Module Application
- Does the organisation fulfil its health and safety duties to all relevant stakeholders and/or persons in all relevant settings?
- Does the occupier of the workplace put together or help put together a systematic process for managing workplace health and safety?
- Does the organisation have a structured, documented and effective process for managing risks and hazards at the workplace?
Module Scope
The WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module informs the Singaporean workplace entity or organisation of their legislated legal obligations. The module also demonstrates effective practical advice and assistance to the Singaporean workplace entity to implement procedures and processes that will ensure compliance and regulatory accountability throughout all levels of the organisation.
The WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module advises Singaporean workplace entities of the processes and procedures they need to implement to ensure compliance with all legal and regulatory obligations. Core legal and regulatory obligations are based on considerations of the broad questions determining;
- Decision making;
- Accountability;
- Stewardship;
- Direction; and
To fulfill its purpose the module focuses on providing practical assistance to the Singaporean workplace entity establishing and maintaining a robust foundational framework that determines;
- How the organisation will function;
- Who is the responsible decision maker;
- What matters are relevant to the decision-making process; and
- Whether the desired outcome has been achieved.
As entities, their employees and authorised individuals are all expected to be familiar with the broad landscape of legal obligations to which they are subject as well as more specific obligations relevant to the particular sector they are operating in, the WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module should be subscribed by all Singaporean workplace entities, their employees and authorised individuals. The aim of the module is to equip the subscriber with knowledge of their obligations and the skills they require to establish relevant systems and processes to ensure compliance throughout their organisation.
Work health and safety is an essential component of every organisations risk management framework. The aim of work health and safety legislation is to protect the health and safety of people in the workplace so far as is reasonably practicable by setting a minimum standard of care, creating duties, facilitating cooperation between stakeholders and establishing a regulator to apply and enforce the law.
The broad scope of the WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module is to provide answers to these questions;
- What are our legal obligations?
- From where are our legal obligations derived?
- How can we ensure that we are complying with our legal obligations?
- What are the consequences if we are not complying with our legal obligations?
The WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module covers all legislated legal obligations of Singaporean workplace entities and demonstrates practical assistance and guidance to ensure that these obligations are complied with through the implementation and maintenance of best practice processes throughout the organisation. The module also covers the role of the regulator as well as exemptions to the obligations, if applicable, and how they may or may not apply in particular circumstances.
The module fulfils this objective by comprehensively covering three main areas;
- The legislative and regulatory landscape from which the primary legal obligations are derived;
- Workplace Safety and Health Act (Cap 354A) (SNG)
- Workplace Safety and Health (Composition of Offences) Regulations (Cap 354A) (SNG)
- Workplace Safety and Health (Exemption) Order (Cap 354A, O 1) (SNG)
- Workplace Safety and Health (Construction) Regulations 2007 (SNG)
- Workplace Safety and Health (Medical Examinations) Regulations 2011 (SNG)
- Employment Act (Cap 91) (SNG)
- Declaration That Persons Employed by Statutory Boards Are Not Employees for Purposes of Act (Cap 91, N 1) (SNG)
- Environmental Public Health Act (Cap 95) (SNG)
- Work Injury Compensation Act 2019 (SNG)
- Singapore Armed Forces Act (SNG)
- The specific areas where legal and regulatory obligations apply to the Singaporean workplace entity;
- Work health and safety duties;
- General principles; and
- Occupiers of workplaces;
- Occupiers of common areas;
- Employers;
- Self-employed persons;
- Principals;
- Persons at work; and
- Manufacturers and suppliers.
- Work health and safety management measures: Workplace;
- Workplace safety and health officers and co-ordinators;
- Workplace safety and health auditing;
- Safety and health training;
- Approvals of persons;
- Risk management;
- Medical examinations; and
- First aid.
- Work health and safety management measures: Work spaces;
- Work at heights;
- Confirmed spaces;
- Building stability;
- Building maintenance;
- Indoor air quality;
- Drinking water;
- Housekeeping;
- Lighting;
- Temperature;
- Reduction of vibration;
- Drainage of floors;
- Smoking;
- Head protection;
- Eye protection;
- Footwear; and
- Work health and safety management measures: Construction works;
- Safety and health management system;
- Design;
- General safety and health measures;
- Permit-to-work system;
- Electrical safety;
- Cantilevered and material platforms;
- Disposal of materials;
- Formwork structures;
- Demolition;
- Excavation and tunnelling works;
- Compressed air environment;
- Explosives;
- Piling;
- Cranes, employee’s lifts and material handling machinery;
- Traffic control at work zones; and
- Temporary housing quarters on construction sites.
- Work health and safety management measures: Miscellaneous;
- Machinery and equipment;
- Energy hazards;
- Biosafety;
- Non-biological hazardous substances;
- Fire safety;
- Radiation; and
- Harassment;
- Harassment prevention policy;
- Information and training on workplace harassment; and
- Harassment reporting and response procedures.
- Rest;
- Normal rest duration;
- Sick leave; and
- Rest areas.
- Workers in special demographic groups;
- Children and young persons;
- Pregnant women; and
- Migrant workers.
- Investigation and enforcement;
- General requirements to cooperate;
- Incident reporting;
- Self-investigation;
- Non-interference and evidence;
- Truthful participation in oral examination; and
- Compliance with remedial and suspension decisions.
- Injury compensation;
- Insurance;
- Medical examination;
- Circumstances for compensation;
- Amount to compensate;
- Compensation procedure;
- Information disclosure; and
- Dispute resolution and appeals.
- Significant consequences can apply to Singaporean workplace entities, their employees and authorised individuals found to have breached or not complied with their legal obligations. These consequences vary considerably depending on the nature and extent of the breach or failure. The WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH module covers specific consequences in detail. They can include monetary penalties, disciplinary measures and even terms of imprisonment for individuals found to have committed serious criminal offences.