News

Feedback on Draft National Workplace Safety and Health Strategy 
Posted on Thursday, July 13, 2006 - 07:00 PM

Workplace Safety and Health Advisory Committee ('WSHAC') and the Ministry of Manpower ('MOM') are co-developing the first National Workplace Safety and Health Strategy for Singapore. This strategy is currently in the drafting stage. WSHAC and MOM would like to invite views and feedback on the draft strategy. Based on feedback received from various industries, WSHAC and the MOM hope to develop a comprehensive strategy towards attaining their target of halving work-related fatalities to 2.5 fatalities per 100,000 by 2015.

Introduction

Over the past few decades, Singapore has achieved significant improvements in Workplace Safety and Health (WSH). Yet, fatalities and injuries continue to happen at our workplace. Since 2000, our industrial accident rate has been stagnating at around 2.2 accidents per million man-hours worked. The collapse of the Nicoll Highway along with two other major industrial accidents in 2004 which claimed a total of 13 lives is a stern reminder that more needs to be done in order to protect our workers.

In 2004, around 5 out of 100,000 workers were killed locally in workplace accidents. In comparison, this rate is more than double the rate in the more developed countries. Clearly we are lagging behind and more needs to be done to reach the standards of the developed countries. We will only be able to make incremental improvements if we continue with the same approach, hence a fundamental reform to our WSH framework is needed.

Why the Strategy?

With the unveiling of the new WSH framework in Mar 2005 and the introduction of the Workplace Safety and Health Act on 1 March 2006, WSH in Singapore has moved into a new phase of development. As mentioned by the Minister for Manpower during the second reading of the Workplace Safety and Health Bill on 17 January 2006,

“…While the passage of time may have lessened the pain, we must not forget the lessons learnt. If there can be any good from the tragic loss of lives, then let it be this – a constant reminder to us all that we ignore safety and health risks at our peril and to move us from platitudes to action, to create structures that will shape better behaviour and outcomes at the workplace…”

Although the Workplace Safety and Health Act is a key instrument to effect a cultural change under the new WSH framework, it is not the solution. To achieve a quantum improvement and sustain continuous improvement in our WSH standards, Singapore needs to take a national, strategic and a long term approach towards workplace safety and health.

About the Strategy

This strategy crystallises the national vision, the strategic outcomes and strategies over the next 10 years. It is developed based on the foundation of new WSH framework and aims to synergise the efforts and resources of all stakeholders to achieve a safer and healthier workplace for Singapore.

The strategy articulates a vision of “A safe and healthy workplace for everyone; and a country renowned for best practices in workplace safety and health”. The end outcomes we hope to achieve are: Reduction in occupational fatalities and injuries rate; Workplace safety and health is an integral part of business; and Singapore is a Centre of Excellence for WSH. To realise these outcomes, we have mapped out four strategies as follows:

1. Build strong capability to manage workplace safety and health.
This would, for instance, entail developing a competency framework for the industry, developing WSH professionals, building capabilities in risk management and establishing good quality WSH training providers.

2. Implement an effective regulatory framework.
This would, for example, include initiatives such as developing targeted strategic enforcement programmes and reviewing legislations.

3. Promote the benefits of workplace safety and health and recognise best practices.
This would, for instance, include initiatives such as enhancing the WSH recognition framework, rolling out industry-led WSH outreach programmes to bring the WSH message to a wider audience, as well as disseminating timely information on WSH.

4. Develop strong partnerships both locally and internationally.
This would, for example, entail enhancing the capabilities of the WSH Advisory Committee, and establishing an International Advisory Panel of experts to critique on the development of WSH strategies and standards.

A copy of the draft National Workplace Safety and Health Strategy can be downloaded at www.mom.gov.sg .