Workplace Safety And Health Report

More workplace deaths and close shaves in 2022; surge in cases of work-related health conditions: MOM

Among the "occupational diseases" reported, cases of noise-induced deafness more than tripled from 168 in 2021 to 624 in 2022.

SINGAPORE: The number of workplace fatalities, dangerous occurrences and cases of occupational disease in Singapore rose across the board in 2022, according to the annual Workplace Safety and Health Report released on Tuesday (Apr 4).

Published by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the report showed there were 46 workplace-related deaths last year - a rate of 1.3 per 100,000 workers. This was up from 37 in 2021 and the highest number of fatalities since 2015 and 2016, when there were 66 each year.

The top two causes were vehicular incidents and falls from a height, which together accounted for half of all workplace fatalities in 2022. The most number of cases, 14, occurred in the construction sector.

"The spate of workplace fatal injuries were largely due to basic safety lapses, such as inadequate safety planning and control measures, and non-compliance with safety measures," said MOM. 

The number of dangerous occurrences – incidents with a high potential for multiple fatalities, but where no one was injured – also more than doubled from 13 in 2021 to 27 in 2022. There were 46 such incidents reported in 2015. 

Among the incidents last year, 20 involved the collapse or failure of structures and equipment, with the remaining involving fires and explosions.

MOM attributed the spike last year to a rise in crane-related incidents in the construction sector, which again contributed the most - 56 per cent - of all dangerous occurrences.

The ministry pointed to a S$4 million grant announced in January, to co-fund the installation of stability control systems on lorry cranes.

MOM also said it was reviewing additional measures that would enhance crane operators' competency, and increase the deterrence of unsafe crane-related operations.

In response to the spate of workplace fatalities last year, a Heightened Safety Period (HSP) was implemented in September. It brought the monthly average of fatalities down from 4.5 to 2.5. 

Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said that while the construction sector has "seen improvements in reducing workplace accidents", the incidence of major injuries did not improve in some sectors such as manufacturing.

The HSP was thus extended until May 31 this year, and a Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce convened to come up with strategies to strengthen workplace safety.

"Overall, there was some improvement in the workplace safety landscape with the introduction of HSP, but continued vigilance is needed," said MOM. 

"Safety measures announced earlier in February are being implemented and will take effect in the coming weeks and months."

WORK-RELATED HEALTH CONDITIONS

Elsewhere, reported cases of occupational diseases rose from 659 in 2021 to a new high of 1,052 in 2022 - or from a rate of 20 cases per 100,000 workers to 29.7.

These refer to diseases contracted as a result of exposure to risk factors arising from work activity, and listed in the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

The most number of cases - 506 - were picked up in the manufacturing sector.

Noise-induced deafness and musculoskeletal disorders like back injuries were the top two types of occupational diseases, collectively accounting for 92 per cent of all cases.

For noise-induced deafness alone, there was a spike in cases from 168 in 2021 to 624 last year.

MOM attributed the rise in reported cases to ongoing efforts in its Enhanced Workplace Health Surveillance (WHS+) programme, as well as increased awareness in reporting amongst doctors and employers.

WHS+ aims to minimise hazards that lead to occupational diseases.

MOM said it would continue to increase the number of workplaces under WHS+, and also work with the Workplace Safety and Health Council to increase awareness and implementation of workplace health programmes.

Workplace Health Surveillance

Enhanced workplace health surveillance (WHS+)

Companies to implement workplace health (WH) programmes and upstream risk controls at workplaces to prevent occupational diseases.

Increase workplace health (WH) surveillance

Workplace health surveillance involves the monitoring of workplace environments to assess exposure levels of workers to WH hazards such as chemical or noise hazard, as well as the monitoring of workers’ health through medical screening to detect overexposures and early signs of occupational diseases.

Sectors likely to have chemical and excessive noise hazards 

Food, beverage and tobacco

Healthcare

Logistics and transport

Marine

Metal working

Non-metallic mineral products

Pharmaceuticals and biological products

Refineries and petrochemicals

Rubber and plastic

Waste treatment and recycling

Woodworking and furniture

Submit declaration on the presence of WH hazards for identified workplaces

Your workplace will be informed via letters to submit a declaration if your workplace:

Uses toxic substances

Has processes involving toxic substances or

Has noisy processes  

Workplaces who declared  presence of toxic substances and/or noisy processes are required to: 

Conduct hygiene monitoring to assess exposure levels of their workers

Implement control measures to reduce workers’ exposure

Put in place effective WH programmes such as Management of Hazardous Chemical Programme (MHCP) or Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) to manage the hazard at the workplace and

Conduct medical monitoring for your workers who are exposed to specific WH hazards.

Adoption of upstream risk controls

Select appropriate and adequate risk controls following the hierarchy of control to reduce workers’ exposure to WH hazards.

What is hierarchy of control?

Hierarchy of control is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing risks and it ranks risk controls from the highest level of protection and reliability through to the lowest and least reliable protection. Elimination, substitution, and engineering controls are more effective in reducing or controlling the risk of workers’ exposure to WH hazards and should be considered first.

Reduce workers’ exposure to toxic substances and excessive noise

Exposure to toxic substances

Workplace occupiers are required to prevent the accumulation of toxic dust, fumes, gas, vapour, mist, fibre, or other contaminants and protect workers from exposure to these contaminants in the workplace.  

Several upstream risk control measures that occupiers can implement to reduce workers’ exposures to toxic airborne contaminants  can be found under Regulation 39(2) of the Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations.

Exposure to excessive noise

Workplace occupiers are required to reduce or control the noise from any machinery or equipment used, so that no workers will be exposed to excessive noise.

Several upstream risk control measures that occupiers can implement to reduce noise levels in the workplace can be found under Regulation 4(3) of the Workplace Safety and Health (Noise) Regulations. 

WHS+ consultation and audit programme

The WHS+ consultation and audit programme is to help high risk workplaces that use toxic substances and/or workplaces with noisy processes, to manage their WH hazards and reduce workers’ exposure risks, via a systematic approach of identification, evaluation, control and review of the measures.

At a glance

Related eServices	Enhanced Workplace Health Surveillance Consultants and Auditors
Related documents	Gap analysis, CIP and WHS+ audit checklist (noise) Gap analysis, CIP and WHS+ audit checklist (hazardous chemicals)
Relevant regulations	Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations Workplace Safety and Health (Noise) Regulations

Who is required to undergo this programme

Identified workplaces with high exposure to toxic substances and noise are required by MOM to undergo WHS+ consultation and audit programme. Considerations to include workplaces under this programme will be based on hygiene monitoring reports, incidence of occupational diseases (ODs), etc.

What is required under this programme

Companies will be required to carry out the following:

Phase 1: Conduct gap analysis

Gap analysis should be conducted by a consultant or competent person for noise or chemical hazards. This is to identify the gaps in the implementation of Management of Hazardous Chemicals Programme (MHCP) or Hearing Conservation Programme (HCP) at the workplace, and to develop action plans to rectify the identified gaps.

The consultant or competent person appointed should be a Registered Industrial Hygienist (RIH) or Workplace Safety and Health Officer (WSHO) with relevant training and experience in managing occupational health hazards such as chemicals and noise.

You can refer to the list of service providers offering:

Chemical control consultant services

Noise control consultant services

Phase 2: Develop control and implementation plan (CIP)

A control and implementation plan (CIP) must be developed and implemented by your company to address the effective control of chemicals or noise at the workplace to reduce your workers’ exposure to acceptable levels.

Your company is required to explore possible upstream risk controls (elimination, substitution, and engineering controls) and select suitable and effective risk control solutions to be implemented for identified high-risk work processes at your workplace. You may engage a consultant (e.g. noise control consultant or ventilation design engineer) to advise you on the suitable control measures for your high-risk processes.

A post-implementation toxic substances or noise monitoring is required to be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the control measures implemented. Gaps identified in MHCP or HCP must also be addressed and documented in the CIP.

Phase 3: Conduct third-party audit

Your company is to engage a third-party WSH auditor to audit the completion of gap analysis and CIP. The WSH auditor should be from an auditing organisation accredited by Singapore Accreditation Council to conduct occupational health and safety management system certification and have sufficient competency in auditing.

As part of the audit, WSH auditors will need to ensure that these requirements have been fulfilled:

The action items identified from the gap analysis of MHCP or HCP are addressed.

The risk control measures are comprehensive and properly implemented.

The MHCP or HCP implemented at the workplace are effective in preventing ODs.

The WSH auditor will prepare an audit report, and you are required to submit the audit report to MOM for an exit assessment. The submission should include the completed gap analysis, CIP and WHS+ audit checklist with the post implementation noise or toxic substances monitoring report.

You can refer to the list of service providers offering:

WHS+ MHCP audit services

WHS+ HCP audit services

Phase 4: Exit assessment

Your company will exit from WHS+ consultation and audit programme when it demonstrates significant improvement in its WH programmes implementation and ability to reduce your workers’ exposures to toxic substances and excessive noise effectively.

Your company’s management must also demonstrate their ability to manage WH hazards and maintain or upkeep their WH programmes in their workplaces to prevent ODs.

Extension of Heightened Safety Period Alert

MOM Extends Heightened Safety Period by Three Months with Additional Measures

1.  The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will be extending the Heightened Safety Period (HSP) by three months from 1 March to 31 May 2023, with additional measures. The HSP was first introduced on 1 September 2022 for six months, with stronger measures1 to address the concerning rise in workplace fatalities. The annualised workplace fatality rate per 100,000 workers improved during the HSP, falling from 1.5 for January-August 2022, to 0.8 for September-December 2022. The full year fatality rate for 2022 was 1.3 per 100,000 workers.

2.  However, the annualised major injury rate per 100,000 workers increased from 16.8 to 18.7 in that same period. The impact of HSP was also uneven across sectors. While Construction showed the most improvement in terms of monthly average fatal and major injuries2, the Transportation & Storage sector’s monthly average fatalities3 did not improve and its major injuries4 worsened during HSP. This is of concern, as major injuries reflect persistent safety lapses at workplaces and most of these injuries have debilitating effects.

3.  Since the start of 2023, there have been four workplace fatalities. Furthermore, based on past trends, periods post-Chinese New Year have had higher workplace injury numbers as companies rush to compensate for workdays lost. Heightened alert and vigilance need to be maintained.

Additional Measures During Extended HSP

4. During the extended HSP, MOM will put in place the following additional measures, taking into account the recommendations of the International Advisory Panel last month, to complement existing ones (see Annex for existing measures):

• Require CEOs and Board of Directors to attend a mandatory half-day in-person WSH training course, for companies found to have serious WSH lapses following serious or fatal workplace accidents.
  
  
  • This is on top of existing HSP measures where companies may be barred from employing new foreign employees for up to three months. We will continue to require company leaders to personally account to MOM and take responsibility for WSH rectifications. These measures aim to strengthen WSH ownership and accountability among corporate senior leadership, and better equip them to meet their WSH responsibilities.
  • The course curriculum will be an enhanced version of the existing bizSAFE5 training for senior management. It will feature additional modules on the Approved Code of Practice for Chief Executives and Board of Directors’ WSH Duties, and root cause analysis of top incident types. MOM will notify companies whose senior leaders are required to attend this training.

• Increase maximum fines from $20,000 to $50,000 for breaches of WSH Act Subsidiary Legislation that could result in death or serious bodily injury, in order to enhance deterrence for WSH Act breaches.
  
  
• Empower workers by raising awareness of the various channels to report WSH concerns and providing protection for workers who speak up.
  
  
  • The WSH Council will launch a National WSH Campaign in April 2023, to encourage workers and members of the public to report unsafe practices at workplaces. Workers are encouraged to first report WSH concerns to their supervisors and companies for expedient resolution, before raising it to the authorities if no action is taken. This can be easily done through the SnapSAFE page on MOM’s website, and a QR code leading to the page is displayed at worksites. Workers and members of the public can also call MOM’s hotline at 6438 5122.
  • Migrant workers can also reach out to MOM through the FWMOMCare app, or reach the Migrant Workers’ Centre at 6536 2692. The Campaign will also heighten awareness of the types of protection available for workers who report or raise WSH issues.
    
    
• Introduce bite-sized versions of WSH guidance materials to better support all companies, in particular SMEs, in instilling a stronger safe operations culture. This is in addition to the earlier expansion of the StartSAFE programme to better support SMEs. The WSH Council will introduce these materials from May 2023. 

Longer-term Measures to Sustain WSH Standards

5.  Beyond the HSP and the above measures, MOM, together with the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce (MAST)6, will consider further measures to strengthen WSH standards and practices. These include placing greater accountability on employers and senior management, enhancing safety training, reviewing incentives and penalties, and sectoral strategies.

6.  Said Senior Minister of State for Manpower, Mr Zaqy Mohamad: “We have made good progress following the HSP, with improvements seen in the annualised workplace fatality rates and within the Construction sector. This shows that tangible results in WSH performance is possible with concerted efforts from all stakeholders. However, we are still not where we want to be – which is why we remain cautious and have decided to extend the HSP with additional measures. Only with vigilance, greater ownership and continual training, can we get back on track to achieving our WSH 2028 goals of keeping our fatality rate at below 1.0 per 100,000 workers, and our major injury rates at below 12.0 per 100,000 workers.”

 Annex

Existing Initiatives for Heightened Safety Period 

Initiatives	Details
Tighter enforcement measures	Companies found to have serious WSH lapses following serious or fatal workplace accidents may be debarred from employing new foreign employees for up to three months. Chief Executives will also be required to personally account to MOM and take responsibility for rectifications.
Strengthened support for SMEs who need help to improve their WSH practices and processes, through the expansion of StartSAFE	Provide small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with more access to WSH consultants who can help them identify WSH risks and implement good WSH practices, as part of the existing StartSAFE programme. The costs of the WSH consultants are fully borne by MOM.
Targeted measures for the construction sector	A new harmonised set of disqualification criteria across all public sector construction tenders to align the evaluation criteria and temporarily disqualify contractors with poor WSH performance from participating in these tenders; A Revised Demerit Point System, where the threshold for issuing demerit points is lowered. This means that more demerit points will be issued for WSH Act breaches, and errant companies with consistently poor WSH performance will reach the penalty thresholds more quickly - after which they will be debarred from hiring foreign employees for up to 2 years.
Set up of Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce	Comprising representatives from key government agencies that oversee sectors where most fatal and major injuries occur, the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce aims to: Identify sectoral-specific strategies that complement MOM’s cross-sectoral strategies, to contribute to a sustained reduction in workplace fatality and injury rates, and Strengthen sectoral engagements with companies to reinforce the importance of WSH.

 FOOTNOTE

See go.gov.sg/heightenedsafetyperiod

1. Monthly average number of fatalities for Construction fell from 1.6 pre-HSP to 0.3 during HSP. Similarly, monthly average number of major injuries fell from 8.3 pre-HSP to 7.3 during HSP for major injuries with higher risk of fatalities, and 5.5 pre-HSP to 4.5 during HSP for major injuries with lower risk of fatalities.
2. Monthly average number of fatalities for Transportation & Storage pre- and during HSP remained at 0.8.
3. Monthly average number of major injuries with lower risk of fatalities for Transportation & Storage worsened from 2.3 pre-HSP to 4.3 during HSP, and monthly average number of major injuries with higher risk of fatalities stayed about the same pre- and during HSP at 2.3 and 2.0 respectively.
4. bizSAFE is a nationally recognised capability building programme designed to help companies build workplace safety and health capabilities.
5. Set up on 12 October 2022, the MAST comprises representatives from Ministry of Manpower, Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of National Development and Ministry of Trade and Industry.

WSH Case Studies -Falling From Heights

What is WSH Case Studies

WSH Case Studies is a free resources for various groups from management and safety professionals to supervisors and workers for improving WSH practices .

It offers insights to past  accidents that have taken place in Singapore. The case studies not only provide lessons learnt for the industry, but more importantly, they remind us to actively review our current practices and continually find ways to make our workplaces safer. Readers are encouraged to carefully think through each case, review its relevancy and context to specific workplace situations, and incorporate the lessons learnt where appropriate.

Here are accidents case studies -falling from height

Flammable Materials Dispensing Hazards

Hazards Associated With Dispensing Small Quantities of Flammable Materials

Many companies receive flammable liquids in metal drums or IBCs, and then fill smaller containers from them. While there are different types of small containers that can be used, the use of safety cans is recommended for safer handling of flammable liquids.

Using unsuitable containers such as open cans, buckets or pails is a dangerous practice as the escape of flammable vapours cannot be prevented. In general, the use of glass containers is not advised as these are easily breakable and will increase the chance of a serious spill.

The use of non-reusable glass or plastic containers is acceptable only in special cases where the required liquid purity (e.g., analytical reagent grade or higher) is affected by storage within a metal container, or if the liquid causes excessive corrosion of the metal container.

Metal Drum

Fully-filled metal drums can be very heavy and trying to move one by hand can be difficult, dangerous and bad for your back. Always use a mechanical aid (e.g., a specially designed drum cradle or trolley) for moving individual drums around. Note that drums used for storage of flammable liquids will require venting to relieve pressure build-up (e.g., due to exposure to heat) and prevent the creation of a vacuum (e.g., when liquid is being dispensed). As either pressure or vacuum can cause failure of the metal drum, the use of metal drums with automatic pressure- and vacuum-relief is essential.

Each drum vent should also be fitted with a flame arrester for protection against flashback from external ignition sources.

Dispensing from Metal Drum to Safety Can

A flammable liquid transfer pump with antistatic flexible hose may be used to facilitate safe transfer from a metal drum to a safety can. As static build-up can occur during the transfer of flammable materials from one metal container to another, bonding and grounding (earthing) is necessary before transferring to prevent the generation of electrostatic sparks and possible vapour ignition. The use of antistatic flexible cables/ wires and spring-loaded clamps may be used to achieve an effective onsite bonding and grounding solution.

Bonding both containers and grounding one of them basically “drains off” static charges and prevents the discharge of sparks. All grounding and bonding connections must be from bare metal to bare metal. It is therefore critical that all dirt, paint, rust or corrosion is removed from every electrical contact point.

Safety Can

Portable safety cans are recommended for carrying, storing and dispensing small quantities of flammable liquids. They are available in different shapes and in capacities ranging from 0.5 to 25 litres. Safety cans are usually made of metal or very low conductivity plastic.

The special feature of safety cans is that they have spring-loaded self-closing spout caps. These caps automatically open when the vapour pressure builds up inside, allowing vapours to escape and preventing rupture of the can (e.g., when exposed to fire).

The cap-operating mechanism of a safety can also cause the spout cap to automatically close once pouring is complete, or if the can is dropped. This instant cut-off capability allows onehanded control for safer dispensing without spills. Flexible metal safety hoses can be threaded into the spout cap of the safety can for added control.

Safety cans also typically house a wire mesh flame arrester screen inside its cap spout. These serve to prevent a flashback (from an external ignition source) from reaching the flammable liquid inside the cans.

Note that while this is a safety feature, it could create a hazard under some conditions. Do not store a safety can in a warm, enclosed space (such as in a vehicle) as vapours venting from a safety can may accumulate to within the flammable range and all it would take is a spark to cause a fire. For transporting small amounts of flammable liquid, use a pressure-resistant and non-venting container instead of a safety can.

Never use any safety can that is damaged. If repairs using approved replacement parts cannot restore the damaged can to a safe condition, it should be discarded once it has been properly cleaned.

Health Considerations

As flammable materials may also be toxic (i.e., harmful to human health), it is important to also take the necessary precautionary measures to minimise exposure and protect one’s health when working with a flammable material.

Check out Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Guidelines on flammable materials which provide practical guidance on risk control measures that can be implemented to ensure the safety and health of workers who work with flammable materials daily. This Guidelines covers all industry sectors where flammable materials are used in smaller quantities.

Storage of Flammable Materials

Proper storage is essential to protect flammable materials from ignition sources. Through proper storage, fires can be prevented and better controlled (to minimise fire spread) should it occur.

This blog post focuses on fire safety measures for minor storage (involving a small cluster) of flammable materials.

As per Singapore Standard SS 532: 2007 Code of Practice for The Storage of Flammable Liquids, “minor storage” refers to the storage of flammable liquids, in various locations, in small  quantities no larger than the set quantities specified in the standard.

In general, minor storage refers to any storage of flammable liquid (i) less than or equal to 50 litres or 2.0 litres/m2, and 

(ii) not more than 200 litres per minor storage area. The criteria forclassification as minor storage, however, varies with the location of storage (e.g., in a residential building, in a commercial building, in a storage warehouse, in a laboratory, in a factory, etc) as well as the degree of flammability of the liquid being stored (e.g., extremely flammable versus highly flammable). Details of the classification criteria can be found in Table 2 of SS 532: 2007.

Note that storage of petroleum and flammable materials (P&FM) is regulated by SCDF and a P&FM storage licence may be required (depending on storage quantity) prior to bringing such materials onto your premises. More information on fire safety and P&FM licensing may be found on SCDF website (www.scdf.gov.sg).

Specific guidance on the storage of flammable gases can be found in NFPA 55: 2013 Compressed Gases and Cryogenic Fluids Code and NFPA 58: 2014 Liquefied Petroleum Gas Code. Suggested references for specific storage situations (namely, hazardous material warehouses, LPG cylinder installations and laboratories handling chemicals) are provided in the References section of this Guidelines.

Here are the recommended Practice for Minor Storage of Flammable Materials

•Keep the amount of flammable materials in storage as small as possible.

•Keep storage areas away from any heat and ignition source.

•Ensure that storage areas are well-ventilated so that flammable vapour concentrations (e.g., due to spillage or leaks) can be kept low (below the LFL).

•Store flammable materials in a cool (e.g., under a shelter or under temperature-controlled environments if necessary) and dry (to prevent metal container corrosion as well as workplace slips, trips and falls) location.

•Store flammable materials in areas accessible by emergency response teams. Ground floor storage is recommended as this will provide for easier access during an emergency.

•Store flammable materials separately, away from process and production areas and other combustible materials. This separation will reduce the spread of any fire originating from the flammables storage area. The separation will also protect the stored flammable material from exposure to fires in neighbouring areas, as well as accidental contact with incompatible materials (e.g., oxidizers).

•Store flammable liquids with flash points lower than room temperature under appropriate conditions (e.g., under refrigerated conditions). Do not store flammable liquids in a standard refrigerator meant for household use as they are not designed to be free of ignition sources. Store small quantities of flammables only in a laboratory-safe or explosion-proof refrigerator. The refrigerator’s temperature needs to be set lower than the flash point of the most readily ignitable substance stored in the refrigerator.

•Do not store flammable materials in areas that may jeopardise escape in the event of fire. In particular, make sure that storage containers do not block fire lifts, fire exits, stairwells and any aisles leading to exits.

•Store flammable materials in separate minor storage clusters separated by a suitable safety distance (see Table 16 for guidance on minimum separation distance) or fire-resistant walls.

•Store larger quantities in metal drums placed on spill control pallets or within a dike. Smaller quantities may be stored in a fire-rated (minimum 1 hour) storage cabinet designed to protect its contents from the heat and flames of an external fire.

•Do not use plastic or glass containers for storing flammable liquids unless storage in metal containers affects the purity of the liquid or if the liquid causes excessive corrosion of the metal container.

•Inspect all incoming containers to ensure that they are not damaged. Do not accept delivery of defective containers.

•Affix all flammable material storage containers with GHS labels and keep them closed when not in use.

•Practice good housekeeping and immediately clean up any spills that occur in the storage area.

•Allow only trained, authorised personnel into storage areas.

•Inspect storage areas regularly for any deficiencies such as damaged or leaking containers, poor ventilation or non-approved equipment. Correct all deficiencies as soon as possible.

•Provide storage areas with adequate firefighting and spill clean-up equipment.

Separation Distance for Minor Storage

The following guidance on minimum separation distance is based on Singapore Standard SS 532: 2007 Code of Practice for The Storage of Flammable Liquids: