The Workplace Safety and Health Act 2006 is anact issued by the Republic ofSingapore. It addresses requirements forsafety and health in workplaces,[1] and replaced the Factories Act as of 1 March 2006.[2]
The Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework aims to cultivate goodsafety habits in all individuals, so as to create a strongsafety culture at theworkplace.
The new framework is guided by the following principles:
Reducing risks at the source by requiring allstakeholders to eliminate or minimise therisks they create;
Instilling greater ownership of safety andhealth outcomes within the industries; and
Preventing accidents through higherpenalties for compromises in safety management.
The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) is the key legislation affecting the principles of the OSH framework.
The WSHA emphasises the importance of managing Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) proactively, by requiring stakeholders to take reasonably practicable measures that ensure the safety and health of all individuals affected in the course of work.
The WSHA replaces the Factories Act. The key reforms under the WSHA include:
Allowing for a gradual increase in scope to cover all workplaces;
Assigning responsibilities to a range of stakeholders at the workplace along lines of control;
Focusing more on WSH systems and outcomes;
Providing for more effective enforcement through the issuance of "remedial orders"; and
Providing for higher penalties for non-compliant and risk-taking behaviour, to prevent accidents at the source.
Workplace Safety and Health Act Subsidiary Legislation
The full text ofWorkplace Safety and Health Act 2006 at Wikisource
