In Singapore, risk assessment is important to ensure a safe working environment, to comply with the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act, and to protect workers against suffering harm as a result of a workplace hazard. Risk assessment can further protect businesses from suffering costly accidents, legal liabilities, and disruptions to business activities.

General steps are: 

– Identify hazards 

– Evaluate the risks 

– Decide on the control measures 

– Implement those control measures 

– Document your findings 

– Regularly review and revise the assessment 

These steps are in line with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM)’s Code of Practice for WSH Risk Management.

Types include:

– General workplace risk assessment 

– Task-based risk assessment 

– Process risk assessment 

– Chemical risk assessment 

– Fire risk assessment 

– Ergonomic risk assessment

Trained people, such as WSH Officers, supervisors, members of the safety committee, or outside consultants should carry out risk assessments. In high-risk sectors, having a qualified professional may be a legal requirement.

Usually, a report has:

Complete description of the workplace/task being assessed

All identified hazards and potential injuries

Risk evaluation (likelihood vs. severity)

Existing and recommended control measures to reduce the risk

Who is responsible and when they must be completed

Review dates

MOM recommends that risk assessments must be reviewed as a minimum every three years, but also must be done when any incident occurs, after any changes in processes, or anytime new equipment or substances are brought into the workplace.

The WSH Act requires that all employers, principals, and self-employed persons carry out risk assessments prior to commencing work, and ensure control measures are implemented to control the risk. The assessments must be recorded and reviewed in reasonable intervals.

Risk assessments have the capacity to help identify hazards quickly, help prevent incidents, help to advance a culture of safety, ensure the business remains compliant with the law, and helps the business make informed choices around safety.

High-risk industries such as construction, marine, manufacturing, logistics, chemical processing, and F&B are required to conduct regular assessments. Low-risk industries like retail or offices are still required to conduct basic risk assessments.

The common techniques are as follows:

Risk matrices (likelihood × severity)

Hazard identification (HAZID)

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)

SWIFT (Structured What-If Technique

They are experienced in hazard identification, legislative and regulatory compliance, documentation, and writing control measures. Risk assessment consultants help businesses comply with MOM guidelines and they often help to reduce the time taken to complete the risk assessment.

You can search for accredited safety consultancy firms, or find the bizSAFE directory, or MOM’s approved training providers, or reach out to industry associations like SISO (Singapore Institution of Safety Officers).

Risk assessment is a component of the overall risk management process. Risk assessment identifies and evaluates hazards whereas risk management encompasses control measures, monitoring effectiveness, training, and continual safety improvement.