An increase in workplace deaths in the first two months of 2014 should be of concern to employers in Singapore.
According to a report from HRinAsia.com, the first two months of 2014 have witnessed 12 workplace deaths that compared to eight during the same period last year.
Acting Minister for Manpower, Tan Chuan-Jin, noted that there should be a great importance of forming a risk-free workplace, adding that his ministry will work with the Workplace Safety and Health Council to review the Risk Management Framework to boost its effectiveness. The review will reportedly take one year to complete.
Under the law, all employers are required to comply with the Risk Management Framework by rolling out steps to mitigate risk factors at work. Businesses refusing to do so are looking at a $10,000 fine. Second-time and subsequent offenders face a maximum penalty of S$20,000 and six months’ jail.
Study Focuses in on Safety, Retaining Clients
At the convention, Tan reported on details of a study, showing that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that have undergone workplace safety and health training are more likely to retain their clients.
The study, conducted in January 2013 by the Workplace Safety and Health Institute, evaluates the effectiveness of the bizSAFE program. BizSAFE is a five-step program unveiled seven years ago that helps companies make their workplace safe and risk-free. The program is carried out through a series of workshops and audits. The study surveyed more than 1,600 SMEs and their clients.
Another important discovery from the study is that nine out of 10 bizSAFE-certified firms agree that the program has aided them in improving the safety and health of their workplaces.
To date, more than 17,000 businesses have undertaken the bizSAFE program, compared to just 550 in 2007.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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