SINGAPORE, Sept 4 — Forty-five organisations signed a new accord yesterday to commit to a common framework to sharpen the capabilities of occupational health and safety professionals and practitioners, so they can better guide and lead the creation and sustainability of healthier and safer workplaces.
The largest grouping of its kind to make such a pledge globally, 12 of the organisations hail from Singapore, including transport operator SMRT and Temasek Polytechnic.
Initiated by the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (Siso) and organised by the International Network of Safety and Health Practitioner Organisations (Inshpo), the Singapore Accord on the Standards of Occupational Health and Safety Professionals calls on organisations worldwide to adopt a global framework promoting high standards of practice among health and safety specialists.
Among other things, the framework, developed by Inshpo, helps firms and recruiters craft job descriptions for occupational safety and health roles, recruit workers and evaluate performance.
It details, for instance, the typical reporting lines as well as the business and organisational skills required of occupational health and safety specialists. The framework also lists the knowledge base specialists should have in areas such as hazards and risks, and safety and health management.
While Singapore has done “reasonably well” in the area of safety by most global standards, it “cannot be complacent and … should never be complacent”, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Chan Chun Sing said at the accord’s launch yesterday at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.
There are still many areas in which the Republic can do better, because “we can always aspire to a higher standard”, added Chan, who is also the National Trades Union Congress’ secretary-general.
The accord could help firms in all fields, and through it, Chan hopes that there will be greater sharing of knowledge and professional expertise in the safety community.
For example, Chan said the platform could be used for what he terms a “fast learning cycle”, where knowledge and information about an incident can be shared with parties on the ground as quickly as possible.
“We may not even have the answers to all the questions, but through the community of learners (and) practitioners, we can crowdsource those very ideas we need for a safer workplace,” he said.
“It’s a different way of learning (and) spreading the message.”
Inshpo president-elect Terrie Norris said the accord was meant as a “reference document” as the jurisdictions, cultures and organisations differ from country to country.
It also points organisations unfamiliar with occupational health and safety to the knowledge and experience they need to start out, she said.
Anson Lim, head of SMRT’s safety inspectorate, said the accord was an opportunity for the transport operator to further its commitment to occupational health and safety, and declare its role as practitioners.
Being on board the accord means its management was committed to policies to ensure its workers are safe.
“(At) all levels of leadership, it’s our responsibility ... to make sure that our people work in accordance with regulations (and) that all risks that we’ve identified are mitigated to (a level) as low as possible for our workers,” said Lim. — TODAY
