guide to the workplace safety and health aid regulations

8/7/2019 Guide to the Workplace Safety and Health aid Regulations

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A Guide to theWorkplace Safety and Health(First-Aid) Regulations


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Contents

Workplace Saety and Health(First-Aid) Regulations 2

- Provision And Maintenance Of First-aid Box 5

- Provision And Maintenance Of First-aid Room 7

- Working With Toxic Or Corrosive Substances 9

- Appointment Of First-aiders 0- Training Of First-aiders 3

- Transitional Period 5

- Further Information 6

Annex A 7

Annex B 8


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2

(First-Aid) Regulations

A Guide to the WorkplaceSafety and Health

What is in this section o the Guide?

This section o the Guide provides a brie explanation othe main eatures in the Workplace Saety and Health(First-Aid) Regulations to assist you in complying with theRegulations.

Why is there a need or First-Aid Regulations?

The lie o an injured employee may depend on properrst-aid given within the rst ew minutes o an accident.Besides saving lives, rst-aid treatment is important in

preventing urther injury and pain. The requirement orrst-aid treatment in the workplace is not new and wasdened in Section 58 o the Factories Act as well as theFactories (First-Aid) Regulations 1995.

In the new ramework or occupational saety and healthin Singapore, the Workplace Saety and Health Act replacesthe Factories Act with eect rom 1 March 2006. ThisWorkplace Saety and Health (First-Aid) Regulations is one

o the subsidiary legislations under the new Act.

Where will the Workplace Saety and Health (First-Aid) Regulations apply?

The Regulations will apply in the ollowing workplaces.

1. Any premises which is a actory.

2. Any premises within an airport where any checking,inspecting, cleaning, loading, unloading or reueling o


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an aircrat is carried out by persons other than by thecrew o the aircrat.

3. Any ship in a harbour where any o the ollowing iscarried out:

a. scaling, scurng or cleaning o boilers, includingcombustion chambers and smoke boxes,in the ship;

b. cleaning o any tank, bilges or holds in the ship;

c. construction, re-construction, repair, tting,urnishing or breaking up.

4. Any laboratory or other premises where the testing,examination or analysis o any article is carried out.

What are the responsibilities o the employer oroccupier o the workplace?

I you are an employer or occupier o the workplace, youare responsible or the ollowing:

provision and maintenance o rst-aid box, appointment and training o rst-aiders,

provision and maintenance o rst-aid room,

provision o suitable acility or quick drenchingo body or fushing o eyes where toxicor corrosive substances are used.

What actors do I have to consider in carrying outmy responsibilities as an employer or occupier?

When deciding on the number o equipment, rst-aiders,and acilities or your workplace, you should consider theollowing actors:

type o industry, the nature and specic hazardso the work,

number o employees,


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number o work shits,

physical layout o the workplace,

known occurrences o accidents or illnesses,

location o the workplace in relation tothe nearest medical clinic or hospital,

work during holidays.

rst-aiders on sick leave.

The Saety Committee in the workplace should periodically

review the rst-aid acilities to ensure that these acilitiesare adequate.


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5

Provision

Of First-aid BoxMaintenanceAnd

What should be provided in the frst-aid box andhow should it be maintained?

Contents o First-Aid BoxThe required minimum contents o rst-aid boxes are listedin Annex A.

First-aid boxes should not contain materials other thanthose required or rst-aid treatment.

It is essential that rst-aid boxes be checked requentlyto make sure they are ully equipped and all items areusable. Used or expired items should be replaced as soon

as possible.

Number o First-Aid Boxes

The number o rst-aid boxes required depends onthe physical layout o the premises and the number oemployees.

There should be at least one rst-aid box on each foor othe premises. The total number o rst-aid boxes requiredshould be sucient or use by all employees.


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Ratio O Employees To First-Aid Boxes

No. o employees No. and type o frst-aid boxes

Less than 25 employees at least one Box A

every 50 employees at least one Box B

every 100 employees at least one Box C

Note: One box B is equivalent to two Box A.One Box C is equivalent to two Box B.

Accessibility o First-Aid Boxes

The rst-aid box should be labeled clearly and placed inan unmistakably identied, well-illuminated and easilyaccessible location. The rst-aid box must be made osturdy material and be portable so that it can be quicklytaken to the site o an accident.

Where the actory covers a large area, an adequate number

o rst-aid boxes should be provided and well distributedthroughout the premises. Employees should be inormedo the location o all the rst-aid boxes.


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7

Of First-Aid Room

ProvisionAndMaintenance

What should be provided in a frst-aid room andhow should it be maintained?

A rst-aid room is to be provided where there are morethan 500 employees.

Design o First-Aid Room

The room should be large enough to hold a couch, and stillhave space or people to move about. It should be well litand ventilated and have provision or emergency lighting.

It should also be clearly identied as a rst-aid room bymeans o a sign.

Facilities in First-Aid Room

The items that should be provided in a rst-aid room arelisted in Annex B.

Location o First-Aid Room

When choosing a site or a rst-aid room, bear in mind theollowing actors:

proximity to toilets,

proximity to lits and main passagewayswhich are wide enough to allow a stretcher,wheelchair or carrying chair through,


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accessibility to work area,

accessibility to car park, so as to acilitate

transer o injured persons to an ambulance.


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9

Corrosive Substances

Working With ToxicOr

What frst-aid acilities are required i toxic orcorrosive substances are being used?

I the workplace has exposure to toxic or corrosivesubstances, the Commissioner o Workplace Saety andHealth may require the provision o suitable acilities oremergency treatment, such as emergency showers orquick drenching and eye wash or fushing the eyes. Theseacilities or emergency use should be located within thework area and be properly maintained.

Special InstructionsSome chemicals handled in the actory may not becommonly used. Hence, instructions on the handlingo employees injured by such chemicals may need to bewritten down in Saety Data Sheets (SDS) or easy reerencein the event o an accident. I a chemical has an antidote egamyl nitrite or cyanide poisoning, the antidote should beavailable. Instructions on the administration o the antidoteshould be clearly written down.

Copies o the SDS should be located near the rst-aid boxesso that they can be reerred to quickly and easily.


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0

Appointment

First-AidersNumber to Be Appointed

Ratio O First-Aiders To The Number O Employees

Type o workplace No. o employees No. o frst-aiders

Quarries, constructionsites, shipyards,

petroleum reneries,woodworking actories

26 100 one

More than 100 one or every100 persons

employed or less

All other actories andworkplaces covered

under the Regulations

26 150 one

More than 150 one or every150 persons

employed or less

Shit Work

I there is a shit work schedule, there must be a sucientnumber o rst-aiders corresponding to the number oemployees working on that shit to provide adequatecoverage or each shit.

Availability o First-Aiders

The names and where the rst-aiders normally work mustbe displayed on a notice in a prominent location in theworkplace.

Of


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What are the responsibilities o the frst-aider?

The rst-aider has 3 main responsibilities.

1. Management o Casualty

The rst-aider should be aware o the specic hazards (eg,hazardous substances, dangerous goods, machinery orequipment) in the workplace and be able to render rst-aidor these specic hazards.

In the management o an injured employee, the rst-aider

should take the ollowing steps.

Assess the situation without endangering his own lie.

Identiy the injuries.

Give immediate rst-aid treatment, keepingin mind that a casualty may have more thanone injury and that some casualties will requiremore urgent attention than others.

Arrange without delay or the injured employee(s)to be sent to a doctor, hospital or home,according to the seriousness o his condition.

Provide inormation to an attendingdoctor on the nature o the incident andthe rst-aid treatment rendered.

The rst-aiders responsibility ends when the casualtyis handed over to the care o a doctor, nurse or otherappropriate person.

2. Maintenance o Treatment Record

The rst-aider must record the treatment given and keepthe record in a designated place.


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3. Maintenance o First-Aid Facilities

The rst-aider is responsible or maintaining the rst-aid

box. He should ensure that only rst-aid equipment is keptinside the box. The rst-aider should periodically checkthe rst-aid box to ensure that the contents o the box areregularly replenished.

In workplaces with Occupational Health Nurses, thesupervision o rst-aiders and the responsibility or themaintenance o rst-aid acilities may be taken over by thenurse.

How are employees inormed o the availability ofrst-aid?

Employees should be inormed o the type and locationo the rst-aid acilities and the procedures to be ollowedwhen rst-aid is required.

This should take place as part o the initial training or

induction o the employee and when there is a signicantchange in personnel, workplace, or nature or type o dutiesperormed. All employees should also be advised and madeaware o the rst-aid requirements o the specic hazardsin the workplace.


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3

First-Aiders

TrainingOf

What are the qualities and training required or a

person selected to be a frst-aider?

Selection or Training

An employer or occupier should select suitable persons orrst-aid training. Persons who are suitable are those who:

are mature and responsible,

can remain calm in an emergency, can leave their work immediately to

respond to an emergency,

are physically t.

The employer or occupier should maintain a written recordo all the rst-aiders, and record the dates they obtainedtheir rst-aid certicates and the dates on which they

received retraining.

Training Providers

A person is considered a trained irst-aider i hesuccessully completes a irst-aid course approved bythe Ministry o Manpower. The list o training providerscan be ound at http://www.mom.gov.sg/oshd,under Occupational First-Aid Courses.


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Validity o Certiicates

First-aid certicates are valid or 3 years only. Thereater,

the rst-aider has to undergo a reresher course and beissued with a new certicate.


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5

TransitionalPeriod

What is the status o persons appointed ordocuments obtained beore 1 March 2006 when theWorkplace Saety and Health Act comes into orce?

Any persons appointed, and any documents, certicatesor permits issued or approved under the Factories Act,will continue to be valid under the Workplace Saety andHealth Act during the transition between the two pieces olegislation until the Act is ully implemented. Examples osuch persons or documents include saety ocers, saetyauditors, authorized boiler inspectors, approved persons,designated actory doctors, saety committees, certicates

o actory registration, and inspection reports. Subsidiarylegislation made under the Factories Act will also remainin orce.


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Copies o the Workplace Saety and Health Act and itssubsidiary legislation can be purchased rom:

SNP Corporation (Legal) LtdLegal Publications Retail Outlet1 Kim Seng Promenade #18-01/06Great World City East TowerSingapore 237994Tel: +65 68269691Website: http://www.snpcorp.com/webshop

For more inormation, please contact us at:

Email : [email protected] : +65 64385122Fax : +65 63171261

Mailing Address : Occupational Saety and Health DivisionMinistry o Manpower18 Havelock Road #03-02Singapore 059764

Web-site : http://www.mom.gov.sg/oshd

You can also obtain the latest occupational saety andhealth inormation by subscribing to the OSH Alerts. Detailscan be ound in the web-site address provided above.

Please call 63171111 to report any unsae workplacesor practices.

FurtherInformation


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Annex A

Minimum Contents O First-Aid Boxes

S/no Contents

Box A

(or every25 personsemployed

or less)

Box B


or less)

Box C


or less)

1. Individuallywrapped sterile

adhesive dressings

20 40 40

2. Crepe bandage5 cm

1 2 4

3. Crepe bandage10 cm

1 3 6

4. Absorbentgauze (packetso ten pieces)

5 10 15

5. Hypoallergenic

tape

1 1 2

6. Triangularbandages

4 4 6

7. Scissors 1 1 1

8. Saety pins 4 4 6

9. Disposablegloves (pairs)

2 2 4


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Note: One Box B is equivalent to two Box A.One Box C is equivalent to two Box B.

S/no Contents

Box A


or less)

Box B


or less)

Box C


or less)

10. Eye shield 2 4 6

11. Eye pad 2 4 6

12. Resuscitationmask (one-way)

1 1 2

13. Sterile water orsaline in 100ml disposable

containers (onlywhere tap wateris not available)

1 3 3

14. Torch light 1 1 1


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Annex B

Recommended Facilities For First-Aid Room

The ollowing items should be provided in a rst-aidroom.

1. First-aid box

2. Sink with running potable water

3. Disposable paper towels

4. Smooth top working suraces

5. Record keeping acilities

6. Adequate supply o sterile dressings and other materialsor wound treatment

7. Stretcher(s)

8. Splints

9. Clinical thermometer

10. Couch with pillow and blanket

11. Suitable store or rst-aid equipment eg stretchers,wheel chairs

12. Soap and nail brush

13. Clean garments or use by rst-aiders

14. Suitable reuse container with disposable lining

In addition, a few chairs should be provided close to the

Compiled by Ministry of ManpowerMay 2006

f irst -aid room if employees have to wait f or t reatment.


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NOTES

guide to the workplace safety and health aid regulations

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