Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Drop in Workplace Injuries & Occupational Diseases - WSH Bulletin

22 Mar 2010

2009 WSH Statistics Report Show Overall Drop in Workplace Injuries and Occupational Diseases

The WSH Council and MOM have announced the 2009 WSH Statistics Report which shows a drop in occupational diseases and workplace injuries reported across the board for 2009. The number of occupational diseases fell by over 45% and the total number of work injuries dropped by 2.1%. This is the first drop in overall work injuries reported since 2006.

The number of fatalities saw a 4.5% increase, and the fatality rate increased from 2.8 deaths per 100,000 persons to 2.9 in 2009. This is the first increase since 2005 and underscores the need to strengthen efforts on preventing workplace fatalities. There was also a 3.3% increase in actual man-days lost due to serious incidents. The traditional sectors like construction and marine sectors accounted for most of the fatalities (63%) in 2009 though new sectors such as hotel and landscape also saw 10 fatalities, up from zero in 2008.

WSH Council Chairman Lee Tzu Yang highlighted that while overall number of work injuries are down, the Council is concerned about the increase in work fatalities. He added that the Council will pay attention to both higher hazard sectors such as construction and marine, as well as less familiar sectors such as hotels and other service activities. As WSH and productivity are closely intertwined, having safer practices and outcomes will also contribute to productivity gains. As such, the WSH Council urged the industry to take a relook at their WSH practices and keep workers safe at work, while driving productivity.

MOM’s Commissioner for WSH Ho Siong Hin added that MOM will focus enforcement checks in areas of concern and urged both employers and employees to do their part to ensure workplace safety.

For the media release and the WSH Report 2009, please click HERE.

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Kay Lim Construction ordered to stop work after crane accident - CNA

17 Mar 2010

SINGAPORE : The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has ordered Kay Lim Construction to stop work at the site where a crane accident killed one worker and injured three others on Wednesday evening.

The ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Division responded immediately to the crane incident at the construction worksite in Punggol Central.

Preliminary investigations showed that five workers were dismantling a tower crane when the boom of the crane gave way and fell to the ground.

One worker was killed. The 32-year-old Malaysian was extricated by SCDF officers and was pronounced dead by paramedics at 6.05pm.

Three other foreign workers - a Thai, a Chinese and a Bangladeshi - were injured and were sent to Changi General Hospital for observation.

- CNA/al

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

WSH Alert – 2 Workers Killed in a Chemical Explosion - WSH Bulletin

8 Mar 2010

Incident

On 23 Jan 2010, an explosion caused the roof of an atmospheric Diethylene Glycol (DEG) storage tank to be blown off. Two workers who were installing nitrogen pipelines on the tank roof at the time of the accident were killed. Investigation is still in progress.

Figure 1: The DEG storage tank, which is about 6m in diameter and 20m high.

Figure 2: Roof of the tank that was blown off and landed on a field outside the premises.

Recommendations

1. Conduct risk assessment: Prior to the start of work, a risk assessment should be carried out to determine the potential hazards and risks that might arise during the installation or replacement of a piping system. DEG has a flash point of 138 ºC (closed cup) and 143 ºC (open cup). Control measures and safe work procedures must be established to mitigate the risks, and be communicated and implemented to ensure the safety and health of the workers involved. Some of the hazards relevant to this incident include:

a) Excessive built-up of pressure in storage tank due to faulty breather valves
b) Hazards associated with hot work
c) Falls from height while working on top of the tank

2. Ensure proper supervision: It is important to ensure that any pipe replacement works are carried out under the close supervision of a competent person with adequate knowledge of the storage system, properties of the substances used and their associated dangers.

3. Establish safe work procedures: Safe work procedures must be appropriately documented to enable workers to identify the valves correctly, and to assist them on the proper steps to operate the different valves safely such that valves will not be opened or closed erroneously.

4. Inspect vessels / pipes regularly: Under the Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations, it is the duty of the owner of a pressure vessel or pipes that contain or convey hazardous substances to ensure that they are properly inspected before use. Thus it is important to inspect the valves, piping systems and storage tanks regularly to ensure that they are in good condition. Faulty valves must be reported to the supervisor who will assess if it is safe to continue with the work.

5. Check storage pressure: Workers are allowed to work on top of a storage tank only if the pressure inside the tank is known and it is safe for them to do so. Appropriate pressure gauges should be installed at strategic locations to indicate the pressure within. Whenever practicable, pressurised tanks should be purged to safe atmospheric pressure level before works are carried out at the top of the tank.

Further Information

1. Singapore Standard SS 532: 2007 Code of Practice for the Storage of Flammable Liquids
2. Singapore Standard SS 586 – 3 : 2008 - Specification for hazard communication for hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods - Preparation of safety data sheets (SDS)
3. Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations
4. Ministry of Manpower’s Risk Assessment Guidelines. Click HERE.
5. Ministry of Manpower’s guidelines on Prevention and Control of Chemical Hazards. Click HERE.
6. WSH Council’s Technical Advisory for Flammable Hazardous Substances. Click HERE.

Friday, March 5, 2010

Guidance for Safety and Health Management System - WSH Bulletin

4 Mar 2010

The new Workplace Safety and Health (Safety and Health Management System and Auditing) Regulations has taken effect on 1 March 2010. This set of new Regulations aims to enhance the effective implementation of Safety and Health Management Systems (SHMS) at workplaces by strengthening the auditing of such systems.

The WSH (Safety & Health Management System and Auditing) Regulations requires the SHMS to be implemented in accordance with any Singapore Standard relating to SHMSs or such other standards, codes of practice or guidance issued or approved by the Workplace Safety and Health Council. In view of this, the Workplace Safety and Health Council has identified relevant standards, codes of practice and guidance materials relating to SHMS as reference for the industries. These references would provide practical assistance in the development, implementation, audit and review of the SHMS. The references include, but are not limited to, the following:

SS 506: Part 1: 2009
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Management Systems - Part 1: Requirements

SS 506: Part 2: 2009
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Management Systems - Part 2: Guidelines for the Implementation of SS 506: Part 1: 2009

SS 506: Part 3: 2006
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Management System - Part 3: Requirements for the Chemical Industry

CP 79: 1999
Code of Practice for Safety Management System for Construction Worksites

Hardcopies of the SS-CPs are available at the WSH Council office for public inspection. Alternatively, they can be purchased from SPRING’s appointed sales vendor – Toppan Leefung Pte Ltd (previously known as SNP Corporation Pte Ltd)

Click HERE for Guidelines on the Implementation of Safety Management System for the Metalworking Industry

Click HERE for Workplace Safety & Health Manual for Marine Industries

You may refer HERE for some frequently-asked-questions (FAQs) related to SHMS.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Company and Director Fined $70,000 for Fatal Accident - WSH Bulletin

2 Mar 2010

A company and its director were convicted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (Cap. 354A), and fined a total of S$70,000. One of the company's worker suffered injuries in a flash fire on 20 May 2008 and died.

The deceased worker started work with the company about two weeks before the incident. He was performing gas cutting works using an Oxy-Acetylene gas cutting torch in the factory. At the same area, drums were being pressed for disposal. During the cutting works, a flash fire broke out. The worker suffered extensive burns, and died in the hospital 10 days later.

Investigations found leaks at the valves of the oxygen and acetylene cylinders of the torch, as well as between the connection of the hose and gas torch. The company failed to maintain the hot works equipment and conduct adequate checks before allowing workers to use them.

The company was found to have failed in implementing adequate safety measures in the use of an Oxy-Acetylene gas cutting torch and the pressing of drums while the director was found to have failed to exercise due diligence in ensuring that there were adequate safety measures for the work.

The news is taken from Channel News Asia HERE.