Worker Drowned in a Trench

A worker was found submerged inside a half flooded deep trench which was meant for sewage pipe installation in a building under construction. He was brought to the hospital for treatment where he succumbed to his injuries.
Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had stopped all work activities at the accident scene. The occupier was instructed to review their existing work procedures related to the sewage pipe installation. Investigation is in progress.

MOM urges all occupiers to take ownership of safety and prevent workplace accidents. The Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations require all workplaces to conduct risk assessments to identify the source of risks, actions that should be taken and parties responsible for doing so. Safe work procedures must be instituted, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of workers.

Advisory Note(Please note that the following advisory note is provided for the benefit of enhancing workplace safety and health and in no way should the information be misconstrued as implying any liability on any party)
1. No person shall be permitted to enter any excavated area unless until it has been inspected and certified safe for entry by a designated person. All necessary protective measures such as sheet piling, shoring or other safeguards that may be necessary for his protection must be provided.
2. Work in open trench and excavation should stop in the event of a downpour. A designated person should check and monitor the banks and soil condition after the downpour to ascertain that it is safe to enter before allowing workers in.
3. Tools and other materials should not be placed near the edges of the trench in a manner that would endanger persons below. This could also contribute to tripping hazards where workers may trip and fall over.
4. Open sides of excavations should be guarded by adequate barricades and suitable warning signs should be put up at prominent spots.
5. Shores and braces should be of adequate dimensions for stiffness and should be placed so as to be effective for their intended purposes.
6. Safe means of access to and exit from trenches such as ladders, stairways or ramps should be provided.
7. Occupiers should develop an effective emergency plan responding to flash flood situations in trenches. There should also be set in place, a proper set of rescue procedures in trenches during an emergency.

(Extracted from MOM OSH Alert dated 26 March 2007)

Coping with Stress at the Workplace

Extracted from MOM OSH Alert, dated 19 March 2007

Challenges in the workplace can be seen in a positive light, motivating us to complete a task or solve a problem and with its resolution, a general sense of satisfaction helps us look forward to new responsibilities. But when these challenges become overwhelming then stress can become unbearable.
Workplace stress results from the inability of an employee to wield sufficient control over the demands of the job. Source of stress in the workplace can come from one or many events and affect both the employer and other employees.

Stress affects people in different ways: some become anxious or defensive while others become aggressive or excited. Some symptoms of stress are:-

• Fast heartbeats • Tense muscles • Headaches, stomach aches and diarrhea
• Being anxious and bad tempered all the time
• Acting in a defensive or aggressive manner • Feeling tired and having trouble concentrating
• Eating disorders-loss of appetite or overeating • Sleeplessness (insomnia)
• Migraine • Stomach ulcers • Skin rashes

If left untreated the above may even lead to diseases like high blood pressure, heart attack, depression, nervous breakdown or mental illness and worsening of asthma attacks.

Click HERE to find out how you could “Manage Stress Before It Manages You“, a booklet published by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) of Singapore.

Extension Coverage of Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act

Etracted from MOM OSH Alert, dated 19 March 2007

The WSH Act came into effect on 1 March 2006. Currently, its area of coverage includes general factories, construction sites and shipyards.
During the second reading of the WSH Bill in Parliament on 17 January 2006, Minister for Manpower announced that the coverage of the Act would be extended in stages, over the next three to five years, to all workplaces. The WSH Act aims to reduce risks at source by making stakeholders accountable for managing the risks they create and by taking practical steps to ensure the safety and health of workers.

From 1 March 2008, the WSH Act will extend its coverage to the following sectors:
1. Transportation Allied Services (Logistics, Freight Forwarding, Cargo Surveying Services)
2. Landscape Care and Maintenance Services (such as grass cutting)
3. Water Supply, Sewerage and Waste Management (such as refuse disposal)
4. Hotels and Restaurants
5. Health Care activities (such as hospitals)
6. Veterinary activities

Click HERE to subscribe OSH Alert.

Useful links on ESH legal requirements

For link to MOM website presenting the WSH Act and Subsidiary legislation, click here.

For recent updates on Acts and regulations, click here to access the eGazette website. Latest amendments on Acts and regulations will be available for 7 days.

For link to the National Environmental Agency for Acts and regulation on environmental matters, click here.

For access to online Acts, click here.

OSH Management Systems

There are different models of occuptional safety & health (OSH) management system available. When it comes to deciding which one to follow, one important factor is: What is the objective?

If the objective is Legal Compliance, there is a model presented by Ministry of Manpower, which is included in the WSH (General Provisions) Regulations 2006. As to date, this is compulsory for the following:

(a) factories engaged in the processing or manufacturing of petroleum, petroleum products, petrochemicals or petrochemical products;
(b) factories engaged in the manufacture of semiconductor wafers; and
(c) factories engaged in the manufacture of fabricated metal products, machinery or equipment and in which 100 or more persons are employed.

This model of the OSH mnagement system has the following elements:
1. Safety policy, including the allocation and delegation of responsibility for safety.
2. Safe work practices.
3. Safety training.
4. Group meetings.
5. Incident investigation and analysis.
6. In-house safety rules and regulations.
7. Safety promotion.
8. System for the evaluation, selection and control of contractors.
9. Safety inspections.
10. Maintenance regime.
11. Risk assessment.
12. Control of movement and use of hazardous chemicals.
13. Occupational health programmes.
14. Emergency preparedness.

Then, there is another model, based on OHSAS 18000 OSH Management System. This is applicable for companies who would like to implement an OSH Management System voluntarily (and sometimes specifically required by some customers). It is similar in structure to ISO 14000: Environmental Management System.

OHSAS 18001 - Occupational Health & Safety Management System

• Voluntary efforts on OH&S management applying PDCA
• Risk identification & control (Process management)
• Internal Safety Audits

Objectives of OHSMS

• Ensure continuity of activities by periodic audits by third parties
• System improvement based on professional recommendations
• Inspire reputation of the company as a safe company

Elements of OHSMS
General

• OHS Policy

Planning

• Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment and Risk Control
• Legal and Other Requirements
• OHS Objectives and Targets
• Management programme

Implementation & Operation

• Structure and Responsibility
• Training, Awareness and Competence
• Consultation and Communication
• Documentation Document and data Control
• Operation Control
• Emergency Preparedness and Response

Checking & Corrective Action

• Performance Measurement and Monitoring
• Records and Records management
• OHS Management Audit

Management Review

• OHS Management Review
  

Food Mixer Kills a Worker

This tragic accident took place during a food blending process in a food and beverage factory last year.
A worker, tasked to operate a blending machine, was found with his upper body severely mutilated within the mixing tank of a blending machine.

A stop work order was issued by MOM and the occupier was instructed to conduct risk assessments for all processes in the factory including the blending process.

MOM urges all occupiers to take greater ownership to prevent workplace accidents. The Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations requires all workplaces to conduct risk assessments to identify the source of risks, actions that should be taken and parties responsible for doing so. Safe work procedures must be instituted, communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of workers involved.

Advisory Note

(Please note that the following advisory note is provided for the benefit of enhancing workplace safety and health and in no way should the information is to be misconstrued as implying any liability on any party)
1. All dangerous parts of machinery & every part of transmission by pulley belts or gears shall be securely fenced, unless it is in such a position or so constructed as to be safe for all operators.
2. Where it is impracticable to securely fence a dangerous part of any machinery, workers must be prevented from coming into contact with the dangerous part while the machine is in operation.
3. Flywheels connected to prime movers & its moving parts must be securely fenced regardless of their positions.
4. Interlocking devices should be installed to stop the operation of the rotating mechanisms of the mixing tanks when the covers of the mixing tanks were opened.
5. Mixing tanks should be installed at a reasonable height above the walking/working platform to prevent workers from falling into the mixing tanks when the covers were opened.
6. Click HERE to download the Guide for Checking Safety Devices and Guarding for Metalworking Machinery published by the Ministry of Manpower.

(From MOM circlar,OSH Alert dated 5 March 2007)

Worker killed in excavation work

A fatal accident occurred in Jan 2006 at a worksite where a two-storey detached dwelling house with basement was under construction.
The accident occurred when a worker was constructing a new drain inside an excavation located in front of the said house. While the worker was leveling the concrete for the new drain, the brick wall, which was left behind from the old drain, collapsed from the side of the excavation and pinned him under it. The worker was killed on the spot.

>> Advisory Note (Please note that the advisory note is provided for the benefits of enhancing workplace safety and health, in no way the information is to be misconstrued as implying any liability on any party)
1) Prior to work commencement, risk assessment should be conducted in relation to the safety and health risks posed to any person who may be affected while carrying out the work. Safety measures should be implemented to provide a safe place of work for workers working in excavations. The safety measures include stepping up safety inspections on excavation which will affect the safety of the workers.
2) No person shall be permitted to enter into any excavation unless sheet piling, shoring or other safeguards had been provided.
3) Where any person is exposed to the hazards of falling or sliding material from any side of an excavation, adequate shoring shall be provided to eliminate the hazard.
4) Proper means of access and egress must be provided at readily accessible locations.
5) The excavation and its vicinity shall be checked by a designated person after every rainstorm or other hazard increasing occurrences.
6) The shoring for every excavation exceeding 4m deep must be constructed according to the design of a professional engineer. For the design, construction and methods of excavation, reference should be made to “CP 18: 1992 – Code of Practice for Earthwork.

Click here to access the information sheet on Safety in Excavations produced by the Health and Safety Executive of UK.

(From MOM circlar,OSH Alert dated 16 November 2006)

Accident Reporting to MOM

What, Who & When to notify and report to MOM























How to notify / make a report?
No longer have to submit hardcopy forms to MOM for the notification of workplace accidents. All reporting to be done through iReport, a one-stop e-service portal that allows you to report workplace accidents, incidents and occupational diseases. You can submit to both the WSHD and WICD at once.

Click HERE for more information on the reporting requirements and how to use iReport.