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
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.
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
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
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.
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.”
To find out more on the ProBE programme and the latest WAH
initiatives, you can visit the WSH Council website at www.wshc.sg
