Improving WSH for the WasteManagement Industry

Improving WSH for the Waste Management Industry

A Leading Institute for WSH Knowledge and Innovations

Tan Pe TerSenior Manager (Planning & Evaluation)Workplace Safety and Health Institute

www.wsh-institute.sg

2OverviewOverview

INDUSTRY

PARTNEREducating & Engaging

Stakeholders, Promoting

WSH

WSHCWorkplace Safety & Health Council

THINK TANK

Charting New Grounds

for WSH Excellence and

Innovation

WSHIWorkplace Safety & Health Institute

REGULATOR

Legislation, Policies,

Compliance Assistance &

Enforcement

OSHDOccupational Safety & Health Division

Progressing WSH in Singapore

Singapores WSH Framework

About WSH InstituteAbout WSH Institute

A Leading Institute for WSH Knowledge and Innovations3

About WSH InstituteAbout WSH Institute

As part of our endeavour to establish Singapore as a Centre of

Excellence for WSH, we will develop an Institute dedicated to WSH ....

The Institute can also explore establishing a link with global risk observatories and share research

findings on new and emerging WSH hazards unique to Asia.

- Extracted from Workplace Safety and Health Strategy 2018

WSH Institute was formed in Apr 2011 as recommended in the WSH 2018 national strategy


What we doWhat we do

Our Vision: A leading institute for WSH knowledge and innovations

Our Mission: Enhancing WSH through knowledge, innovations and solutions


6OverviewOverview

Background


The Industry

Waste management industry is governed and regulated by the Waste and

Resource Management Department (WRMD) of the NEA

About 300-400 licenced general waste collectors in Singapore

Incineration plants receive between 200 and 900 waste trucks per day

More than 60 cases of bin falling incidents were reported incinerator plants

from 2009-2011

How it started

Between 2009 and 2011, incineration plants witnessed a number of

workplace incidents resulting in injuries to workers.

Mainly involved truck-mounted refuse bins dropping from the trucks during

the process of discharging refuse.

Back injuries and disorders from bin drop incidents

Other body injuries from manual handling work

Industry sought help from MOM & WSHI on recommending interceptive

solutions

Potential Impact to stakeholders


Fatal or serious injuries

Lost capacity and

productivity

Repair, recovery costs and

compensation

Delay in waste collection. Traffic disruption around incineration plants

Disruption to road traffic from queues

Economic loss, delays and longer queues

Potential compromise to Public hygiene/

health from delays in collection

What was done?

A Leading Institute for WSH Knowledge and Innovations

i. The WSH Institute identified the key stakeholders in the waste management

industries and interviewed the relevant industry representatives

ii. Further information on the needs and challenges surrounding the container

falling issues were gathered from the government agencies, waste collection

companies, and the incineration plant operators.

9

Identifying the Problem / Issue

Formulating the Research Objectivesi. To understand key contributing factors to the

string of incidents at waste-to-energy plant;

ii. To identify and recommend options (both

short/medium term and long term solutions) on

how the safety of the waste collection,

unloading and incineration plant could be

improved; and

iii. To propose a framework to set safety standards

and raise the productivity and professionalism

of the waste management industry

What was done?


3. Select Methods Formulating and consulting on the Recommendations

i. Various possible contributory factors such as engineering design, human

factors and operational framework were investigated in detail.

ii. The root cause of the waste container incidents was attributed to the sudden

opening of the central lock of the hook loader during tipping operations.

(human error, mechanical failure and control system failure)

iii. To resolve the issue holistically, 17 recommendations (for short, medium or

long term durations) with details of key follow-ups were suggested.

EngineeringEngineeringHumanFactorsHumanFactors

Operational FrameworkOperational Framework

EngineeringHumanFactors

Operational Framework

Schematic of parts in hook loader


Image courtesy of Palfinger

Schematic of various modes


(b) Loading

(d)Tipping

(a) Platform

(c) Container Mounted

Image courtesy of Palfinger

The agreed recommendations


3. Select Methods Key Recommendations

Num Recommendation

Short Term

1Safety Alert to be issued to drivers and workers informing them on

the critical features of vehicle, and common poor and good practices.

2 Sample Visual Vehicle Inspection at Weighbridge

3Introduce job aid for visual inspections of rear locks for waste

collectors and/or Drivers

4Introduce visual inspection of container condition and compatibility

waste collectors and/or Drivers

5Review discharge of waste at IPs SOP

6Review incident data to see which make of hook loader was involved

in the bin-falling incident




Num Recommendation

Medium Term

7 Introduce container certificates as part of licensing

8 System to penalise companies with persistent over-loaded trucks

records

9 Introduce a zero tolerance policy on bin falling incidents

10 Code of practice for safe unloading of waste - Safe selection,

operation, maintenance and inspection of hook loaders

11 Joint Inspection Visits by Government Agencies

12 Introduce systematic consideration of human factors in accident

and incident investigation

13 Review the Workforce Skills Qualification




Num Recommendation

Long Term

14

Contract and licensing arrangements - Allow the Incineration Plant

Managers to have a greater control of safety issues on waste

operations on their sites

15 Enhancing Fail-safe design of Hook loader

16

Introduce Walking floor designs for trailers for refuse unloading

process

17 Revision of scope of the Lifting Regulations

Outcomes and benefits to stakeholders


Stakeholder Expected and Recorded Outcomes

Driver &

refuse crew

Safer bin tipping process

Potentially higher income for paid-by-trip drivers, as they can cover more trips

as a result of shorter queues and safer and more efficient disposals

Less MC days due to injuries/ill health from previously unsafe practices

Employer of

driver or

crew

Avoidance of remedial costs from recovering fallen bins or trucks and

administrative costs from accident investigations

Faster turnaround to clients (waste generators) requests

Incineration

plants

A significant 50 % reduction in number of containers falling incidents, from 2010

to 2012 after key measures were put in place

Improved productivity of incineration plants with less downtime

NEA A holistic framework that helps their various stakeholders better understand,

manage and prevent major workplace disruptions hence improving productivity,

safety and health of workers. MOM

LTA Increased detection rate of overloaded heavy vehicles with better intelligence

gathering.

WDA

Enhancement to specific areas of their current WSQ syllabus for drivers and

crew to improve the management of safety and health as well as operational

effectiveness.

General

Public

More on-time waste collection and better quality to life and environment.

Less traffic disruption on public roads around incineration plants due to queues

of heavy vehicles.

17

OverviewOverview

Pictorial Safety Guide for General Waste Collectors


WMRAS, in collaboration with

the National Environment

Agency, Ministry of Manpower

and Workplace Safety and

Health Council jointly produced

a Safety Guide for General

Waste Collectors. (Photographs

with courtesy from Veolia

Environmental Services

Singapore)

Downloadable from WMRAS

website

http://www.wmras.org.sg/957

GuidePersonal

protective

Equipment

(PPE)

Pre-Operation

Vehicle Checks

Steps in

Loading &

Unloading of

Bins

Safe Removal

of Cover from

OTC

Steps in

Discharging

Waste


Contents of the Pictorial Safety Guide


Partners, Stakeholders and Sponsors

Improving WSH for the WasteManagement Industry

Documents

wsh knowledge

wsh excellence

emerging wsh

solutionsa leading institute

waste trucks

waste management industries

waste collection companies

health strategy