Changes to safety & health regulations – integrating ...

© Copyright National University of Singapore. All Rights Reserved.

CHANGES TO SAFETY & HEALTH REGULATIONS –

INTEGRATING COMPLIANCE INTO CULTURE

HAIRULNIZAM BIN ISHAK

OFFICE OF SAFETY HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTNATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

1. Recap on WSH Act2. Recent Changes to Regulations3. Sharing of new Code of Practice4. What’s Coming Up Next5. Conclusion

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SAFETY & HEALTH PERFORMANCE OVER TIME

4

TIME

INC

IDEN

T R

ATE

Technology & Regulation

1. Engineering2. Hardware3. WSH

Compliance

Safety & HealthManagement System

1. Integrating SHE

2. Certification3. Risk Mgmt.4. Competence

Safety Culture

1. Visible Leadership

2. Accountability3. Behaviors4. Core Values


RECAP ON WORKPLACE SAFETY & HEALTH (WSH) ACT

5


LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK

8

Act

Regulation

Code of Practice

Guidance Materials

Mandatory - Law

Mandatory - Law

Guidance Material(unless Gazette)

Guidance Material

REMEMBER! JUST BECAUSE A HAZARD IS NOT MENTIONED IN THE REGULATIONS, IT DOES NOT MEAN

IT IS NOT REGULATED.


LEGAL OBLIGATION OF STAKEHOLDERS UNDER WSH ACT

To take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety & health of:1. His/her employees2. Other persons who may be affected by any

undertakings carried out at the workplace

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Employer

Occupier / Principals


RECENT CHANGES…

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Simplification of Regulation –Confocal Microscope Success Story

NUS saves $46,000 and 100 man-days

per year

A confocal microscope system. Photo courtesy of MBI.

Visit by Senior Minister of State (Trade & Industry and Education), Mr Chee Hong Tat to Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) on 21 May 2019.


KEY CHANGESN3 User Licenses for Confocal Microscopes are exempted with additional safeguards

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Training

Complete NUS IVLE

Laser Safety

Training

< 5mW*

Install opaque

barrier and safety

interlock

Supervision

Senior staff appointed to ensure

compliance

*Max. laser power at focal plane Opaque barrier

Focal Plane

3 Conditions


BENEFITS

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1. Productivity2. Safety

Ownership

Cost of compliance

"We need to constantly ask ourselves if there is a smarter, more efficient way to regulate while ensuring safety and lowering the cost of compliance,“

- Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Mr. Chee Hong Tat


SHARING OF NEW CODE OF PRACTICE

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SS641:2019Code of Practice for Fire Safety for laboratories using chemicals

Standard was launched on 8 Mar 2019


CONTENT OF STANDARD

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Classification of Laboratory Unit

Laboratory Unit Design and Construction

Fire Protection

Explosion Hazard Protection

Laboratory Ventilation Systems

Compressed and Liquefied Gases

Chemical Management

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

CH

APTE

R


What is Laboratory Unit?• An enclosed space by a fire separation

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Diagram 1:Laboratory Unit

Without Partitions

Diagram 3:Laboratory Units

Separated by Common Corridor

Diagram 2:Laboratory Unit With Partitions

Fire Compartment

The main goal is to prevent the fire spread to unaffected units and protects the means of escape.


Chapter 4 - Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) for Flammable Liquid

*(SPRINKLER PROTECTED LAB)21

Category Hazard Level Occupancy Type MAQ per lab unit (L)

A High Petroleum and Petrochemicals

Up to 800 (2000)*

B Moderate All except healthcare & IHL occupancy

Up to500 (750)*

C Low All Up to250 (500)*

D Minimal All Up to 10L

Higher classification -> Higher MAQ ->More stringent design requirements


Chapter 5 - MAQ Limitation for Liquid & Gas

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(SPRINKLER PROTECTED LAB)

Laboratory Unit D (minimal fire hazard)Exempted from the requirements of Table 3

Condition for Basement Level1.Basement levels and floors higher

than 24m habitable floor height shall be sprinkler protected

Exemption from MAQ LimitationIf floor level is protected by sprinkler system, the MAQ is allowed to increase to 100% and area of laboratory unit is restricted to 1000m2

Cyclotron

https://hadassahsc.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/cyclotron.jpg


Chapter 8 - MAQ for Compressed and Liquefied Gases

Material Class “In use” ExamplesFlammable gas Gaseous 28.3 m3 5 x H2 cylinders (30L)

Liquefied 15 kg 3 x 4.5kg LPG cylinders

Inert gas Gaseous No Limit -

Liquefied No Limit -

Oxidizing gas Gaseous 42.5 m3 7 x O2 cylinders (50L)

Liquefied 68 kg 3 x O2 Dewar cylinders (20L)

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Cylinder in UseAn “in use” compressed gas cylinder is defined as one of the following: a) A cylinder delivering gas by means of a connected regulator or

through a manifold b) A reserve cylinder for the cylinder

MAQ of Gases “In Use” within a Laboratory Unit


Cylinder Operating Pressure (barg)

20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 20010 100

Cylin

der V

olum

e (L

)

2

3

4

5

6789

20

30

40

50

60708090

200

1

10

100108Gas cylinders which fall under

the shaded area shall be allowed to be placed outside fire rated safety cabinets in laboratories without sprinkler protection.

Cylinder Operating Pressure Range

Chapter 8 – Storage Requirement for Gases

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Diagram 1

Lab with no sprinkler

Diagram 2

Lab with no sprinkler

60-mins fire rated gas cabinet

Diagram 3


Chapter 10 – Chemical Management

10.2 Storage- Requirement on storage (facility, storage condition)10.2.3 Fire safety cabinet to comply with SS 532

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SS 532 Clause 4.2.4 Safety cabinet marking - “NO SMOKING, NO IGNITION SOURCES”- Maximum allowable capacity indicated clearly

SS 532 Clause 4.2.3 Safety cabinet construction

- Acceptable standard; national or international testing laboratory

- Non-combustible material, minimum 30 mins fire rating; however if housed in sprinkler protected building, the fire rating can be reduced to 10 min


Chapter 10 – Chemical Management

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10.2.7 Secondary containment - to contain potential leaks and spills - the capacity should be 10% of the total volume of the liquids in the

containment tray, or the volume of the largest container, whichever is greater.

Fire safety cabinet- Shelves designed such that any spills are

directed to the back and bottom of a leak-proof 2” (51mm) bottom sump

Example 18 L + 5 L + 2.5 L = 25.5 L10% of 25.5 L = 2.55 LHowever, tray size (volume) should be Min. 18 L (volume of largest container)

© Copyright National University of Singapore. All Rights Reserved. 27

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

Planning Design Development Construction Handover Operation

Towards ASafe & Efficient

Laboratory

Prevention through Design1. Eliminate hazards during design process2. Substitute / reduce hazardous materials,

processes and equipment3. “Design in” engineering control to

minimize hazard

Typical Project Development Process

SS641 is adopted in conjunction with Fire Code with effect from

8 Sep 2019


WHAT’S COMING UP NEXT..

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New / revised bio-

related guidelines /

manual

1. Laboratory Biosafety Manual (fourth edition) by

World Health Organization (WHO)

2. Guidelines on the Care and Use of

Animals for Scientific Purposes (second edition) by National Advisory Committee

for Laboratory Animal Research (NACLAR)

3. Singapore Biosafety Guidelines

for Research on GMOs by Genetic

Modification Advisory Committee (GMAC)

Coming Soon!


The Bridge to Safety Excellence

Integrating compliance into culture..

STEPS to Safety Culture Excellence, Terry L.Mathis: Wiley, 2013

Compliance and Safety Culture go together like a light bulb and electricity, if either fails, the entire system falls apart!

Conclusion

Changes to safety & health regulations – integrating ...

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