TOPIC 4: Safety Management System

Learning Outcomes

  • 4.1 Safety & Health Management System

    • Explain what Safety & Heath Management System (SHMS) is.

    • Describe the requirements of the Safety & Health Management System (SHMS)


  • 4.2 Risk Management & Assessment

    • Explain what Risk Management is.

    • Describe the requirements of the Workplace Safety & Health (Risk Management) Regulation.

    • Explain & carry out the 5 components of Risk Management according to COP on WSH Risk Management

      • Preparation

      • Risk Assessment

      • Implementation

      • Record keeping

      • Review

    • Briefly explain what bizSafe and SGSecure are.

    • Describe the incorporation of SGSecure into bizSafe certification program


4.1 Safety & Health Management System

  • SHMS is a systematic process for managing workplace safety & health

  • Involves:

    • Setting goals

    • Planning (ie. Hazard identification, risk assessment and opportunities)

    • Measuring performance

    • Managing commitments and direction

    • Auditing / reviewing of SHMS for continual improvements

  • SHMS must be audited by MOM approved workplace safety and health auditors

  • Conducted in oil refineries and plants (eg. petrochemical, chemical manufacturing, pharmaceutical etc.)

4.2 Risk Management & Assessment

  • Risk Management (RM) is the identification, assessment and prioritisation of Workplace Safety & Health (WSH) risks followed by the application of control measures to minimise the probability and/or impact of undesirable WSH consequences

    • ① Identify hazards and assess their risks

    • ② Categorise risks and prioritize high-risk hazards for resource allocation

  • Risk Assessments are mandatory for routine & non-routine work at all workplaces (except military and at home)

  • Employers, self-employed and principals (including contractors and sub-contractors) are responsible for:

    • Identifying safety and health hazards

    • Taking measure to eliminate or reduce the risks

  • Employers, self-employed person and principal must comply with the Risk Management Regulations:

    • Conduct risk assessments for all work in the workplace

    • Take reasonably practicable risk control measures to eliminate or reduce safety and health risks

    • Establish safe work procedures

    • Specify the roles and responsibilities of persons

    • Keep records of risk assessment

    • Inform employees of the nature of the risks involved and any risk control measures

    • Review or revise risk assessment

  • Failure to comply:

    • First offence — Fine (up to $10,000)

    • Repeated offences — Jail (up to 6 months) and/or Fine (up to $20,000)

  • Main components of Risk Management Process:

    • a. Preparation

    • b. Risk Assessment (RA)

    • c. Implementation (includes communication of hazards and risk controls

      identified)

    • d. Record-keeping

    • e. Review


4.2.1 Risk Management Assessment — Preparation

1. Form RM and RA Teams


2. Identify Tasks of Each Location/Process

  • Department

  • Location

  • Process

  • Work activity


3. Gather Relevant Information

  • Workplace layout plan

  • Process or work flowchart

  • List of work activities in the process/ location

  • List of chemicals, machinery and/or tools used

  • Records of past incidents & accidents

  • Relevant legislation

  • Observations & interviews

  • WSH Inspection records

  • Details of existing risk controls ←

  • Health & safety audit reports

  • Feedback from employees, clients, suppliers or other stakeholders

  • Safe Work Practices (SWP)

  • Other information such as Safety Data Sheet (SDS), manufacturer’s instruction manual

  • Copies of any relevant previous RAs

  • Medical condition (e.g., allergy) of workers in the workplace or activity being assessed

  • Past training records of employees.


4.2.2 Risk Management Assessment — Risk Assessment

1. Hazard Identification

  • Identifying safety and health hazards associated with work

  • RA Team is to determine the sources of hazards for each process / work activities:

    • Chemical (eg. Inhalation of toxic fumes, skin burns from corrosive substances)

    • Physical (eg. Noise-induced hearing loss, radiation exposure)

    • Biological (eg. Exposure to viruses/bacteria, mold or fungal growth)

    • Mechanical

    • Electrical

    • Ergonomic

    • Hazard due to the environment (eg. Extreme temperatures (hot/cold), poor lighting conditions)

  • Possible methods to identify hazards:

    • Workplace Inspections — Regular walkthroughs to observe potential hazards)

    • Hazard & Operability Studies (HAZOP) — Systematic review of processes for deviations

    • Incident Reports & Investigations — Reviewing past accidents to identify recurring hazards

  • Descriptive words for hazards:

    • Inhalation of …

    • Contact with …

    • Exposed to …

    • Struck by …

    • Caught in between …

    • Prolonged …

    • Improper …

  • Vocabulary for possible injury/ill heath:

    • Asphyxiation

    • Bodily injury

    • Chemical burns

    • Electrical shock

    • Eye Injury

    • Hot condensate scald burn


2. Risk Evaluation

  • Assessing the risks involved by looking at likelihood, severity and existing risk controls

  • Risk levels:

    • Low Risk — 1 to 3

    • Medium Risk — 4 to 12

    • High Risk — >12

  • Medium risk hazards should be carefully evaluated to ensure the risk level is reduced to as low as reasonably practicable (ALARP) within a defined time period (ie. 6 months)

    • If the risk level cannot be lowered → can still proceed with process


3. Risk Control

  • Prioritising & implementing additional risk control measures to eliminate the hazards or reduce the risks

  • Hierarchy of Control:

    • Elimination → Completely removing the hazard from the workplace

    • Substitution → Replacing a hazardous substance, process, or equipment with a safer alternative

    • Engineering Controls → Isolating workers from hazards through physical modifications

    • Administrative Control → Changing work procedures and policies to reduce exposure

    • Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) → Using protective gear as the last line of defense

  • It is more effective to use multiple control measures (eg. engineering controls work better with administrative controls like training & SWPs)


4.2.3 Risk Management Assessment — Implementation

1. RA Approval

  • Area/Function Manager must approve completed RA forms


2. Implementation

  • Assign an specific “Implementation Person” (preferably manager) to lead Additional Controls implementation

    • Record name & due date in RA

  • Implementation Person to provide periodic progress updates to RA Team

  • Manager must:

    • Ensure timely implementation of controls

    • Create an action plan with timeline & responsible persons

    • Monitor plan until all measures are implemented


3. Communication

  • Manager must inform at-risk personnel of:

    • Nature of risks

    • Mitigation/control measures

    • Safe work procedures

  • Can be done through WSH or small group meetings, emails, notices, etc


4. Audit / Regular Inspections

  • Manager to ensure regular inspections and process audits to verify implemented controls’ effectiveness


4.2.4 Risk Management Assessment — Record Keeping

1. Must be available upon request

2. Kept for at least 3 years


4.2.5 Risk Management Assessment — Review

1. Review RA on a regular basis

  • Recommended that workplace hazards be reviewed regularly till:

    • The hazard reaches low risk

    • The risks of the hazards are residual in nature

    • All reasonable practicable measures have been taken to control the hazard

  • All RA entries must be reviewed at least once every three years or:

    • upon any accident, incident, near miss or dangerous occurrence

    • when there is any significant change is work process or activity

    • when new information on WSH risks is made known

4.3 bizSAFE and SGSecure

  • bizSAFE is a progressive certification program that helps companies build Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) capabilities through five levels

  • SGSecure is a national counter-terrorism initiative to:

    • Enhance vigilance (report suspicious activity).

    • Strengthen cohesion (maintain social harmony).

    • Build resilience (prepare & recover from attacks).

  • To achieve bizSAFE certification, companies must now incorporate SGSecure components:

    • Risk Management (RM) Plan must include terror threat mitigation measures.

    • RM Champions attend a 2-day course covering terror incident management.

    • Top Management attends a bizSAFE workshop and updates WSH policy with SGSecure objectives.

    • Employees are trained to recognize threats, respond, and recover from terror incidents



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