Pushing for a holistic approach to Workplace Safety and Health

Singapore companies need to be more proactive to achieve excellence in WSH.

Some business organisations may be satisfied with meeting only the minimum workplace safety and health (WSH) regulatory requirements. But that will no longer be enough, argues WSH experts such as Dr. Jukka Takala, Senior Consultant of the WSH Institute, Singapore. A holistic approach – one that effectively identifies problems and reduces risk – should be the target of Singapore companies serious about improving their WSH practices and systems.

Dr. Takala argues that there is no time for complacency. Data from the WSH Institute, Singapore, showed that there were 1,523 work-related fatalities among Singapore resident and foreign workforce in 2010, and this is just the “tip of the pyramid” due to the practice of underreporting among firms.

“The number of accidents and also health-related problems are much higher than the official statistics,” said Dr. Takala, citing a previous Ministry of Manpower study. Latest figures reveal that 1.5% of workers in Singapore had an accident at work during a one-year period, while 6.9% experienced a work-related health problem in the past 12 months.

Dr. Takala offered four key recommendations that can help raise Singapore’s WSH regime. First, companies have to identify their biggest WSH challenges and reduce those with proper interventions whether they are to alienate and reduce exposures to carcinogens in the workplace or prevent falls from high places. The second is returning the letter “H” or Health in WSH.

“Accidents are easy to detect and chain of events can be easily reconstructed, but what about non-visible health problems? You have to put more emphasis on long-term health problems. Health problems need to be put higher on the agenda,” he said. Thirdly, government and businesses need to establish better recording systems for both accidents and long-term exposures. “What you don’t know and what you don’t measure are forgotten.”

Lastly, Dr. Takala advised Singapore to follow the successful practices and measures taken in other countries. He cited that in the United Kingdom, a study revealed around 8,000 people were dying yearly from occupational cancer.

This led said country to establish programmes that involve all stakeholders such as cancer prevention societies, and not just government officials and directly involved firms, which arguably led to better outcomes. Dr. Takala’s recommendations will weigh heavily on the minds of Singapore businesses as they transit from merely meeting the minimum WSH regulatory requirements to striving for WSH excellence.

Helping them along this path will be the Singapore WSH Conference 2014 that will be held from May 7 to 8 at Suntec Singapore. With the theme, “Integrating Safety and Health: Towards a Holistic Approach,” the biennial conference will bring together more than 700 of the world’s top WSH professionals, leaders and government officials to explore why a holistic WSH approach is becoming increasingly important.

Co-organised by the WSH Council, WSH Institute and Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore WSH Conference 2014 will foster interesting discussions as practitioners and businesses share insights and experiences on how this approach is imperative to operational success and contribute to employee engagement, satisfaction and productivity.

For more info visit: https://www.singaporewshconference.sg