Below are the reasons Risk Assessments are more critical for Singapore businesses than ever before and how businesses can adapt to the continually changing safety landscape

Emphasis on Safety Evolution – Changing from Static to Dynamic
Most companies in Singapore have always regarded Risk Assessment as a document that was “static” and only reviewed once a year, with updates only being made upon request by a regulator. However, as work sites continue to become more sophisticated, the entire industrial sector is transitioning to the more “Dynamic” approach of Risk Assessments (DRA)

Dynamic Risk Assessment is the continuous process of evaluating and identifying hazards in a work site as the work environment or job site changes. Dynamic Risk Assessments are not static as they continue to evolve through an Employee’s or Supervisor’s actions on the job site. Dynamic Risk Assessments are essential to Singapore’s high growth areas such as construction, marine engineering, manufacturing, etc., where the environment changes frequently due to shifting environmental conditions, personnel changes and job requirements.

Why Now? The Driving Forces for Risk Assessments in Singapore

1. Increased Regulatory Requirements

As the Ministry of Manpower continues to implement amendments to the WSH Act, many of the jobs that would have been considered high-risk jobs in the past are being subjected to increased regulatory scrutiny.

2. Multi-Generational and Diverse Workforce

The workforce in Singapore consists of local skilled workers and workers from overseas. The differences in languages and levels of experience with safety can hinder the process of identifying hazards, leading to “blind spots.” Risk assessments that communicate clear and consistent information about risks to all employees ensure that everyone knows what heavy equipment and other dangers are associated with their job.

3. The Speed of Technological Change

Singapore is currently pursuing Industry 4.0 where robots, automation, and IoT technology are included in how we do business. Using robots and other technology will create new risks that did not exist ten years ago, and businesses should continue to update their safety protocols to adequately protect workers from potential hazards resulting from human-robot interactions as well as electrical hazards.

4. Protecting Business Continuity

In addition to the impact on employees, workplace accidents can lead to substantial financial losses (project delays, increased insurers’ premiums, etc.) from both project delays and damaged reputations. A competitive market like Singapore requires that businesses maintain a good safety record to win government contracts and large-scale private contracts.

Enhancing Your Risk Assessment Strategy
To remain competitive in the future, companies in Singapore should concentrate their risk assessment strategies on the following three areas:

Ongoing Training: Train workers not only to recognize the risks associated with their jobs, but also how to complete a dynamic assessment while they are on the job when a new hazard is detected.

Digitally Integrating: Businesses should transition away from using traditional models for having a written method for risk mitigation and use digital platforms for managing workplace safety.