The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH)

Singapore isn’t an exception. In 2004, Singapore suffered from a 4.9 workplace fatality rate - meaning every 5 people out of a hundred thousand passed from their work each year.

The Singaporean government started the promotion of the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) to bring the numbers of workplace injuries and fatalities down. The WSH is an approach to making potentially dangerous work activities more suitable for work and less dangerous. To achieve this, the Singaporean government implemented the WSH Act.

The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA)

The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) is an act aiming to promote the ideals of the WSH and essentially enforce the maintenance of workplace safety. Enacted in 2006, the WSHA has been protecting the safety, health, and wellbeing of all workers in Singapore. According to the Singapore Government’s Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the WSHA is to:

“Reduce risk at the source by requiring all stakeholders to remove or minimize the risk they create.”

“Encourage industries to adopt greater ownership of safety and health outcomes.”

“Impose higher penalties for poor safety management and outcomes.”

The WSHA’s predecessor, the Factories Act, stood for the same cause as the WSHA. The Factories Act was only exclusive to industries like construction and marine, however, thus the replacement of the Factories Act.

Similar to the US’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the WSHA also places heavy responsibility on the employers. Conducting safety assessments and providing employees with sufficient training are only a fraction of an employer’s responsibility under the WSHA.

Of course, not ALL responsibilities fall onto the shoulders of the employer. One of the most distinct features of the WSHA is that it “places responsibilities on stakeholders who have it within their control to ensure safety at the workplace.”

This feature makes sure every person is ultimately responsible for the safety of themselves as well as those around them. Employees should follow workplace regulations, and most importantly, always use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The introduction of the WSHA completely renovated the working environment and the construction industry of Singapore. Although construction injuries and incidents are still present, the Singaporean construction scene has taken a big step towards construction safety.

In 2008, the MOM revised the WSHA and set a new goal to reach by 2018, naming the project “WSH 2018.” In 2018, another revision took place. Similarly, the MOM set another goal for the next decade, naming it “WSH 2028.” In the MOM’s official webpage for the WSH, it states “WSH technology is a key enabler to achieving the strategic outcomes in WSH 2028.”

The MOM has set their sights on technologies as the main tool to achieve the next milestone of WSH. Although potentially confusing, stakeholders should adapt to the said technologies to maintain a secure work environment for themselves and others.

WSH Technology

The MOM named various technologies that monitor and/or control various aspects and minimizes workplace risks. Specifically, the MOM sorted the technologies accordingly to the types of workplace incidents they prevent. Those being vehicular safety, construction and facilities management safety, and workforce health.

Vehicular Safety

Vehicular incidents are one of the most common yet the most fatal, especially with the heavy machineries that are common in sites. One of the most common technologies for vehicular safety is the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS).

According to Synopsis, “almost all vehicle accidents are caused by human error.” In fact, the ADAS achieves maintaining safety by reducing the amount of potential human error. An ADAS system requires the presence of a sensor, whether it be cameras or infrared sensors. This enables the technology to detect and prevent collisions with other vehicles, over-approaching pedestrians, overlooked blindspots, etc.

Another technology is the Driver Status Monitoring System (DSMS). Different from the ADAS, which monitors the surroundings, the DSMS monitors the driver. The DSMS deploys infrared sensors as well, to judge the driver’s alertness. If the system senses driver behavior that may cause potential danger, it alerts the driver and stops the vehicle if necessary.

The above technologies address common unsafe scenarios when operating vehicles, such as unsafe driver behavior and fatigue driving, and greatly reduces risks of injury.

Construction and Facilities Management Safety

Construction, in and of itself, is a high-risk industry to begin with. For this reason, many elements of a construction site have regulations of their own to make the work conditions safer. In Singapore, the MOM has chosen certain technologies to help stakeholders maintain safety in the work site.

Permit-to Work (PTW) is one of the key regulations for construction firms. It demands construction sites and stakeholders to first be qualified for various safety criteria before commencing work. In recent years, the Singaporean government started promoting the use of Electronic Permit-to Work (ePTW). The use of ePTW ensures that potential dangerous scenarios are as averted as possible.

The Periodic Facade Inspection (PFI) requires the facades of buildings “over 20 years and taller than 13 meters…to be inspected every 7 years.” Although this was done to ensure safety to the public, it created a greater demand for labor for work at height. To compensate for the demand, the MOM introduced the deployment of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), or in other words, drones. The use of drones completely eliminated any need for work at height, preventing workers from exposing themselves in danger.

Workforce Health

A construction job is dangerous not only because of the visible risks, but also the invisible ones. These factors may affect workplace health of on-site personnel.

A construction project often requires the use of motor equipment and heavy machinery. These tools produce excessive noise when operating. These noises, overtime, can affect the hearing of construction workers, especially in confined spaces. The MOM identifies this phenomenon as Noise Induced Deafness (NID).

According to MOM’s Workplace Safety and Health Report 2022 report, the number of reported cases of NID skyrocketed from 168 cases in 2021 to 624 cases in 2022. NID is a severe by-product of construction work that needs to be prevented.

One other similar threat is heat. In construction, tradespeople often have to work outdoors or work with heavy machinery. Either scenario, there is a tremendous amount of heat that can potentially cause heat injuries.

A solution that assists in resolving both of the risks is risk assessments through the use of detection equipment. Noise sensors and the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) meter can both help site managers identify parts of the site potentially has workplace hazards. Knowing this, stakeholders can take preventive measures such as equipping safety equipment like suitable hearing protectors to prevent NID, or ingesting ice slurry to cool down the body.

Benefits from WSH

Complying with the WSH brings forward numerous benefits.

Not a single employee wants to work with potential risks of losing their lives. A promising work environment allows employees to work without concerns, indirectly boosting productivity at work.

Help maintaining a safe work environment also helps the entire firm as well. An elaborate procedure of complying with the WSH and a low injury/fatality rate raise the brand image and reputation.

Conclusion

The WSH and WSHA play critical roles in elevating and maintaining Singapore’s workplace safety, especially in construction sites. As construction is a crucial industry, it is necessary to continue making construction a safer industry to work in.