Sunday, March 23, 2014
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013 & WSH (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2013
The Workplace Safety and Health (Work at Heights) Regulations 2013 (WAH Regulations) have been gazetted and published on 15 April 2013. It will come into operation on 1 May 2013.
About the new Regulations
The key provisions in the new Regulations are:
(a) Fall Prevention Plan (FPP) – A specific provision mandates the establishment and implementation of a FPP in accordance with any Approved Code of Practice issued by the WSH Council. This provision will only be effective on 1 May 2014 to allow industry time to build up their capability;
(b) Permit-to-work System (PTW) – A specific part pertaining to the control of work at height where a person could fall from a height of more than 3 metres. This will also be effective on 1 May 2014 to allow industry time to have people trained and qualified to implement the PTW system;
(c) Training of workers, supervisors and other WAH personnel – Training requirements for work at height personnel are emphasised to ensure effective conduct and oversight of work performed at heights;
(d) Work on Roof and Fragile surface – Specific provisions on safe working on roof as well as working near fragile surface are included to require persons working there to be more vigilant; and
(e) Industrial Rope Access System – Due to its high-risk nature, a specific part has been included to address this area of concern.
The scope of coverage of the proposed Regulations will be in two phases, as follow:
1 May 2013
- Comes into force and applicable only to factories.
1 May 2014
- Coverage will be expanded to all workplaces
- Establishment and implementation of a FPP for workplaces specified in the Schedule
- Implementation of a PTW system for work at height where a person could fall from a height of more than 3 metres.
The WSH (Construction) Regulations have also been amended to delete those replica provisions in the new WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations via the WSH (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.
Leveraging on available assistance and resources
To help industry get ready for the Regulations, the WSH Council has rolled out various capability building initiatives during the recent Programme-based Enagagement (ProBE) Forum on 4 April 2013. These include:
About the new Regulations
The key provisions in the new Regulations are:
(a) Fall Prevention Plan (FPP) – A specific provision mandates the establishment and implementation of a FPP in accordance with any Approved Code of Practice issued by the WSH Council. This provision will only be effective on 1 May 2014 to allow industry time to build up their capability;
(b) Permit-to-work System (PTW) – A specific part pertaining to the control of work at height where a person could fall from a height of more than 3 metres. This will also be effective on 1 May 2014 to allow industry time to have people trained and qualified to implement the PTW system;
(c) Training of workers, supervisors and other WAH personnel – Training requirements for work at height personnel are emphasised to ensure effective conduct and oversight of work performed at heights;
(d) Work on Roof and Fragile surface – Specific provisions on safe working on roof as well as working near fragile surface are included to require persons working there to be more vigilant; and
(e) Industrial Rope Access System – Due to its high-risk nature, a specific part has been included to address this area of concern.
The scope of coverage of the proposed Regulations will be in two phases, as follow:
1 May 2013
- Comes into force and applicable only to factories.
1 May 2014
- Coverage will be expanded to all workplaces
- Establishment and implementation of a FPP for workplaces specified in the Schedule
- Implementation of a PTW system for work at height where a person could fall from a height of more than 3 metres.
The WSH (Construction) Regulations have also been amended to delete those replica provisions in the new WSH (Work at Heights) Regulations via the WSH (Construction) (Amendment) Regulations 2013.
Leveraging on available assistance and resources
To help industry get ready for the Regulations, the WSH Council has rolled out various capability building initiatives during the recent Programme-based Enagagement (ProBE) Forum on 4 April 2013. These include:
- Revised Approved Code of Practice on Working Safely at Heights (LINK) - Includes new chapter on the PTW for WAH, sample templates on FPP and decision flow chart for PTW.
- Roll out of the enhanced Construction Safety Orientation Course in 1 May 2013 (LINK) - Includes new practical assessment on areas such as WAH.
- Enhancements to WAH training
- Workers will be trained in basic WAH knowledge (such as the correct use of a personal fall arrest system) while supervisors will be trained on how to check that all fall preventive measures are in place before work commences.
- Two new levels (WAH course for Assessor and Managers) will also be offered. - A new WAH Train-the-trainer course has been developed to keep trainers up-to-mark on WAH fundamentals and ensure quality of training.
Friday, March 22, 2013
New national standard to get non-domestic users to save water
Source: Today Online
SINGAPORE — The Republic will have a new voluntary national standard to get non-domestic users to save and use water more efficiently. It does not prescribe water efficiency goals; instead it provides a framework, methodology and set of guidelines to put in place policies, systems and processes to use water more efficiently, which promises to help enterprises achieve water savings and reduce operational costs.
Called Singapore Standard SS 577:2012, it will be launched today by the Singapore Standards Council and PUB, the national water agency. According to the PUB, water demand in Singapore currently stands at about 400 million gallons a day. The non-domestic sector accounts for about 55 per cent of Singapore’s total water consumption and this is expected to increase to about 70 per cent in the next 50 years.
The new standard complements the PUB’s 10% Challenge programme, which encourages non-domestic users to reduce water consumption. To encourage the adoption of the standard, the agency has enhanced initiatives like the Water Efficiency Fund (WEF) and Water Efficient Building (WEB) certification.
Funding quantum for the WEF — a co-funding scheme — has been increased from 50 per cent to 90 per cent of the total water audit costs, subject to a cap of S$15,000. The PUB will also co-fund an additional 90 per cent of the upgrading or installation cost for remote metering, subject to a cap of S$15,000.
The WEB certification will now have two more tiers — Gold and Silver — to better recognise exemplary performers in water efficiency, as well as those certified in the new standard.
SINGAPORE — The Republic will have a new voluntary national standard to get non-domestic users to save and use water more efficiently. It does not prescribe water efficiency goals; instead it provides a framework, methodology and set of guidelines to put in place policies, systems and processes to use water more efficiently, which promises to help enterprises achieve water savings and reduce operational costs.
Called Singapore Standard SS 577:2012, it will be launched today by the Singapore Standards Council and PUB, the national water agency. According to the PUB, water demand in Singapore currently stands at about 400 million gallons a day. The non-domestic sector accounts for about 55 per cent of Singapore’s total water consumption and this is expected to increase to about 70 per cent in the next 50 years.
The new standard complements the PUB’s 10% Challenge programme, which encourages non-domestic users to reduce water consumption. To encourage the adoption of the standard, the agency has enhanced initiatives like the Water Efficiency Fund (WEF) and Water Efficient Building (WEB) certification.
Funding quantum for the WEF — a co-funding scheme — has been increased from 50 per cent to 90 per cent of the total water audit costs, subject to a cap of S$15,000. The PUB will also co-fund an additional 90 per cent of the upgrading or installation cost for remote metering, subject to a cap of S$15,000.
The WEB certification will now have two more tiers — Gold and Silver — to better recognise exemplary performers in water efficiency, as well as those certified in the new standard.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Don't go separate wastes
When his private waste collector provided only a single bin for recyclables, bank executive Lawrence Tan was willing to pay Colex Holdings for additional bins so that he could sort and place his recyclables in separate receptacles.
The public waste collector turned down his offer.
So Mr Tan, 48, and his neighbour bought themselves a second bin.
But they and other Singaporeans who separate their recyclables shouldn't bother. Recyclables are thrown into the same truck at the point of collection.
Going by what public waste collectors tell The New Paper, Singapore adopts a "co-mingle" approach.
"In the past, Singapore adopted the practice of sorting out recyclables at source, but now with more efficient sorting facilities, we are moving towards co-mingling," said Veolia Environmental Services marketing and communication manager Christina Lee.
Sembcorp , one of the big four public waste collectors, also confirmed that it practises co-mingling.
Even if the recyclables are segregated, public waste collectors re-sort them as they often find contaminants such as food waste or other unsuitable material like tissue paper thrown in.
Typically, 20 to 30 per cent of items set aside for recycling are found unsuitable, a Sembcorp spokesman said.
Other countries
"Singapore's attitude towards recycling is still Third World.
In Taiwan and Japan, the law requires recyclables to be separated," said an industry source.
Also public waste collectors supply recyclables directly to paper, glass and plastics manufacturers.
"Paper mill manufacturers prefer different grades of (separated) paper as secondary raw material because it can be turned into different types of finished product," said Ms Lee.
"For instance, recycled cartons are turned into newspaper and recycled newspaper into toilet paper.
"That's why we have to sort them, and that goes for plastics, too. There are seven types of plastics, and the public won't know how to sort them."
One of the benefits of co-mingling is lower collecting costs because single-compartment trucks are cheaper to buy and operate. Collection can be automated and routes serviced more efficiently, said Singapore Environment Council (SEC) executive director Jose Raymond.
Mr Tan had written to the The Straits Times Forum on Monday highlighting infrastructure challenges of recycling. "Currently, Colex provides flimsy blue plastic bags that households must use to bag all forms of recyclables. Not only is this meaningless as there seems to be no sorting dedicated recycling, it is also messy," he wrote.
Mr Tan felt that co-mingling did not make sense.
"You have people who are prepared to sort their recyclables, but the collectors will still go through the separate recyclables. Isn't that unproductive?" he asked.
"I suppose it's a question of education, isn't it? And we're supposed to be a world-class nation."
But asked whether Singapore should enact laws requiring people to separate their recyclables like in California and Japan, Mr Tan felt it would be extreme.
"I'm an optimist. I believe the future generation should be able to do things better ," he said.
The SEC pointed out that there is a downside to co-mingling. It increased "downcycling" of paper - using high-quality fibres for low-end purposes like making for cereal and snack boxes to avoid the presence of contaminants.
It would mean cutting down more trees for low-end uses, an environmental waste.
Indeed, an industry source told The New Paper that unlike in Europe, photocopy paper here is made from virgin pulp and it ends up as cartons - because the fibre is longer and stronger - or worse, turned into toilet paper.
The fibres get shorter and weaker each time paper is recycled.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
The public waste collector turned down his offer.
So Mr Tan, 48, and his neighbour bought themselves a second bin.
But they and other Singaporeans who separate their recyclables shouldn't bother. Recyclables are thrown into the same truck at the point of collection.
Going by what public waste collectors tell The New Paper, Singapore adopts a "co-mingle" approach.
"In the past, Singapore adopted the practice of sorting out recyclables at source, but now with more efficient sorting facilities, we are moving towards co-mingling," said Veolia Environmental Services marketing and communication manager Christina Lee.
Sembcorp , one of the big four public waste collectors, also confirmed that it practises co-mingling.
Even if the recyclables are segregated, public waste collectors re-sort them as they often find contaminants such as food waste or other unsuitable material like tissue paper thrown in.
Typically, 20 to 30 per cent of items set aside for recycling are found unsuitable, a Sembcorp spokesman said.
Other countries
"Singapore's attitude towards recycling is still Third World.
In Taiwan and Japan, the law requires recyclables to be separated," said an industry source.
Also public waste collectors supply recyclables directly to paper, glass and plastics manufacturers.
"Paper mill manufacturers prefer different grades of (separated) paper as secondary raw material because it can be turned into different types of finished product," said Ms Lee.
"For instance, recycled cartons are turned into newspaper and recycled newspaper into toilet paper.
"That's why we have to sort them, and that goes for plastics, too. There are seven types of plastics, and the public won't know how to sort them."
One of the benefits of co-mingling is lower collecting costs because single-compartment trucks are cheaper to buy and operate. Collection can be automated and routes serviced more efficiently, said Singapore Environment Council (SEC) executive director Jose Raymond.
Mr Tan had written to the The Straits Times Forum on Monday highlighting infrastructure challenges of recycling. "Currently, Colex provides flimsy blue plastic bags that households must use to bag all forms of recyclables. Not only is this meaningless as there seems to be no sorting dedicated recycling, it is also messy," he wrote.
Mr Tan felt that co-mingling did not make sense.
"You have people who are prepared to sort their recyclables, but the collectors will still go through the separate recyclables. Isn't that unproductive?" he asked.
"I suppose it's a question of education, isn't it? And we're supposed to be a world-class nation."
But asked whether Singapore should enact laws requiring people to separate their recyclables like in California and Japan, Mr Tan felt it would be extreme.
"I'm an optimist. I believe the future generation should be able to do things better ," he said.
The SEC pointed out that there is a downside to co-mingling. It increased "downcycling" of paper - using high-quality fibres for low-end purposes like making for cereal and snack boxes to avoid the presence of contaminants.
It would mean cutting down more trees for low-end uses, an environmental waste.
Indeed, an industry source told The New Paper that unlike in Europe, photocopy paper here is made from virgin pulp and it ends up as cartons - because the fibre is longer and stronger - or worse, turned into toilet paper.
The fibres get shorter and weaker each time paper is recycled.
This article was first published in The New Paper.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
New initiatives to address Falls from Heights fatalities
The Ministry of Manpower and the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s National Work at Heights (WAH) Taskforce have rolled out new initiatives to address falls from heights (FFH) fatalities. Efforts will be focused on four key areas of WAH - roof works, ladder use, structures, and scaffolds or mobile elevated work platforms (MEWPs). Industries performing such work will be actively engaged and educated on the safety of such work under the Programme-based Engagement (ProBE) Plus initiative this year.
2 Falls from Heights (FFH) remain the highest contributor of workplace fatalities, claiming the lives of 17 workers last year. Nine of these workers (or more than half of cases) died after falling from roofs and ladders. The new initiatives are part of a three-pronged WAH Masterplan to tackle WAH issues through raising awareness, capability building and intervention efforts.
New initiatives targeting Roof works and Ladder Safety
3 One of these initiatives is the introduction of a new Guide on Working Safely on Roofs – a concise handbook highlighting safe practices and salient points related to roof works, such as fragile roof hazards. Contractors engaged in roof works will be required to implement measures that can allow workers to work safely on roofs and not be subjected to the risks of falls. Measures recommended in the guide include installing independent lifelines, and providing workers with safety harnesses and proper equipment (such as crawl boards) to work on roofs. The guide will be disseminated through the Safety Compliance Assistance Visits to reach out to worksites where roofworks are ongoing, to help contractors enhance their safety management. MOM and the WSH Council will also engage both roof and general contractors involved in roof works in targeted workshops over the next few months.
4 With the extensive use of ladders across many workplaces, it is critical to educate workers to use them properly. A new Ladder Safety engagement effort has been launched to foster the safe and correct use of ladders. MOM and the WSH Council will be partnering with trade associations and leading hardware stores to distribute a newly developed Ladder Safety Pack, targeting trades and industries with high ladder usage such as electrical workers. The Pack is made up of a ladder safety handbook and stickers to be distributed to relevant workers. The ladder safety handbook advises workers when they can use ladders for specific jobs and when they should consider other equipment, such as scissor lifts. The stickers serve as prominent displays with key tips on ladder safety, such as the dangers of falling while standing on the top rung of the ladder and the need to ensure that the ladder is positioned on stable ground before use. In addition, other outreach activities will be rolled out in the second half of 2012.
Strengthening WAH capabilities across all levels
5 More will also be done to strengthen WAH capabilities for both management and workers. In this aspect, MOM and WSH Council will develop WAH Courses for all levels, including workers, supervisors, assessors and managers. The courses will ensure that managers and supervisors know how to plan and supervise WAH activities. Workers must also be adequately trained to manage WAH risks and are competent enough to perform their tasks, such as roofs works, in a safe manner. These courses will be piloted in the second half of 2012 and are expected to be rolled out early next year.
Exploring legal requirements to regulate WAH practices
6 To bring about further improvements in the industry, MOM will explore the feasibility of enhancing the current WAH regulatory framework by introducing possible new legal requirements.
7 Elaborating on this, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Manpower, said, “MOM is currently exploring the introduction of a dedicated set of Work at Heights regulations, as we review our existing rules and look to streamline them while addressing areas that could be potentially strengthened. This includes mandating Fall Prevention Plans for all workplaces and extending the Permit-to-work system, which already exists for Scaffold operations. MOM will be working closely with the WSH Council to engage industry stakeholders in the formulation of the Regulations for efficient and effective solutions, keeping in view industry practises and work environments. We plan to kick off public consultation on the Regulations in the second quarter of 2012.”
8 “Besides the longer term regulatory enhancements, MOM will continue to crack down on unsafe work at heights practices through stepped up inspections on targeted workplaces. While we raise awareness and give time to industry to improve their safety measures, we must urge workplaces to immediately put a stop to obvious and dangerous working conditions that can harm workers. Enforcement, engagement as well as capability building efforts will have to work hand-in-hand to reduce work at heights risks,” added Mr Suresh Navaratnam, MOM's Director of Policy, Information and Corporate Services from the Occupational Safety and Health Division.
9 Chairman of the National Work at Heights Taskforce Mr Wong Weng Sun said, “Falls from Heights is a matter of grave concern as workers can be killed or seriously injured. It can affect workers from all sectors, as we have seen from the 2011 cases. Hence, the Taskforce wants to re-energise and extend our efforts, going far beyond construction sites and shipyards. Industry must be made aware that poor management of work practices puts everything riding on the task – workers’ lives, productivity and reputation – at risk. Stakeholders must immediately take proactive actions and put preventative measures in place to prevent fatal falls at work.”
10 Relevant stakeholders who wish to find out more on the ProBE programme and the latest WAH initiatives can visit the WSH Council website at www.wshc.sg
WSH Guidelines Working safely on roofs
Working on roofs is a high-risk activity. From 2007 to 2011, fatal falls during work on roofs had claimed 20 lives. Fall from roofs have also caused serious workplace injuries, often resulting in permanent disabilities (e.g., paralysis). Hence this guide is developed to help contractors who are involved in roof works or required to perform work on roofs, better manage and prevent fall from heights while working on roofs.
This guide is relevant for new roof construction and work on roofs of existing buildings (e.g., inspection, repair, maintenance, cleaning work and demolition). It contains salient points on how to plan and work safely on roofs operations such as:
• key considerations in planning for work on roofs;
• fall hazards in various stages of work on roofs;
• control measures against falls;
• administrative controls; and
• personal protective equipment (PPE).
After reading this guide, the user should be able to:
• Identify the risks involved with working on roofs;
• Choose the right access equipment for use on the job;
• Understand and determine the appropriate measures for risk control; and
• Develop a plan to prevent falls during roof works.
Please view the guidelines from WSH Council here.
This guide is relevant for new roof construction and work on roofs of existing buildings (e.g., inspection, repair, maintenance, cleaning work and demolition). It contains salient points on how to plan and work safely on roofs operations such as:
• key considerations in planning for work on roofs;
• fall hazards in various stages of work on roofs;
• control measures against falls;
• administrative controls; and
• personal protective equipment (PPE).
After reading this guide, the user should be able to:
• Identify the risks involved with working on roofs;
• Choose the right access equipment for use on the job;
• Understand and determine the appropriate measures for risk control; and
• Develop a plan to prevent falls during roof works.
Please view the guidelines from WSH Council here.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Fight at work site lands five in hospital
A work-related dispute involving foreign workers turned into a fight yesterday. Five men were arrested for rioting and five others were rushed to hospital with injuries. The fight broke out near a construction site at Senja Road in Bukit Panjang.
An estate agent who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan said he was in the neighbourhood when he heard a commotion. He said: "I saw that a fight had broken out. There were about 20 people in the vicinity, both onlookers and others who looked like construction workers. "Some of the men had pipes in their hands and they looked like they were about to hit others with them.
"The police arrived minutes later, so I decided to walk away."
The New Paper understands that the fight involved workers from Bangladesh and China. The situation could have been worse if not for the speedy response by the police, who received a call about the incident at about 8.30am. Officers arrived some 30 minutes later.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also received a call at around the same time. Two ambulances rushed to the scene and SCDF said five men were sent to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital.
Not taking any chances
Even though the fight had ended, the police weren't taking any chances. More than two hours later, police officers were still at the scene. TNP was there at 10.30am and spotted a patrol car. Police officers were also seen questioning workers.
Just after 11am, a police van entered the construction site and a group of construction workers were led into it. The van left the premises about 10 minutes later.
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