’s severity score in column (g)S “Severity”

Use “Table 1: Criteria for Risk Evaluation” (Appendix B) as guidance in selecting the level of severity (i.e, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5)

Should the difference in rating among team members be 2 or greater, the following should be done:

The Team Leader is to facilitate a discussion to understand the reasons behind the variance.

The team is then allowed to reconsider their rating.

Should the difference in rating among team members continue to be 2 or greater, the Team Leader may choose to allow this difference or to take other courses of action to gain a better understanding of the rating.

Assessment of Likelihood

With the existing risk controls in consideration, each team member is to rate the likelihood that the environmental aspect / hazard may cause environmental impact / consequence (possible injury or ill-health)

When considering likelihood, the RM or RA Team is to consider the existing medical condition of the affected persons that may affect the livelihood rating.

Enter the number average of the RA Team’s likelihood score in column (h)L  “Likelihood” 

Use “Table 1: Criteria for Risk Evaluation” (Appendix B) as guidance in selecting the level of likelihood (i.e, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5)

Should the difference in rating among team members be 2 or greater, the following should be done:

The Team Leader is to facilitate a discussion to understand the reasons behind the variance.

The team is then allowed to reconsider their rating.

Should the difference in rating among team members continue to be 2 or greater, the Team Leader may choose to allow this difference or to take other courses of action to gain a better understanding of the rating.

Risk Prioritisation Number (RPN)

Obtain the Risk Prioritisation Number (RPN) by multiplying the (g) S “Severity” and (h) L “Likelihood” columns and entering the score in column (i) RPN  (RPN = S x L).

Classification of Risk – Risk Matrix

Compare the RPN against “Table 2 – EHS Risk Ranking Matrix” (Appendix C).

Proceed to Risk Control if the RPN is NOT within the green zone (“Low Risk”) or yellow zone (“Medium Risk”).

Action for Risk Levels 

Actions are to be implemented based on Risk Level as shown in “Table 3 – Action for Risk Levels”

RISK CONTROL

Additional Controls 

Compare the existing controls against the Hierarchy of Control (Figure 1) 

The control of hazards / environmental aspects and reduction of risks / environmental impacts can be accomplished by following the Hierarchy of Control (Figure 1). These control measures are not usually mutually exclusive. Generally, it may be more effective to use multiple control measures e.g. engineering controls can be implemented together with administrative controls like training and safe work procedures.

Elimination

Elimination of risks / environmental impacts refers to the total removal of hazards / environmental aspects, effectively making all the identified possible environmental impacts, accidents and ill health impossible.

This is a permanent solution and should be attempted in the first instance. If the hazard is removed, all the other management controls, such as workplace monitoring and surveillance, training, safety auditing, and record keeping will no longer be required.

Example: Using water to wash and rinse mixing equipment eliminates the use of corrosive chemicals such as Sulphuric Acid and Potassium Hydroxide, used in the washing. This eliminates hazards that may arise from chemical handling, such as burns resulting from contact, excessive inhalation of vapors, etc.

Substitution

This involves substituting a process or a product with a less hazardous one to mitigate the risk or reduce the environmental impact.

Example: replacing formaldehyde, a carcinogenic substance (cancer causing), with a non-carcinogenic substitute in the blending of certain products or replacing damaged light bulbs with energy saving ones, etc.

Engineering Controls

Engineering controls are physical means that reduce the likelihood of occurrence or severity of consequence of the mishap. These include structural changes to the work environment or work processes, erecting a barrier to interrupt the transmission path between the worker and the hazard.

Example:  Machine guards, confined space ventilation, manual handling devices and bund walls around chemical bulk tanks, etc.

Administrative Controls

These reduce or eliminate exposure to a hazard / environmental aspect by adherence to procedures or instructions. Documentation should emphasis all the steps to be taken and the controls to be used in carrying out the activity safely.

Examples: Implementation of permit-to-work systems and scheduling of incompatible works, Safe Work Procedures and Training,

Personal Protective Equipment

This should be used only as a last resort, after all other control measures have been considered, or as a short term contingency during emergency / maintenance / repair or as an additional protective measure. 

The success of this control is dependent on the protective equipment being chosen correctly, fitted correctly, worn at all times and maintained properly.

When considering additional measures to reduce risk, the more effective measures in the Hierarchy of Control should be considered first. 

Re-evaluation with Additional Controls 

When Additional Control(s) have been decided in column (j), re-rate the Severity, Likelihood and RPN scores and record them in columns (k)S, (l)L, and (m)Final RPM columns in the Risk Control Section. 

The Final RPN (column m) CANNOT be HIGHER than the RPN (column i).

Note:  Preferably the Final RPN should be within the Low Risk (Green) zone.

However, an improvement in Final RPN is acceptable provided it is not within the High Risk (Red) Zone.

Work CANNOT commence if Final RPN is in the High Risk (Red) Zone.  

Implementation Person and Date 

A specific person should be identified to lead the implementation of the Additional Controls. The person’s name and due-date for implementation is to be recorded in column (n) Implementation Person and Due Date. 

The Implementation Person is to provide progress updates to the RA Team on a periodic basis as determined by the RA Team Leader.  

RA Approval 

Completed RA forms must be approved by the Risk Owner (i.e., Manager of the area, function or activity where the risk is being assessed).  

Implementation Actions  

As far as practicable, the Manager is to implement the recommended risk control measures as soon as possible.  

The Manager shall ensure that an action plan is prepared to implement the measures. The plan should include a timeline and responsible persons implementing the safety and health control measures.

The Manager shall ensure that the plan is monitored regularly until all the measures are implemented.

The Manager shall ensure that all persons exposed to the risks are informed of:

• The nature of risks; and
• Any measures or SWP implemented.

The Manager shall ensure that regular inspections and process audits are carried out to ensure that risk control measures have been implemented and are functioning effectively.

Communication  

The Manager who oversees the area, function or activity where the WSH risks exists shall ensure that all persons exposed to the risks are informed of:  

• The nature of risks; and
• Any measures or SWP implemented; and
• The means to minimise or eliminate the risks.
• Record Keeping

The Manager (Risk owner) shall assist the employer to ensure that RA records, including but not limited to RA forms and control measure records, are kept for at least 3 years

Risk owners shall ensure that a copy of the completed RA for each work activity is submitted to the WSH Officer and he/she shall keep these records for reference for at least 3 years.

The WSH Officer shall compile a *Risk Register and ensure that the Risk Register is readily available for reviews, audits and by regulatory agencies 

*Risk Register is a compilation of RAs

Emergency Preparedness and Response

OBJECTIVE

To establish and maintain an emergency preparedness programme so as to identify and respond to potential accidents and emergency situations and to minimise the EHS impacts/risks that may be associated with them.

SCOPE

Applies to accidents and emergency situations such as fires, explosions, chemical spills and accidental discharges that occur on the manufacturing site of the organisation.

RESPONSIBILITY

The EHS Officer / FSM shall maintain and update this Emergency Preparedness and Response procedure and its associated plans whenever necessary.  

The CERT members shall ensure they remain competent of their appointment by attending CERT related training, participating in drills, etc.  

All employees shall familiarise themselves with evacuation routes and participate in emergency briefings, exercise(s)  and related training.

DEFINITION

CERT – Company Emergency Response Team

EHS – Environmental, Occupational Health and Safety

ERP – Emergency Response Plan

FSM – Fire Safety Manager

HOD - Head of Department

PROCEDURE

1.Identification of Potential Accidents and Emergency Situations

1.1The HODs, Supervisors and the EHS Officer / FSM are responsible for identifying potential accidents and emergency situations which may arise from their department's activities, products and services

1.2Identification of such potential accidents and emergencies should be considered from the following:

• EHS aspects/impacts and hazards/risks
• previous incidents, accidents
• internal audits and/or safety audits
• scenario of accidental releases and discharges of hazardous chemicals, oil or other materials as a result of, for example
• lack of clear operating procedures or work instructions
• malfunction of equipment or facilities
• mistakes in the storage, handling or transport of materials
• rupture of bulk tanks, drums, containers
• scenarios of possible fires and/or explosions

Company Emergency Response Team (CERT) - Organisation and Responsibilities

The team will be composed of employees who have been appointed and have knowledge of and are trained in responding to emergencies such as fires, explosions, chemical spills, etc.

Due to the amount of training required, CERT members are required to serve at least 2 years.

Key CERT members, EHS Officer / FSM should remain contactable at all times.

Due to the inherent nature or function of certain departments where the probability of an emergency event is high, at least one representative from the department shall serve as designated members on the CERT.

Site Main Controller (SMC) – Overall-in-charge of the emergency response operations and liaises with senior officials of government agencies such as SCDF, SPF, NEA etc. Key Responsibilities include: 

Co-ordinate the activities of external emergency organizations and work closely with SCDF Incident Manager at TACT HQ during consequence management.

Provide TACT HQ with the following information:

• Site Layout Map
• Building Plan
• Company Emergency Response Plan
• Company’s Hazmat inventory and location of hazmat inventory
• Overall worker population
• Incident resources available at site

c)Provide the SCDF Incident Manager with necessary information and decisions to any actions that concern the company’s SOPs and policies. 

d)Authorize the shutdown of operations in the installation.

e)Authorize the release of information to the government agencies and media. 

f)Assist the Incident Manager in determining the termination of the emergency and authorizing re-entry upon complete recovery.

Site Incident Controller (SIC) – usually a member of the management / supervisor in charge of or familiar with the facility.  Overall-in-charge of actual ground response operations.  The SIC shall provide assistance and information to SCDF Ground Commander during operation.  Key responsibilities include:

• Establishing the on-site emergency response team 
• Sizing up incident situation and recommending response strategy and tactical plan
• Commanding and directing response team
• Ensuring responders’ safety and monitor fatigue and stress
• Deploying emergency equipment and appliances 
• Directing rescue operations if necessary 
• Maintaining constant contact with SMC and responders
• Working closely with SCDF emergency officer in charge at the incident command post
• Ensuring proper decontamination of equipment and responders 
• Coordinating recovery services

Fire Safety Manager (FSM) – Appointed FSM of the site. Acts as a linkup between SIC and SMC from the Fire Command Centre (FCC).  The FSM is also able to provide pertinent info to the arriving SCDF Ground Commander during emergencies.  Key responsibilities include:

• Update and ensure that fire safety requirements contained in organization Emergency Response Plan are complied with;
• Supervise the maintenance of all fire safety works in premise;
• Conduct checks within the premise and remove or cause to be removed any fire hazard found within the premise;
• Prepare the Emergency Response Plan and conduct emergency drills for the occupants at a frequency stipulated by the Fire Safety (Fire Safety Manager) Regulations;
• Ensure occupants are trained in fire fighting and evacuation in the event of fire;
• Supervise the operation of the FCC in the event of fire or other emergencies.
• Notify SCDF immediately upon the occurrence of any fire or other emergencies and fire related mass casualty incident in the premise.

Department Evacuation Leaders – Overall-in-charge of conducting headcount for personnel under his / her charge.  Key responsibilities include: 

• Facilitate smooth evacuation during emergency and drills
• Ensure that persons requiring assistance (E.g., disabled, pregnant) are escorted to the assembly area.
• Conduct headcount at Assembly Area
• Report missing persons to the HOD and Headcount Leader
• Maintain order of evacuees while at the Assembly Area

Headcount Leader – HR representative in charge of tabulating overall headcount and reporting to SMC.  Key responsibilities include:

• Ensure Evacuation Staff List at the Guardroom is always updated immediately following the movement of personnel, i.e., recruitment, resignations and terminations  
• Report overall evacuation headcount to SMC as well as any missing persons

Fire Fighters - Assist to extinguish controllable fires as well as rescue operations if required

Hazmat Team – Assist to stop the source of the chemical spill and clean up the spill.

First Aiders - Assist to provide First Aid to afflicted victims.

A list of the above key personnel with their contact numbers is provided in  ERP

Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

The organization Emergency Response Plan is the main ERP of the organisation The ERP shall be reviewed at least once a year and be updated accordingly by the EHS Officer / FSM whenever required, for example, from the following:

• lessons learnt from drills or rehearsals
• corrective/preventive actions taken after occurrences
• changes in key personnel 
• business changes
• regulatory changes

A copy of organization ERP shall be made available at the security office.

Every employee, apart from the above personnel should have easy access to the ERP.

Training Plans and Testing for Effectiveness

Training Needs for emergency preparedness and response is identified at the beginning of each Fiscal Year by the EHS Officer / FSM.  

Human resource department shall arrange for CERT members with responsibilities designated in the ERP to attend training appropriate to the level of their responsibilities.

When practical, the CERT will go through drills, e.g. mock spills to test or practice the skills they learned at training.

The EHS Officer / FSM shall make arrangements to exercise the Emergency Response Plan on a regular basis:

• Table-top Exercise (Six monthly)
• Emergency Drills (Twice a year)

CERT members shall review the performance of the mock or practice drills and the EHS Officer / FSM will compile identified problems and corrective actions for improvement of the emergency response.

Results of training and testing will be subject to the Management Review process.

Emergency Incidents – Investigation and Review

Emergency incidents must be reported to the GM immediately.  This primary responsibility lies with the EHS Officer / FSM.  In his absence, the Deputy GM or any HOD / Supervisor shall report to the GM.

Investigation results and recommended corrective actions shall be submitted to the GM or Deputy GM.  Such results are also subjected to Management Reviews.

The review conducted in particular, after the occurrence of an emergency incident, shall cover the need to revise the relevant emergency response procedure to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy and effectiveness.

Emergency Equipment 

The EHS Officer / FSM has overall responsibility over the emergency equipment in the organisation

Emergency Equipment Location

Location of Emergency Equipment are on the Emergency Equipment Maps .Emergency Equipment must be inspected according to procedure Emergency Equipment and System Inspection

Fire Exits

Each department must have at least two escape routes that are remote from each other to be used in an emergency.

Fire rated doors must not be blocked or locked to prevent emergency use when employees are within the building. 

Exit routes from buildings must be clear and free of obstructions and properly marked with signs designating exits from the building.

Fire Extinguishers

Each department must have proper type of fire extinguisher for the fire hazards present.

All fire extinguishers must be strategically located and easily accessed.

Department Supervisors and designated persons are responsible in ensuring that the fire extinguishers located in their departments are inspected monthly and that such inspection records are kept and reproduced to auditors, government officers when requested.

Responsible persons shall take immediate corrective action when inspection reveals a deficiency in the fire extinguisher.

The EHS Officer / FSM is responsible for making arrangements to ensure that the fire extinguishers must be inspected and serviced periodically to ensure that the fire extinguishers are in good operating conditions. 

Fire Hose Reel

All Fire Hose Reels must not be blocked at all times to allow easy access for Singapore Civil Defence Force fight-fighters.

The Fire Hose Reels must be inspected and serviced periodically to ensure that the Fire Hose Reels are in good operating condition.

Fire Alarm System

The Fire Alarm System must be tested monthly to ensure that the Fire Alarm System is in good operating condition.

Fire Sprinkler System

The Fire Sprinkler System must be inspected and serviced periodically to ensure that the Fire Sprinkler System is in good operating condition.

Fire Hydrants

All fire hydrants must not be blocked at all times to allow easy access for Singapore Civil Defence Force fire-fighters.

Spill Kits

The Supervisor of the department retaining a Spill Kit is responsible to ensure that there is adequate supply to clean up chemical spills.

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)

SCBA must be serviced annually and inspected monthly 

Compliance Obligation Procedure

OBJECTIVE

To establish the process(es) needed to:

a)Identify compliance obligations related to the needs / expectations of relevant interested parties, relevant environmental aspects and OHS requirements. 

b)Maintain knowledge, access and keep up to date legal and other EHS requirements to fulfil compliance obligations.

c)Evaluate fulfilment of compliance obligations.

SCOPE

Applies to the organisation’s activities, processes, products and services

RESPONSIBILITY

GM

The GM shall ensure resources are provided to access and obtain/purchase all relevant legal and other requirements from relevant agencies, Printers, etc.

Managers, Supervisors

Keep themselves updated on legal and other requirements applicable to their department’s activities, products and/or services. 

Determine how new or changes to legal and other requirements could impact the organization’s compliance obligations.

commit to develop action plans to ensure the organisation’s compliance from new requirements, change in existing requirements, compliance evaluation or audit findings, etc

EHS Officer

Maintain knowledge, access and identify legal and other EHS requirements relevant to the organisation.  This can be in the form of legal register, legal subscription services, etc.

Plan and perform compliance evaluation at least once a year

Share new requirements and/or results from compliance evaluation to the GM and Managers and advice on action that needs to be taken (if necessary) in order to fulfill the organisation’s compliance obligations.

DEFINITION

EHS – Environmental, Health and Safety

OHS – Occupational Health and Safety

PROCEDURE

1)The GM, Managers and the EHS Officer shall participate in the mapping of external and internal interested parties’ expectations and needs that are relevant to the QEHS Management system; and

2)Identify which of these expectations and needs become the organisation’s compliance obligations.

3)The output shall be maintained as documented information and used as a reference when planning the organisation’s QEHS objectives.

4)EHS Officer shall use this output above to develop and maintain appropriate Legal Registers (Appendix A, B, C, D ,E).  These registers are the organisation’s access to knowledge which  contributes to its ability to fulfil its compliance obligations and include:

Legislation related to Workplace Safety and Health;

Legislation related to Environmental Protection;

Legislation related to Fire Safety;

Applicable Codes of Practices;

Applicable organization’s Group’s Policies (e.g., esponsible Care Rules, etc);

•Non-regulatory Guidelines, etc

5)He / She shall update the Legal Register periodically, at least on a yearly basis.

6)Where there are new or impending changes which would impact the organisation’s ability to fulfil its compliance obligations, the EHS Officer shall report to the GM and all relevant Managers and provide advice (if necessary) on action to be taken. 

7)The respective Managers  shall regularly keep track of changes to legal and other requirements via various media and approaches, e.g. 

•Monitoring of local press

•Updating services offered by external companies/bodies

•Regular contact with relevant regulatory bodies, e.g. NEA, MOM

8)If there are changes in legislation or introduction of new legislation, the respective Manager shall keep each other informed by circulation of relevant information

9)The respective Manager shall also maintain a file on permits/licences which are under his/her purview.  

10)The respective permit or licence holders shall ensure that the permits or licences under their responsibility are renewed accordingly and an updated copy submitted to the EHS Officer for consolidation  and maintained in the organisation’s shared network.

11)Managers shall ensure that relevant information on legal and EHS requirements are communicated and understood by their staff through such means but not limited to:

• Work instructions during on-the-job training;
• Normal job duties;
• Circulation of internal information;
• Operational Control Procedure/Safe Work Procedure;
• Toolbox meetings, etc

12)Besides communication to staff, the Management shall also ensure that relevant information on legal and EHS requirements are communicated to interested parties through such means but not limited to:Meetings, circulars, e-mails, advertisements, etc.

The EHS Officer shall develop a plan to evaluate fulfilment of the organisation’s compliance obligations  on an annual basis or at shorter intervals through one or more of the following methods:

• monitoring of operational control procedures to ensure all the relevant requirements are being adhered to;
• monitoring of EHS programmes to achieve compliance, where the programmes are defined;
• conducting periodic monitoring and measurements;
• regular inspections by the responsible personnel; or
• carrying out compliance audits once every 12 months 

14)Where a non-compliance is discovered, it is the responsibility of the Manager to take the necessary follow-up action and raised an Investigation on Non-conformity and Corrective Action Report 

WSH Act - Duties of Person At Work

GENERAL DUTIES OF PERSONS AT WORKPLACES

Duties according to different capacities

10.To avoid doubt, it is declared that —

(a)a person may at any one time be 2 or more of the following:

(i)an employer;

(ii)a contractor;

(iii)a subcontractor;

(iv)a principal;

(v)a self-employed person;

(vi)an occupier of a workplace;

(vii)a designer, manufacturer or supplier of any machinery, equipment or hazardous substance for use at work;

(viii)an erector, installer or a modifier of machinery or equipment for use at work;

(ix)an owner, a hirer or lessee of machinery moved by mechanical power or a person who maintains such machinery for use at work,

and this Act may impose duties or liabilities on the person accordingly;

(b)this Act may at any one time impose the same duty or liability on 2 or more persons, whether in the same capacity or in different capacities; and

(c)a duty or liability imposed by this Act on any person is not diminished or affected by the fact that it is imposed on one or more other persons, whether in the same capacity or in different capacities.

Duty of occupier of workplace

11.  It is the duty of every occupier of any workplace to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures to ensure that —

(a)the workplace;

(b)all means of access to or egress from the workplace; and

(c)any machinery, equipment, plant, article or substance kept on the workplace,are safe and without risks to health to every person within those premises, whether or not the person is at work or is an employee of the occupier.

Duties of employers

12.—(1)  It is the duty of every employer to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure the safety and health of the employer’s employees at work.

(2) It is the duty of every employer to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure the safety and health of persons (not being the employer’s employees) who may be affected by any undertaking carried on by the employer in the workplace.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), the measures necessary to ensure the safety and health of persons at work include —

(a)providing and maintaining for those persons a work environment which is safe, without risk to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work;

(b)ensuring that adequate safety measures are taken in respect of any machinery, equipment, plant, article or process used by those persons;

(c)ensuring that those persons are not exposed to hazards arising out of the arrangement, disposal, manipulation, organisation, processing, storage, transport, working or use of things —

(i)in their workplace; or

(ii)near their workplace and under the control of the employer;

(d)developing and implementing procedures for dealing with emergencies that may arise while those persons are at work; and

(e)ensuring that those persons at work have adequate instruction, information, training and supervision as is necessary for them to perform their work.

(4) Every employer must, where required by the regulations, give to persons (not being the employer’s employees) the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which the employer conducts the employer’s undertaking as might affect their safety or health while those persons are at the employer’s workplace.

Duties of self-employed persons

13.—(1) It is the duty of every self-employed person (whether or not he or she is also a contractor or subcontractor) to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure the safety and health of persons (not being the self‑employed person’s employees) who may be affected by any undertaking carried on by the self‑employed person in the workplace.

(2) Every self-employed person must, where required by the regulations, give to persons (not being the self‑employed person’s employees) the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which the self‑employed person conducts his or her undertaking as might affect their safety or health while those persons are at the self‑employed person’s workplace.

Duties of principals

14.—(1) Subject to subsection (2), it is the duty of every principal to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure the safety and health of —

(a)any contractor engaged by the principal when at work;

(b)any direct or indirect subcontractor engaged by such contractor when at work; and

(c)any employee employed by such contractor or subcontractor when at work.

(2)The duty imposed on the principal in subsection (1) only applies where the contractor, subcontractor or employee mentioned in that subsection is working under the direction of the principal as to the manner in which the work is carried out.

(3) It is the duty of every principal to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure the safety and health of persons (other than a person referred to in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) working under the principal’s direction) who may be affected by any undertaking carried on by the principal in the workplace.

(4) For the purposes of subsection (1), the measures necessary to ensure the safety and health of persons at work include —

(a)providing and maintaining for those persons a work environment which is safe, without risk to health, and adequate as regards facilities and arrangements for their welfare at work;

(b)ensuring that adequate safety measures are taken in respect of any machinery, equipment, plant, article or process used by those persons;

(c)ensuring that those persons are not exposed to hazards arising out of the arrangement, disposal, manipulation, organisation, processing, storage, transport, working or use of things —

(i)in their workplace; or

(ii)near their workplace and under the control of the principal;

(d)developing and implementing procedures for dealing with emergencies that may arise while those persons are at work; and

(e)ensuring that those persons at work have adequate instruction, information, training and supervision as is necessary for them to perform their work.

(5) Every principal must, where required by the regulations, give to persons (other than a person referred to in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) working under the principal’s direction) the prescribed information about such aspects of the way in which the principal conducts the principal’s undertaking as might affect their safety or health while those persons are at the principal’s workplace.

Additional duties of principals in relation to contractors

14A.—(1)  It is the duty of every principal to take, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure that any contractor engaged by the principal on or after 1 September 2011 —

(a)has the necessary expertise to carry out the work for which the contractor is engaged by the principal to do; and

(b)has taken adequate safety and health measures in respect of any machinery, equipment, plant, article or process used, or to be used, by the contractor or any employee employed by the contractor.

[18/2011]

(2)  The duty imposed on every principal under subsection (1)(a) includes ascertaining that the contractor engaged by the principal and any employee of the contractor —

(a)have sufficient experience and training to carry out the work for which the contractor is engaged by the principal to do; and

(b)have obtained any necessary licence, permit, certificate or any other document in order to carry out the work for which the contractor is engaged by the principal to do.

[18/2011]

(3)  The duty imposed on every principal under subsection (1)(b) includes ascertaining that the contractor engaged by the principal —

(a)has conducted a risk assessment in relation to the safety and health risks posed to any person who may be affected by the work for which the contractor is engaged by the principal to do; and

(b)has informed any person who may be affected by the work for which the contractor is engaged by the principal to do of the nature of the risk involved in the work and any measure or safe work procedure which is implemented at the workplace.

[18/2011]

(4) In any proceedings for an offence under this section, it is not a defence for the principal to prove that the principal has taken, so far as is reasonably practicable, such measures as are necessary to ensure compliance with this section solely by providing directly or indirectly, by a term in a contract with the principal’s contractor, that the contractor has complied with or will comply with the requirements mentioned in paragraph (a) or (b) of subsection (1).

[18/2011]

(5) In this section, “risk assessment” means the process of evaluating the probability and consequences of injury or illness arising from exposure to an identified hazard, and determining the appropriate measure for risk control.

[18/2011]

(6)  Section 14 does not limit the duty of a principal under this section.

[18/2011]

Duties of persons at work

15.—(1) It is the duty of every person at work —

(a)to use in such manner so as to provide the protection intended, any suitable appliance, protective clothing, convenience, equipment or other means or thing provided (whether for his or her use alone or for use by him or her in common with others) for securing his or her safety, health and welfare while at work; and

(b)to cooperate with his or her employer or principal and any other person to such extent as will enable his or her employer, principal or the other person (as the case may be) to comply with the provisions of this Act.

(2) A person at work must not wilfully or recklessly interfere with or misuse any appliance, protective clothing, convenience, equipment or other means or thing provided (whether for his or her use alone or for use by him or her in common with others) pursuant to any requirement under this Act for securing the safety, health or welfare of persons (including himself or herself) at work.

(3) Any person at work who, without reasonable cause, wilfully or recklessly does any act which endangers the safety or health of himself or herself or others shall be guilty of an offence.

(4) Any person at work who, without reasonable cause, does any negligent act which endangers the safety or health of himself or herself or others shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable upon conviction to a fine not exceeding $30,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

[18/2011]

(5) Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Duties of manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment or hazardous substances used at work

16.—(1) Subject to this section, it is the duty of any person who manufactures or supplies any machinery, equipment or hazardous substance for use at work to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable —

(a)that the following information about the safe use of the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is available to any person to whom the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is supplied for use at work:

(i)the precautions (if any) to be taken for the proper use and maintenance of the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance;

(ii)the health hazards (if any) associated with the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance; and

(iii)the information relating to and the results of any examinations or tests of the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance under paragraph (c) that are relevant to its safe use;

(b)that the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is safe, and without risk to health, when properly used;

(c)that the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is examined and tested so as to comply with the obligation imposed by paragraph (b).

(2) The duties imposed on any person specified in subsection (1) —

(a)apply only if the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is manufactured or supplied in the course of trade, business, profession or undertaking carried on by the person, whether for profit or not;

(b) apply whether or not the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is exclusively manufactured or supplied for use by persons at work; and

(c) extend to the supply of the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance by way of sale, transfer, lease or hire and whether as principal or agent, and to the supply of the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance to a person for the purpose of supply to others.

(3)  The duties imposed on any person specified in subsection (1) do not apply to a person by reason only that the person supplies the machinery or equipment under a hire-purchase agreement, conditional sale agreement or credit-sale agreement to another (called in this section the customer) in the course of a business of financing the acquisition of the machinery or equipment by the customer from others.

(4)  Where a person (called in this subsection the ostensible supplier) supplies any machinery or equipment for use at work to a customer under a hire-purchase agreement, conditional sale agreement or credit-sale agreement, and the ostensible supplier —

(a) carries on the business of financing the acquisition of goods by others by means of such agreements; and

(b) in the course of that business acquired an interest in the machinery or equipment supplied to the customer as a means of financing its acquisition by the customer from a third person (called in this subsection the effective supplier),

the effective supplier is treated for the purposes of this section as supplying the machinery or equipment to the customer instead of the ostensible supplier, and any duty imposed by subsection (1) on a supplier accordingly applies to the effective supplier, and not to the ostensible supplier.

(5)  Where a person designs, manufactures or supplies any machinery, equipment or hazardous substance for use at work and does so for or to another on the basis of a written undertaking by that other to take specified steps sufficient to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the machinery, equipment or hazardous substance will be safe and without risk to health when properly used, the undertaking has the effect of relieving the firstmentioned person from the duty imposed by subsection (1)(b) to such extent as is reasonable having regard to the terms of the undertaking.

(6)  Any person required under subsection (1)(c) to ensure that any machinery, equipment or hazardous substance is examined and tested so as to comply with the obligation imposed by subsection (1)(b) is regarded as having complied with subsection (1)(c) to the extent that —

(a) the examination or test has already been carried out otherwise than by, or on behalf of, the person; and

(b) it is reasonable for the person to rely on that examination or test.

(7)  For the purposes of this section, an absence of safety, or a risk to health, is to be disregarded insofar as the case in or in relation to which it would arise is shown to be one the occurrence of which could not reasonably be foreseen.

(8)In this section, “supplier”, in relation to any machinery, equipment or hazardous substance, does not include a manufacturer of those items when supplying, but includes an importer when supplying those items.

(9) This section applies only to machinery, equipment or hazardous substances specified in the Fifth Schedule.

Duties of persons who erect, install or modify machinery or equipment and persons in control of machinery for use at work

17.—(1) It is the duty of any person who erects, installs or modifies any machinery or equipment for use at work to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the machinery or equipment is erected, installed or modified in such a manner that it is safe, and without risk to health, when properly used.

(2)The duty imposed on a person erecting, installing or modifying any machinery or equipment under subsection (1) applies only if the machinery or equipment is erected, installed or modified in the course of the person’s trade, business, profession or undertaking.

(3) Any person required under subsection (1) to ensure that any machinery or equipment is erected, installed or modified in such a manner that it is safe, and without risk to health, when properly used is regarded as having complied with that subsection to the extent that —

(a)the person ensured, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the erection, installation or modification was in accordance with the information supplied by the designer, manufacturer or supplier of the machinery or equipment regarding its erection, installation or modification; and

(b)it is reasonable for the person to rely on that information.

(4) Where any machinery moved by mechanical power is used in any workplace, then despite anything in this Act, it is the duty of the owner of the machinery to ensure —

(a)so far as is reasonably practicable, that the machinery is maintained in a safe condition; and

(b)that the precautions (if any) to be taken for the safe use of the machinery and the health hazards (if any) associated with the machinery are available to any person using the machinery.

(5) Where the owner of any machinery moved by mechanical power has entered into a contract of hire or lease with a hirer or lessee, the duty imposed under subsection (4) applies to the hirer or lessee of the machinery instead of the owner.

(6) Where the owner, hirer or lessee of any machinery moved by mechanical power has entered into a contract with another person to maintain the machinery, the duty under subsection (4)(a) applies to that other person instead of the owner, hirer or lessee of the machinery.

(7)Subsections (1), (2) and (3) apply only to machinery or equipment specified in Part 1 of the Fifth Schedule.

Other related duties of occupiers and employers

18.—(1)  An employer must not —

(a)deduct, or allow to be deducted, from the sum contracted to be paid by the employer to any of the employer’s employees; or

(b)receive, or allow any agent of the employer to receive, any payment from any employee of the employer,

in respect of anything to be done or provided by the employer in accordance with this Act in order to ensure the safety, health or welfare of any of the employer’s employees at work.

(2) An employer must not dismiss or threaten to dismiss an employee because the employee —

(a)has assisted (whether by the giving of information or otherwise) an inspector, authorised person or any other public authority in the conduct of any inspection or investigation under this Act for a breach or an alleged breach of this Act, or proposes to do so;

(b)has in good faith sought the assistance of, or made a report to an inspector or authorised person in relation to a safety and health matter, or proposes to do so;

(c)is performing the employee’s duties in good faith as a member of a workplace safety and health committee; or

(d)has complied with an order made under section 21 or otherwise complied with this Act, or proposes to do so.

(3)  The occupier of a workplace must cause to be kept in the workplace the following records:

(a)every document issued in respect of the workplace by the Commissioner under the provisions of this Act;

(b)a copy of every notice furnished to the Commissioner as required under this Act; and

(c)all reports and particulars prepared in respect of the workplace under this Act.

(4) Any occupier of a workplace must —

(a)ensure that the records mentioned in subsection (3) are kept for at least 5 years from the date the records were made or such other period as may be prescribed; and

(b)whenever required to do so within that period, produce and make available to an inspector for inspection a copy of the records.

(5)  Any person who contravenes subsection (1) or (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

(6)  Any person who contravenes subsection (3) or (4) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $2,000.

Duties of occupiers of common areas

19.—(1)  For the purposes of subsection (2), where a building comprises one or more workplaces, any common property or limited common property of the building (called in this section the common area) which is used by persons at work in any such workplace or is used by such persons to move through is treated as part of their workplace.

(2)  It is the duty of the occupier of the common area to comply with any provision of this Act with respect to —

(a)electric generators and motors located in the common area;

(b)hoists and lifts, lifting gear, lifting appliances and lifting machines located in the common area;

(c)means of access into or egress from the common area; and

(d)any machinery or plant located in the common area which belongs to or is supplied by the owner or occupier of the common area.

(3)  In this section —

“common property” and “limited common property” have the meanings given by the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act 2004;

“occupier”, in relation to a common area, includes the management corporation or subsidiary management corporation (as the case may be) having control of that common area.

Offence of breaching duty under this Part

20. In the event of any contravention of any provision in this Part which imposes a duty on a person, that person shall be guilty of an offence.