WSH 2018
A national strategy for workplace safety and health in Singapore
The tripartite partners and key stakeholders in workplace safety and health acknowledge their role in the enhancement and implementation of Workplace Safety and Health 2018: A National Strategy for Workplace Safety and Health in Singapore (WSH 2018). They express their commitment in their responsibility to ensure the continued improvement of Singapore’s standards in the area of occupational safety and health (OSH).
This Strategy provides a concrete and comprehensive map to direct collective efforts, to implement actions that produce sustainable quantum improvements in the health and safety climate, and to encourage companies to value and prioritize OSH.
The tripartite partners and key stakeholders will undertake continual reviews of their performance against the targets set in WSH 2018 and enhance WSH 2018 in the light of their achievements. Together, they aim to make Singapore a safe and healthy workplace for everyone and an international centre of excellence in the field of OSH.
Over the past few decades, Singapore has made significant strides in improving OSH. In 2004, major workplace accidents added further impetus to the efforts to fundamentally reform OSH practices in Singapore. Yet, fatalities and injuries continue to happen at workplaces and more can be done to protect our workers.
The new OSH framework was put in place in 2005 and was designed to engender a paradigm shift in the mind-set of all stakeholders by shifting their focus from compliance with prescriptive rules on OSH to eliminating and reducing risks created. The framework was also designed to bring about greater industry ownership of OSH outcomes. The Minister for Manpower also set a target to halve the number of workplace fatalities to 2.5 per 100,000 workers by 2015.
In 2008, recognizing the progress that had been made since 2004, the Government announced a new target for OSH, challenging stakeholders to lower the number of workplace fatalities to less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018. This would allow Singapore to have one of the best workplace safety records in the world.
The final WSH 2018 Strategy is strongly supported by the tripartite partners – the Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress. This will serve as the guide to achieve sustainable improvements in OSH standards and performance in Singapore.
The tripartite partners and key stakeholders will undertake continual reviews of their performance against the targets set in WSH 2018 and enhance WSH 2018 in the light of their achievements. Together, they aim to make Singapore a safe and healthy workplace for everyone and an international centre of excellence in the field of OSH.
Over the past few decades, Singapore has made significant strides in improving OSH. In 2004, major workplace accidents added further impetus to the efforts to fundamentally reform OSH practices in Singapore. Yet, fatalities and injuries continue to happen at workplaces and more can be done to protect our workers.
The new OSH framework was put in place in 2005 and was designed to engender a paradigm shift in the mind-set of all stakeholders by shifting their focus from compliance with prescriptive rules on OSH to eliminating and reducing risks created. The framework was also designed to bring about greater industry ownership of OSH outcomes. The Minister for Manpower also set a target to halve the number of workplace fatalities to 2.5 per 100,000 workers by 2015.
In 2008, recognizing the progress that had been made since 2004, the Government announced a new target for OSH, challenging stakeholders to lower the number of workplace fatalities to less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018. This would allow Singapore to have one of the best workplace safety records in the world.
The final WSH 2018 Strategy is strongly supported by the tripartite partners – the Ministry of Manpower, the Singapore National Employers Federation and the National Trades Union Congress. This will serve as the guide to achieve sustainable improvements in OSH standards and performance in Singapore.