Specialist Diploma in WSH

WSQ SPECIALIST DIPLOMA IN WSH

(CONSTRUCTION ELECTIVE/MANUFACTURING ELECTIVE)

DEVELOP A WSH CULTURE

Written Assignment Report

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Annex G
Written Assignment
a) Based on the case study, describe the steps that you will go through for developing a
WSH culture programme (up and including implementation)

Steps Description
Initial Step A kick-off session with the management team to create awareness of WSH
Management Culture and the importance in it was initiated & it would require the
Engagement management commitment on time and resources for CultureSAFE programme.

Resources require for implementing the WSH Culture program include human
resources, financial resources, facilities and other resources such as
CultureSAFE e-Tool.

Human resources include both internal and external resources. Internal

resources would be on the time of people involved in the safety programme &
external resources would be the use of CultureSAFE Consultant Organisation if
require.

Financial resources are available through the WSH Culture Fund (WCF). It is a
government grant catered for SMEs to commence their WSH culture journey.
Facilities resources include access to meeting and training rooms, presentation
tools and access to computer/laptop

With the support of the management and Financials funding from the WSH
Culture fund, the WSH Culture program is expected to complete in 3 months’
time.

Step 1 1)Conduct a Perception Survey to collect data in determining the WSH beliefs, values
& practices of stakeholders. The survey can be taken on-line or downloaded into hard
Diagnostic copy for distribution to the participants such as manager, supervisors & workers

Once the perception survey is completed, all online or hardcopy form will submit to
WSH Council for processing. The CultureSAFE e-tool will process
the survey data from the perception survey questionnaires and generate the WSH
culture indexes for the organisation.

Perception Survey questions for Manager is shown below

• Senior management reviews WSH performance regularly and conveys

to us the status, actions and effectiveness of the specific measures
taken
• The planning of WSH enhancement programmes and
activities are led by our management
• Our WSH performance is benchmarked against industry standards and
action plans are considered continuously to enhance our existing WSH
practices and processes.
• In our organization, individual functional teams are empowered with
the authority to propose and review WSH suggestions and initiatives,
 and to decide on how to implement the changes required to enhance
WSH.
• Our management has implemented an ‘open door’ policy and
encourages us to raise and discuss WSH issues and concerns with them
at any time

Perception Survey questions for Supervisor

• We are not informed by management on our organization’s process for

investigating WSH incidents and accidents
• We have not been made aware of the potential hazards of our tasks and the
surrounding work areas.
• Our management has implemented an ‘open door’ policy and encourages
us to raise and discuss WSH issues and concerns with them at any time
• We are not afraid to report our own unintentional mistake as we know that
we will be treated fairly and justly by our management
• Campaigns are conducted regularly by our management to raise our
awareness of the WSH reporting system and to encourage us to submit
WSH reports

Perception Survey questions for workers

• We are not trained according to a roadmap

• Regular rest breaks are scheduled throughout the workday and we have
easily accessible places to rest, eat a meal and collect drinking water when
needed
• We are not required by our management to attend refresher training.
• The response of our management after an incident investigation focuses on
the cause and lessons to be learnt and not on who is to be blamed
• Our management will act quickly to stop anyone for taking revenge against
us for making a WSH report.

2)Evidence based assessment, allow the organisation to validate the consistency of

the WSH culture through site inspection, document inspection and personnel
interview. It allows the organisation to see the true picture of what is happening or
what they really have on the ground.

Appoint an internal consultant to gather information. Information include safety

reports, policy statements, meeting reports and any other relevant documents or
information. The 3 main aspects of evidence-based assessment are verification
interviews, document inspection & site inspection.

• Verification interviews consider each of the attributes to determine the level

of maturity in the organisation.
• Document review to uncover evidence to substantiate or reject the
bulleted statement.
• Site inspection to uncover evidence to substantiate or reject bulleted
statements.

Steps Description
Step 2 At the end of the diagnostics stage, the raw responses/data will be consolidated and
presented to the organisation in the form of bar chart based on the organisation
Reporting attribute profile
Organisation Attribute Profile

6 Attributes of the organisation

3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0

Attribute 1 – Leadership & commitment

Problem: - No commitment from the management. Any report of hazard will lead to
dismissal or will be disciplined

Solution: - Management to participate actively in programmes & activities, allocate

resources such as time & manpower in WSH activities

Attribute 3 – Work Management System

Problem: - Organisation does not have any safe work procedure implemented when
handling with hazardous substances

Solution: - To develop a safe work procedure for handling of hazardous substances

Attribute 4 – Competent & Learning Organisation

Problem: - No training provided for ground worker

Solution: - To conduct safety induction training for newly joined worker or send
worker for refresher training at accredited training provider

Attribute 6 – Communication & Reporting

Problem: - Workers did not have the courage to report WSH issues that they had
seen for fear of reprisal from their peers

Solution: - Any WSH initiative are empowered to proceed. Stakeholder are motivated
to contribute towards WSH

Steps Description
 Step 3 Action Plan
Action Planning Action to be carried out Action Timeline Resource Required
(Action can be a new Officer
Initiative)
Management to participate Desmond 1 week Time, Manpower
actively in WSH (Director)
programmes & activities,
allocate resources such as
time & manpower in WSH
activities
To come up with a safe Supervisor 1 week Times, manpower
work procedure for
handling of hazardous
substance
Provide safety induction Supervisor On-going Budget, time,
training for newly join manpower
workers.

Send workers for safety HR

refresher training with
accredited training provider
Encourage workers to HODS On-going time, Manpower
report issue of all WSH
issues

Step Description
Step 4 Action to be carried out Progress or Method of monitoring
Implementation (Action can be a new Initiative) status of
implementation
(Status)
Management to set target & Ongoing Document review
objective to achieve good safety
and health performance.
 Supervisors from each Completed Document
department to nominate review(Training
workers who will go for record)
refresher training either in-
house or at accredited training
provider
Supervisor to appoint competent Completed Document review
person to handle hazardous (training record or
substance process and appropriate certificate, PPE training
use of PPE for hazardous substance record, PPE issuance
works. record)

WSH Committee to set up On-going Logbook

communication channels for
workers to feedback WSH related
issue
Steps Description
Step 5 Review Results
Review and Action to be carried out Effectiveness of Refinement
Evaluation (Action can be a new Initiative) initiatives of Action

Organisation to set target, All employees will WSH Policy to be review

objective to achieve good know that yearly
safety & health organisation have
performance establish a WSH
policy in which
they had to follow

Send people to attend Workers will have PPE Equipment to be

safety training on handling the basic inspected every months
hazardous substances knowledge on how
to handle chemical
with the Replace any defective
Proper PPE to be issue to all appropriate PPE PPE Equipment which
workers who handle
could lead to work-
hazardous substance
related risks

Develop Safety Procedure Workers will have Safety Procedure on how

on how to handle the basic to handle hazardous
hazardous substances knowledge on how substance to be review
to handle yearly or when there is a
need to amend it.
 hazardous
substance

Workers to reported all Report of related Review of Whistle

WSH related issue through WSH issue to the blowing policy to protect
proper channel relevant channel the identity of the
will allow issue to workers who report
be solve quickly unsafe WSH Act

b) Formulate a proposal (that includes introduction, executive summary,

conclusion, recommendations) to adopt a WSH Culture programme based on
the Culture Safe Model covering:
● Attributes of the organization’s WSH culture profile
● Justification for introducing WSH culture programme
● Measurable goals and targets
● Programmes and activities
● Implementation timeline
● Resource allocation
● Roles and Responsibilities
● Review methods and frequency

Introduction

In September 2012, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
received a confidential request from employees at a specialty chemicals plant in West
Virginia. The requestors had concerns about respiratory and skin exposures to
multiple chemicals used at the plant. They felt that such exposures were causing
respiratory disease and other illnesses.
In February 2013, NIOSH visited the plant. During the visit, we confidentially
interviewed a variety of employees, talked to company officials (local and corporate),
met with the union president, and toured the plant.
The following issues were found during the NIOSH visit at Speciality Chemicals Plant.
● The Speciality chemical plant Workers expressed concern about mechanisms
for reporting of safety concerns, feeling that filing a complaint led to a "black
mark" on their record.
● Skin and respiratory exposures leading to health problems
● Workers diagnosed with occupational disease
● Eye and respiratory irritation are common among employees
● Employees felt that there was not enough attention paid to routine
maintenance and that the equipment was at risk
 Executive Summary

Under the strategy of “Building capabilities for WSH culture to evolve WSH Council developed and introduced the CultureSAFE programme in
September 2012 to provide a platform for organisations to embark on a WSH culture building journey beyond WSH infrastructure and
competency that focuses on cultivating the right WSH mind-set and attitudes in every employee, from top management down to the last worker.

WSH culture is part of an organisations culture for business excellence that requires continuous efforts in meeting the ever-changing demand
for any business. Hence, the CultureSAFE programme aims to help organisations build up and sustain a progressive and pervasive WSH culture
via CultureSAFE cycle, a typical change management cycle for continual improvement. The cycle adopts a one-time Management Engagement
Session and thereafter, a 5-step cyclical approach.

● Measurable goals and targets, Programmes and activities, Implementation timeline, Resource allocation,
Roles and Responsibilities and Review methods and frequency
S/No Measurable goals and Programmes and activities Resource Roles and Implementation Review Method
targets allocation Responsibilities timeline & Frequency

1 Effectiveness of WSH 1)Monthly WSH Committee meeting Time, Poster to WSH 2 weeks To be review
Policy statement. 2)Refresher training course for workers display WSH Committees yearly
3)Safety Induction course for newly join policy statement
worker

Performance and 1)Identify training need for employee Manpower, Time WSH 2 weeks To be review
2 effectiveness of Sub- internally or by external party Committees every 6 months
Committee.
2)WSH Committee to form internal audit
team to audit individual department
S/No Measurable goals and Programmes and activities Resource Roles and Implementation Review Method
targets allocation Responsibilities timeline & Frequency

3 Resources allocated 1)Safety committee to come up with the Notice board, WSH 2 Weeks To be review
numbers of training hours & training Questionnaire, Committee every quarterly
courses that a worker is require to attend email
either in-house or at accredited training
provider

2)HR department to liaise with accredited HR Manager

training provider for the commencement of
the safety course
4 Implementation of 1)To reviews all safe work procedure, risk Manpower, time Supervisor, Safe work
Safety and health assessment, risk register for each individual Engineer procedure to be
procedure. department review every
year or when
On-going there is a need
to
2)Proper PPE to be issued to all workers Budget Supervisor
PPE to be
inspected by
supervisor
weekly
5 Effectiveness of the Local exhaust ventilation system to be install Budget, Supervisor On-going Documentation
enclosure for process to remove the harmful particles that is Manpower
equipment. present in the surrounding air in the
production floor
S/No Measurable goals and Programmes and activities Resource Roles and Implementation Review Method
targets allocation Responsibilities timeline & Frequency

6 Effectiveness of the 1) Appoint competent person to clean the Manpower, Maintenance On-going Checklist
Ventilation system. ventilation filter weekly budget Engineer

2)Ventilation exhaust system to be

inspected by external vendor yearly
6 Concentration of air- Engage external vendor to check on the PEL Manpower, Facility engineer Completed To be review
borne contaminant is of the air quality quarterly budget yearly
below PEL at the
working environment

Annual Medical A medical surveillance programme will be Manpower, time HR Manager On-going To be review
7 Examination. established for employees exposed to yearly
Number of people handling hazardous chemicals.
gone through the
medical examination They will be send for medical check-up Supervisor
yearly
8 Feedback from work Workers to feedback WSH related issue Manpower, time WSH Completed To be review
force through fearless through a proper communication channel Coordinator yearly
reporting system.
Number of Whistle blowing policy to be develop to
feedback/observations protect the identity of the who feedback
received WSH issue.
Conclusion and Recommendations

The speciality chemical plant had poor safety culture due to following reasons
● There were no targets and objectives set for the plant to achieve good safety and health
performance.
● Safety and health related Information are not easily, readily, or openly shared across
departments and employees.
● Lack of written procedures which will address the safety and health hazards and control
measures of the exposure to hazardous substances
● Insufficient resources allocated to provide safe and effective system of work to create hazard
free workplace
● Insufficient ventilation system to reduce the hazardous airborne contaminants in the
atmosphere

Recommendations to improve the safety and health of the employees in the chemical plant.
● To establish the written WSH policy indicating the top management’s commitment towards
safety and health of the employees in the organization.
● Provide Improvised ventilation system to reduce the airborne chemical contaminants and
Maintain them within the Permissible exposure level (PEL)
● Medical surveillance programme to be established for employees who are exposed to
Chemicals. Employees who are expose to hazardous substance is to go for medical check-up
yearly
● Personal protective equipment (PPE) to be issue to all employees who handle chemical.
● Any work involving hazardous chemicals should be established and documented through
written procedures. The procedures should cover dispensing, transferring, using and disposing
of the hazardous chemicals
● The training programme for handling of hazardous substances should be established to
ensure that the safe handling procedures are both known and understood by all concerned.
Information on hazardous chemicals and safe handling procedures should be disseminated
regularly to all employees through group and individual training, SDS and other aids