vision zero for work-at-heights impossible? · a pervasive vision zero mindset is needed across all...

© 2016 Government of Singapore

A Great Workforce A Great Workplace

1


Chan Yew KwongDirector

OSH Inspectorate, MOM

Vision Zero for Work-at-Heights – Impossible?



2

The workplace fatality rate has plateaued at around 2.0 per 100,000 employed persons for past 4 years. There were 42 fatalities in 1H2016 with 42 fatalities as compared with 30 over same period in 2015.

1. Fall from Heights (28%)2. Caught in between objects (16%)3. Struck by Moving Objects (14%)

TOP 3 INCIDENT AGENTS*

1. Construction (42%)2. Transportation & Storage (14%)3. Marine (12%)

TOP 3 SECTORS*

Workplace Fatalities

83

71

62 6367 70

5561

56

73

6066

42

4.9

4

3.1 2.9 2.8 2.9

2.2 2.3 2.1 2.31.8 1.9

2.5

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1H 2016

Workplace Fatal Injuries

No. of Workplace Fatal Injuries Workplace Fatal Injury Rate



3

Major Injury rate shows steady signs of improvement. The Construction sector remained the top contributor.

1. Slip Trips & Falls (31%)2. Caught in/Betw Objects (13%) 3. Fall from Heights (12%)

TOP 3 INCIDENT AGENTS

1. Construction (28%)2. Manufacturing (19%)3. Others –Accommodation & Food Services (6%)

TOP 3 SECTORS

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1H 2016

Major Injuries Number 556 588 589 615 597 284

Major Injuries Rate 21.3 21.6 19.8 20 17.6 16.8

556 588 589 615 597

21.3 21.619.8 20

17.616.8

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700M

ajor In

jury R

ate p

er 1

00

,00

0 Em

plo

yed

Pe

rson

s

Nu

mb

er

of

Wo

rkp

lace

Maj

or

Inju

rie

s

Major Injuries

284

Workplace Major Injuries



4

The workplace injury rate has steadily improved over the past decade. However similar to fatal injury rate, the injury rate has stagnated over the last few years.

1. Manufacturing (21%)2. Construction (18%)3. Others – Accomodation

& Food Services (8%)

TOP 3 SECTORS

1. Slip Trips & Falls (27%)2. Struck by Moving Objects (17%)3. Cut/Stabbed by Objects (13%)

TOP 3 INCIDENT AGENTS

10,01811,072 10,834 10,319 10,121

11,11312,453

13,59512,351

6,149

460 469446

411387

407384

405

364 361

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 1H 2016

Workplace Injuries

Workplace Injuries Workplace Injury rate

Workplace Injuries



5

JA

N –

DE

C 2

014

JA

N –

DE

C 2

015

JA

N –

JU

N 2

01

6



6

Inspection Statistics from Jan - Aug 2016

No of CFS related to work at heights from Jan 2016 to Aug 2016:

713

Quantum of CFs: $1,265,100

Construction: 2788

Manufacturing: 780

Marine: 212

Others: 745No of inspections done from

Jan 2016 to Aug 2016: 4525

Overall no of CFs fromJan 2016 to Aug 2016:

1565

Quantum of CFs: $2,277,050

WAH offences: 46%

Others : 39%

Scaffolding offences: 16%

Offences leading to CFs



7

Inspection Statistics from Jan - Aug 2016

No of SWOs issuedfrom Jan 2016 to Aug 2016:

85

No of SWOs with lapsesinvolving work at heights:

65

SWOs with WAH lapses:

76%

SWOs without WAH lapses: 24%

Top FIVE Contraventions

• Failure to ensure that openings/ open sides are guarded

• Failure to ensure that there are safe means of access between different working levels

• Failure to ensure that work platforms for scaffolds where persons are liable to fall more than 2m are provided with toe boards and 2 or more guardrails

• Failure to provide adequate shoring for an excavation where depth of excavation exceeds 1.5m

• Failure to ensure that passageways, stairs, platforms and other means of access or places of work in the worksite are kept free from debris or protruding objects



8

Lifelines tied to rebars that

does not serve its purpose

Formwork workers not

accorded with fall protectionUnsafe means

of access

“BEFORE” Site A



9

“AFTER” Site A

Open sides provided with

guardrails

Proper scaffolds

provided for access

Open edges and formwork area properly

barricaded



10

Worker climbing the falsework to

gain access to the formwork

level

Ineffective barricades placed too far away from

the working edge

“BEFORE” Site B



11

“AFTER” Site B

Barricades made effective, shifted

to remove the open side

Safe means of access provided



12

Loose decking where workers are to work on without means

of fall protection

Open sides at working level that are left

unguarded

“BEFORE” Site C



13

“AFTER” Site C

Loose decking removed,

other areas and decks properly

barricaded

Open sides at working level properly guarded



14

Mezzanine floors where workers are required to

work are unguarded

Unsafe means of access

“BEFORE” Workplace A



15

“AFTER” Workplace A

Proper guardrails are installed at mezzanine

Unsafe access removed, means of

access is through staircase within

building



18

• Are employers & workers ignorant of WAH risks & control measures?

• Even members of public can see the risk &

its consequences!



19

Vision Zero for WAH – POSSIBLE ?

National WSH Campaign Launch 2015



20

Different interpretations of Vision Zero -

• Does Vision Zero mean zero fatalities (a numerical

target)?

• Or does it mean zero workplace injury, zero

incidents?

• Is Vision Zero just a theoretical statement?

What is Vision Zero?



22

A movement that aims to inculcate a mindset that

all injuries & ill health at work are preventable &

a belief that zero harm is possibleNational WSH Campaign Launch 2015



23

“If we all have this mindset, we will all begin to

proactively take measures to prevent every injury from

happening at our workplace. And you will find that

slowly, the fatality and injury numbers will slowly sort

itself out. Focus on doing the right things and good

results will follow.”

- ex-Minister for Manpower Tan Chuan-Jin


Be Vision Zero minded !



24

Recent Spate of Fatalities in 1H/16 has derailed initial

success in WSH Performance



25

• An analysis of the recent construction fatalities and analysis of current situation highlighted the following:

Analysis of Current Situation

25

• 87% of the companies did not carry out thorough risk assessment or implement adequate risk control measures.

• 73% of fatalities were attributed to systemic lapses in planning and execution of work activities

• 93% of cases - workers adopted the wrong or unsafe behaviour, reflecting both a lack of competency and safety awareness

Systemic Lapses

• Construction workplace fatalities are more likely to involve workers with less than 1 year experience with their companies or less than 3 years working experience in Singapore

• Lower-skilled workers have a higher propensity of encountering workplace fatalities compared with their higher-skilled counterparts

Experience and

Competency

Matters

• Some construction companies have accepted WSH infringements as a normal course of business activities

• A small number of companies exerting influence on medical doctors to reduce the number of medical leave for their injured employees

• Accredited Training Providers were caught with fraudulent practices in conducting WSH training

Need for Greater

Industry Ownership

•Many companies have yet to adopt an integrated approach in managing the safety, health and well-being of the workers at the workplaces.

•Many jobs involving matured workers were not re-designed to ensure they were age-appropriate

• Senior management generally has low awareness of the inter-relationship between workers’ personal health and safety

• WSH professionals also lacked sufficient competency to identify and advise management

Health Risk Factors

not Addressed



26

• To bring us back on track to achieve the 2018 target while laying the foundation to address emerging WSH challenges and sustain continuous improvement beyond 2018

• 3 Key Priorities:

i. Improving WSH Performance in Construction Sector

ii. Strengthening WSH Competency and

iii. Building Collective WSH Ownership.

Objectives of WSH2018 Plus

WSH



27

KEY PRIORITY 2:

STRENGTHENING WSH COMPETENCY

• Are the 2 workers

WAH-competent?

• His supervisor who

assigned him to

work WAH-

competent too?

• What about the

employer’s FPP?



28

KEY PRIORITY 2:


• Does the contractor

know anything of

active fall-protection

systems?

• If PE endorsed, does

the PE know the

requirements for

active fall-protection

systems?

• SS 607 : 2015

“Specification for

design of fall-

protection systems”?



29

MOVE TOWARDS A COMPETENCY-BASED AND OUTCOME-ORIENTED TRAINING CURRICULUM

We have started to move towards competency-based and

outcome oriented training

Training curriculums for Workers, Supervisors and

Managers include more practical hands-on

components.

Training for supervisors and project managers will

include greater emphasis on soft skills such as

communication and relationship management.

Workers will be trained to carry out Last Minute Risk

Assessment (LMRA) to engender personal ownership

of WSH.

Encourage more in-house Safety Induction Training,

briefings and refresher training

KEY PRIORITY 2:




30

KEY PRIORITY 3:

BUILDING COLLECTIVE WSH OWNERSHIP

• Is this possible?

• Yes, with collective

ownership by all onsite

to effectively implement

the customised FPP.



31

A pervasive Vision Zero mindset is needed across all sectorsand levels of society

Champion the Vision Zero Movement by sharing themoral and business case of adopting the mindset.

Explore incentives to encourage ground up initiatives

Imbue WSH values from young

Work injury insurance can be a lever to influence the right behaviour in companies

Review the Work Injury Compensation (WIC) framework Develop a National Return to Work (RTW) framework

- focus on raising awareness, building capabilities and infrastructure

KEY PRIORITY 3:

BUILDING COLLECTIVE WSH OWNERSHIP

FROM INJURY COMPENSATION TO INJURY PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT

FROM REDUCING WORKPLACE FATALITIES TO PREVENTING ALL WORK-RELATED INJURIES AND ILL-HEALTH



32

Minister for Manpower, Singapore

Mr Lim Swee Say

Strong Support from Government



33

Vision Zero at the enterprise &

industry level

• Better companies can start first to form the

Vision Zero’s chain.

• Others can learn from them and add to the

chain.



34

Vision Zero for WAH – IMPOSSIBLE!


I m



35

Thank You for

your attention

vision zero for work-at-heights impossible? · a pervasive vision zero mindset is needed across all...

Documents