BCA Singapore Escalator Accident

Singapore, 27 November 2023 – The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) received reports on 632 escalator incidents from January to October 2023, with a significant 97% (616 cases) attributed to user behaviour. Less than 3% (16 cases) were due to mechanical faults, such as the handrail stopping while the escalator was still in operation.

2.            The top 5 causes, which accounted for 65% of all escalator incidents, from January 2023 to October 2023 are:

a)    Users carrying bulky items: 17% of incidents occurred due to individuals struggling with large or heavy items including prams, luggage and shopping trolleys on escalators.

b)    Moving on escalator or not holding the handrail: 16% of incidents were caused by users either moving on the escalator or not holding onto the handrail.

c)    Users’ physical conditions: 12% of incidents were attributed to the user’s physical health conditions, e.g., riding the escalator when feeling unwell or dizzy.

d)    Lack of attention: 11% of incidents were a result of users being distracted, including the use of mobile phones while using escalators.

e)    Entrapment of shoes or body parts: 9% of the incidents were due to shoes or body parts getting trapped in the escalator steps, particularly among young children.

3.            Relating to the top cause of escalator incidents arising from carrying of bulky items, more than half of these incidents involved users aged 55 and above. This data underscores the need for more targeted initiatives to discourage individuals with bulky items from using escalators for their personal safety,

4.            "Making escalators safe for all users is a shared responsibility," said Mr. Teo Orh Hai, BCA’s Group Director for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Group. "Given the high rate of incidents linked to user behaviour, we urge everyone to be more aware and careful while using escalators. We will continue to work closely with the community and our industry partners to raise safety awareness, in particular among the elderly and parents of young children, as every user's conscious effort is key to ensuring their own safety and that of others around them."

5.            To enhance user safety, BCA has been working with the industry to implement safety solutions and raise public awareness on safe use of escalators. These efforts include:

·         Piloting the use of magnetic bollards with Frasers Property Singapore, to discourage users from riding the escalator with bulky items, especially prams and strollers. These magnetic bollards can be placed closer to escalator landings and are easy to install, adding to their flexibility in real-life applications. They can also be removed in case of emergencies.

·         Jointly supporting an escalator safety workshop with Frasers Property Singapore, organised by escalator manufacturer Schindler. This workshop, scheduled for 2 December 2023 at Century Square, is specifically designed to educate young children about safe practices on escalators. For more information, please refer here.

6.         With over 7,000 escalators across Singapore, it is crucial for individuals to use them responsibly, especially during high-traffic times like the upcoming festive season. Following simple escalator safety tips can prevent most escalator incidents:

Tips for Safe Use of Escalators

·         Hold on to the handrail and stand within the yellow lines on the escalator steps.

·         Be mindful when using escalators and avoid being distracted by mobile devices. 

·         Young children should always be accompanied and closely supervised by adults when on the escalator; make sure that they do not play or run on the escalator, or lean over the handrail.

·         Do not linger at the landing areas and obstruct other users.

·         Avoid leaning or standing too near to the sides of the escalators as clothing or soft footwear may get trapped between the gaps of the escalators.

·         Users with trolleys, prams, luggage, carrying heavy items, who have limited mobility, are intoxicated or feeling unwell, should use the lifts instead.

·         In the event of an escalator incident, the public is advised to press the emergency stop button and call for assistance immediately.

More information can be found on BCA’s website: https://www1.bca.gov.sg/public/safety-resources/lift-and-escalator-safety

7.            If members of the public come across problems with an escalator, they can contact the building owner or building managing agent. As an escalator owner, the building owner or managing agent must ensure that:

a)      The escalator is always maintained in proper working condition.

b)      Regular maintenance, examinations, inspections, and tests are conducted on the escalator, as required by the Regulations.

c)      The escalator is immediately shut down if there is any risk of it being dangerous or causing injury to users.

d)      Any incidents involving injuries or critical failures in the escalator's safety equipment are promptly reported to BCA. 

WSH Approved Code Of Practice

Workplace Safety and Health Approved Codes of Practice Notification 2023

The Workplace Safety and Health (Approved Codes of Practice) Notification 2023 was published on the Government Electronic Gazette on 17 November 2023. This new Notification will be effective from 27 November 2023 and the Workplace Safety and Health (Approved Codes of Practice) Notification 2022 will be revoked accordingly.

The number of Approved Codes of Practice (ACOPs) will stand at 100.

The new additions are:

• SS 683: 2022 Specification for ammonia refrigeration system in cold chain for food businesses

Part 1: Design, installation and commissioning

• SS 683: 2022 Specification for ammonia refrigeration system in cold chain for food businesses

Part 2: Operation, inspection, servicing and maintenance

• SS 683: 2022 Specification for ammonia refrigeration system in cold chain for food businesses

Part 3: Emergency response plan and the recovery process

• SS 684: 2022 Code of practice for container depot operations

• SS 691: 2022 Code of practice for shore-based mooring and unmooring activities 

The following ACOPs are updated to the latest revision:

• SS 548: 2022 Code of practice for the selection, use and maintenance of respiratory protective devices

• SS 551: 2022 Code of practice for earthing

• SS 570: 2022 Personal protective equipment for protection against falls from a height

Part 1: Single-point anchor devices

• SS 570: 2022 Personal protective equipment for protection against falls from a height

Part 2: Flexible horizontal lifeline systems

• SS 586: 2022 Specification for hazard communication for hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods

Part 2: Globally harmonised system of classification and labelling of chemicals – Singapore’s adaptations

• SS 586: 2022 Specification for hazard communication for hazardous chemicals and dangerous goods

Part 3: Preparation of safety data sheets (SDSs)

• SS ISO 21420: 2023 Protective gloves – General requirements and test methods

(Formerly SS EN 420) 

The electronic gazette is available at www.egazette.com.sg

WSH Guidelines - General Waste Management

New WSH Guidelines for General Waste Management

The Guidelines, launched during the WSH Forum for Waste Management Industry, provides practical WSH guidance for waste collectors and enhances their WSH knowledge to carry out waste collection safely.

Waste Management (WM) consists of collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, including the supervision of such operations and after-care of disposal sites. In the course of work, Waste Management workers are exposed to various risks relating to hazardous materials, slips, trips and falls as well as injuries from machinery use and heavy lifting.

Waste management workers are exposed to a wide range of hazards during their work, such as physical and mechanical risks that come with operating vehicles and machinery, to exposure to biological and environmental risks from waste collected from post-consumer, commercial and industrial activities.  

To assist the industry, the “WSH Guidelines for General Waste Management” was launched at the event. Developed by WMRAS in partnership with the WSH Council and supported by tripartite partners, the Guidelines provides practical WSH guidance for waste collectors and enhances their WSH knowledge to carry out waste collection safely.   

Companies to implement the necessary safety precautions and measures to safeguard workers’ physical and mental well-being. Risks assessments should be done, and proper safe work procedures established. Workers should be provided with adequate WSH training and appropriate personal protective equipment. There should also be an internal system for reporting safety lapses so that rectifications can be carried out promptly. Doing so can build a culture of safety and instil a greater sense of safety ownership for workers.  

To download a copy click 

Safe Transportation of Workers

 Safety Regulations for Lorries Ferrying Workers

Lorries cannot be used to transport passengers except for ferrying workers between their lodgings and workplace, if the following requirements are met:

The lorry must not travel faster than the road speed limit, or 60 km/h, whichever is lower.

Lorries used to ferry workers must be fitted with higher side railings and canopies with rain covers installed on all non-enclosed sides.

Higher side railings must be at least 700mm measured from the carriage deck and at least 300mm measured from the top of the side boards.

For light lorries1 , the height of the canopy structure must not exceed 1.35 times the height of the lorry's cabin when measured from the road surface.

For heavy lorries2, the height of the canopy structure must not exceed 3.2m when measured from the road surface (regardless of the height of the lorry's cabin).

All non-enclosed sides of the canopy must be installed with rain covers with at least one side being transparent.

1G-Plate lorries with maximum laden weight not exceeding 3,500 kg

2X or Y Plate lorries with maximum laden weight that exceed 3,500 kg 

Note: The height limits above is to ensure the stability of the vehicle. If the height limits above is exceeded, certification from a Professional Engineer is required. 

Examples of non-enclosed sides of the canopy

Example of a lorry installed with rain covers on all non-enclosed sides of the canopy, with at least one side being transparent.

Rain covers for lorries with rear power tail gate

For lorries with a rear power tailgate covering at least half the height of the canopy, a rain cover is not required to be installed on the rear canopy when it is non-enclosed. The remaining non-enclosed sides (e.g. left and right or front) of the canopy must continue to be installed with an opaque and a transparent rain cover.

Rain cover not required to be installed.

Rain cover must be installed.

The front passenger seat(s) in the lorry's cabin must first be occupied according to the passenger capacity reflected in the vehicle registration details (i.e. log card) before workers can be ferried on the rear carriage deck based on the following requirements:

Workers ferried on the rear carriage deck of lorries must be properly seated under the canopy and in a manner that would not cause them to fall off the vehicle.

No part of the seated worker can be more than 1.1m above the carriage deck.

The lorry must not carry an excess number of workers based on the minimum deck space requirement of 0.372m2 (4 square feet) per seated worker.

If goods or equipment are also transported, the number of workers that can be ferried is reduced according to the remaining floor area available.

Any goods transported must be properly secured so that they will not endanger the workers or other road users.

Determining Maximum Passenger Capacity

When determining the maximum passenger capacity of a lorry's rear carriage deck, the usable deck area should not include the area occupied by permanent fixtures such as toolboxes.

Example

A lorry with a permanent toolbox secured on the rear carriage deck has the following dimensions:

Lorry total deck area = 3.1m (Length) x 1.6m (Width) = 4.96m2

Area occupied by permanent toolbox = 1.6m x 0.65m = 1.04m2

Note: The maximum passenger capacity above is determined based on a lorry with an empty rear carriage deck with full canopy coverage.

Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label

If you use your lorries to carry workers, you must display a Maximum Passenger Capacity (MPC) label on the right side of the lorry's rear tailboard, showing the maximum number of workers that can be transported when the lorry is not carrying any goods.

Lorries registered before 1 January 2010 should continue to display an MPC label with white characters on a black background:

Lorries registered on or after 1 January 2010 should display an MPC label with black characters on a yellow background:

LTA and the Traffic Police may impose fines as well as demerit points for breaches of safety regulations for transporting workers on lorries.

For more information on the measures initiated by the government, please click here.

MOM had also published a set of tripartite advisory to provide practical guidance for the different stakeholders on the safe transportation of workers. Please click here for more information.

Singapore Bedbugs Cases

SINGAPORE: Major pest control firms here are reporting an increase in bedbugs infestation cases and predicting that there will be more to come.

Number of bedbugs enquires have been increasing steadily this could possible due to the holiday season being around the corner. In the past two months, some pest control services have seen an increased by around 40 per cent. 

Advising travellers before you sleep on the bed in the hotel room, make sure you check and look out for evidence of potential infestation.

“Bedbugs are excellent hitchhikers,” To prevent bedbugs infestation in your home is to soak clothes and other items in water hotter than 60 degrees Celsius after you returned from oversea trip.

“Personal hygiene is a very important factor. We just have to keep a lookout to places that we travel, especially in hotel rooms and the things that we are going to bring back from overseas,

BEDBUGS SAFETYY AWARENESS

Individuals  who are not hygienic are among those most at risk of bed bug infestation

“While bed bugs do feed on all humans, regardless whether they are clean or not, personal and also surrounding cleanliness can lower the risk when it comes to whether the bed bug is establishing the harbourage area or infestation.

Others at risk include people who live in cramped spaces which are also dirty, as well as those who travel frequently.

Speed Limiter Announcement

 Expansion of Speed Limiter Regime

To improve road safety, the Traffic Police (TP) will require lorries with a Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) of between 3,501kg and 12,000kg (inclusive) to be installed with speed limiters, which will ensure that these lorries do not go beyond the speed limit of 60km/h1.

This will be implemented in phases. Lorries in this category can begin installation from 1 January 2024.

Installation of Speed Limiters on Existing Lorries in Singapore

All lorries in Singapore — with a maximum laden weight (MLW) of between 3,501kg and 12,000kg — must soon be equipped with a speed limiter to ensure that they do not exceed the 60km per hour speed limit.

To reduce fatalities & injuries

The Traffic Police (TP) said in a statement on Nov. 3, 2023, that lorry owners can start installing the devices in 2024 and will be given up to three years to do so, depending on the MLW and registration date of the vehicle.

As of now, it is compulsory for goods vehicles with an MLW exceeding 12,000kg to have a speed limiter installed.

The speed limiter complements other measures intended to reduce fatalities and injuries among all road users, the TP said.

Timeline

For lorries registered before 2018, a speed limiter must be installed before 2026 if their MLW is between 5,001kg and 12,000kg. For those with an MLW of between 3,501kg and 5,000kg, it must be completed before July 2026

Newer lorries registered from 2018 will have to install the device before 2027 if the MLW of their vehicle is between 5,001kg and 12,000kg, and before July 2027 if the MLW is between 3,501kg and 5,000kg.

Speed limiters will also be required for imported lorries to be approved for use from 2026.

During the vehicle’s pre-registration, relevant documentation should be submitted to the Land Transport Authority.

The laws against tampering speed limiters, non-compliant speed limiters and unauthorised speed limiters will be reviewed, TP said.

Companies will have to apply to be an authorised agent online by Nov. 30 to supply, install, rectify, or perform inspections on speed limiters for lorries.

A list of authorised companies will be put up on the police website by Dec. 31, 2023.

Companies that are currently authorised to install speed limiters in other vehicles are also required to apply for an authorisation certificate.

Opt for electronic speed limiter

The TP is urging lorry owners to install an electronic control unit-based speed limiter, which is newer and likely to be less expensive.

But not all lorries are compatible with electronic control unit-based speed limiters.

Owners should consult the device installation companies.The alternative is the mechanical speed limiter.Agents authorised by TP will conduct a compliance check after installation to ensure the speed limiter is functioning properly.

The list of authorised agents will be made available at SPF’s website https://www.police.gov.sg/Advisories/Traffic/Traffic-Matters/Speed-Limiter-Authorised-Agents from 1 January 2024 onwards. Lorry owners should approach an Authorised Agent early to arrange for the installation of a speed limiter.

Companies that are keen to supply, install, rectify, or perform inspections on speed limiters will have to apply to be an Authorised Agent at https://go.gov.sg/tp-authorised-agent-application by 31 November 2023. Companies that are already authorised by TP to install speed limiters for other goods vehicles would also need to apply. TP will issue authorisation certificates to successful applicants by 31 December 2023

Requirement for Newly-Imported Lorries

From 1 January 2026, newly imported lorries with MLW between 3,501kg and 12,000kg (inclusive) must be equipped with speed limiters in order to be approved for use in Singapore. The relevant documentation should be submitted to the Land Transport Authority (LTA) when seeking pre-registration approval, to show that the lorry is compliant with TP’s speed limiter requirements.

Annex

Why do I need to install a Speed Limiter

The speed limiter regime aims to improve road safety and driving behaviour. It complements other measures intended to reduce fatalities and injuries among all road users.

Under Singapore’s laws, it is mandatory for speed limiters to be installed in the following categories of vehicles:

a. every goods vehicle having a MLW exceeding 12,000kg and which has, or if a speed limiter is not fitted to it would have, a maximum speed exceeding 60km/h; and

b. every public service vehicle having a MLW exceeding 10,000kg and which has, or if a speed limiter is not fitted to it would have, a maximum speed exceeding 60km/h.

Currently, lorries with a MLW between 3,501kg and 12,000kg (inclusive) are not required by law to have any speed management devices, or speed limiters. The law to have speed limiters will be expanded to all lorries in this weight category progressively over 1 January 2026 to 1 July 2027.

Who needs to install a Speed Limiter

All lorries with a Maximum Laden Weight (MLW) of between 3,501kg and 12,000kg (inclusive).

A speed limiter can only be fitted by an Authorised Agent (AA). An AA is one who undertakes any of the following services relating to speed limiters in Singapore –

(i) Supply;

(ii) Installation;

(iii) Rectification; or

(iv) Inspection of vehicles (fitted with an ECU-based speed limiter).

Only TP can issue authorisation certificates and appoint AAs.

What is a Speed Limiter

Speed limiters limit the maximum speed of a vehicle. In Singapore, it is already a requirement for goods vehicles with MLW above 12,000kg to be fitted with speed limiters and for goods vehicles with MLW not exceeding 3,500kg to be fitted with Speed Warning Devices (SWD). An SWD alerts the driver that he/she has exceeded the speed limit imposed on the vehicle that he is driving.

There are two types of speed limiters – mechanical and Electronic Control Unit (ECU)-based. The ECU-based speed limiter is a newer type of speed limiter. It is estimated to cost less than the mechanical speed limiter. Lorry owners are strongly encouraged to install an ECU-based speed limiter, and should check with AAs on whether their lorry is suitable for installing one. Should the lorry specifications not allow for the installation of such an ECU-based speed limiter, the lorry owner can opt to install a mechanical speed limiter instead.

When to install a Speed Limiter

You are encouraged to install a speed limiter at the earliest opportunity from 1 January 2024 onwards. The timeline is shown in the table below