The
Workplace Safety and Health Act (Risk Management) Regulations came into effect
in September 2006. Under these regulations, the person responsible for the
workplace must establish an occupational safety and health management system to
ensure that the safety and health risks in the laboratory are effectively
managed. In the case of NUS, we have developed our own safety and health
management system and have called it the SMS@NUS. In the SMS@NUS, Principal
investigators (PIs) are to develop and implement a safety management system
(SMS) for their laboratory activities. PIs are to conduct risk assessments,
develop SOPs and establish roles and responsibilities for implementing safety
in their laboratory.
Laboratory OSH Certification Scheme
OSHE has launched a “Laboratory OSH Certification Scheme” to certify
principal investigators (PIs) who have effectively implemented laboratory-based
SMS relevant to the set-up of their laboratory. Upon award of the certification
to the NUS Occupational Health and Safety Management System Standard for
laboratories, PIs would generally not be required to submit risk
assessments on a per-project basis. This scheme will be gradually rolled out to
all PIs in phases over the next few years.
The scheme was first introduced in October 2006 on a pilot test group of PIs,
namely Dr. Gan Yunn Hwen (Department of Biochemistry), Dr Ratha Mahendran (Department of Surgery) and PIs from the Department of Community, Occupational
and Family Medicine (COFM). Favorable reviews were received from the PIs who
participated in the scheme. Miss Vivian Ng from the Department of Community,
Occupational and Family Medicine (COFM) shares her experience in the following
article “Laboratory OSH Certification Scheme – More than just another
paper award exercise”
Please
click
here
for full details of the certification process.
NUS Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Management System Standard
for laboratories
OSHE has
developed the “NUS Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Management System Standard
for laboratories” to define the requirements of the SMS and assist PIs in the
development of a laboratory SMS.
There are 3 parts to the standards:
• Part A: Requirements – Specifies the key elements of the SMS.
• Part B: Guidance notes – Provides explanatory notes/examples to assist
PIs in developing and implementing the safety management system.
Part C:
Application Package
– Information and documents to be submitted for application to the Laboratory
OSH certification scheme, details of which are stated below.
Application Process
1. The
scheme will be rolled out on a departmental basis to NUS PIs.
2. For
departments put on the scheme, OSHE will provide the training to assist PIs in
the development and implementation of a laboratory SMS. The training is a prerequisite
for the certification process.
PIs must either attend the training sessions
scheduled for the department or complete the online training modules of “OSH Management System and Risk Management methodology”.
Please login
here.
3. For
application, PIs are required to complete and submit the following:
• Information/documents specified in the Application package:
Award of certification
1. The
certification process will consists of:
• A review of
documents submitted for the application
• An audit of the
PI’s Laboratory OSH management system
• A subsequent surveillance audit to ascertain
if follow-up requirements were achieved and determine if the certification can
be awarded.
2. PIs
awarded the certification will be issued a Letter of Certification that is
valid for 3 years from the date of issue.
3. Conditions
of award:
a. PIs are
responsible for notifying OSHE if there are significant changes in the
protocol, practices, material, personnel or environment that would affect the
current OSH management system or result in a change in the laboratory operational
controls. Please submit the following form:
Form (OSH/PI/F04.02)
–
Revisions to OSH Management System
and Laboratory practices.
b. Upon
award of the certification, PIs need not submit individual project risk
assessments for new grant-based projects. However, PIs must notify OSHE of new
projects and submit the following form(s) to OSHE to apply for approval for the
release of funds for the new projects:
• Form (OSH/PI/F02.02) – Grant release
form for Laboratory OSH Certification Scheme
• Form (OSH/PI/F03.02) – This form
is to be submitted in addition to the form (OSH/PI/F02.02) if the
new project involves animal work.
•
Register of PIs awarded certification.
For further enquiries, please contact Ms Khng Hwee Hoon at
oshkhh@nus.edu.sg, extension: 7176.
