It is essential for organization to determine what are the relevant WSH legislation and the amendments applicable to their organization, taking into account of the organization’s activities, products, services, premises and size, etc. In addition organization need to determine how the legal requirements and the amendments impact on them and what are the required actions to meet the applicable legal requirements and ensure compliance and this is usually done through the compilation of a WSH legal register
The WSH legal register is a document that contain information on the legal obligations pertaining to the organization context and its people , specific activity or product or service, as well as relevant to the organization occupational safety and health hazards and its environmental aspects and the management of information to assist with achieving the legal compliance
In summary, a legal register should include:
- List of legal and other requirements applicable to the organization
- Organization activities, products, services for which the requirements apply
- Indication of currency of the register, such as date of review
In addition an organization shall also identify what are the local government agency advisory resources for WSH legal and other requirements which are applicable to the organization because they are legal binding, meaning that the organization can be prosecuted or compounded for failure to comply with required applicable WSH legal and other legal requirements
Organization can make use of external sources to help them identify what are the relevant applicable OH &S legislative or other requirements applicable to their context and this include:
- Online resources
- Regulatory bodies
- Trade associations
- Paid legal services
- OH &S institutes
- OH&S consultants
- Singapore Standards eshop
When the WSH advisory resources have been identified, organization shall collect information relevant to their context, compile and document the legal register that list the applicable WSH legal requirements in accordance with the organizational procedures
Following the identification of the relevant WSH Regulations and other legal requirements, the organization have to include them in it’s compliance obligation procedure on how it can access the legal or other requirement. Ensure changes are identified that affect the applicability of legal or other requirements relevant to it’s OH&S hazards.
Organization also need to establish procedure to identify who should receive information on legal or other requirements, and ensure that relevant information is communicated to them through either the monthly safety committee meeting or during board of directors meeting.
