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Plenty of workplace safety programmes

There are more than 4,000 registered workplace safety and health (WSH) officers in Singapore and many of them are members of the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (SISO) ("Workplace safety: Can we do more? - Lack of experience poses big problem"; Oct 9).

SISO conducts numerous professional development programmes for workplace safety and health officers and the workforce in various industries.

Our programmes are known to be of a high standard in terms of content and are conducted by subject matter experts.

In line with our mission, we have both a code of ethics and a code of conduct, and these guide our members in ensuring good ethical and professional practices in their work.

In addition, we will soon be launching the SISO WSH Professional Standards, which will clearly define the competencies, attributes, skills, knowledge, ethics and behaviour of WSH professionals.

SISO has also developed its career progression pathway, which allows members to chart their career paths and to aspire to raise their competencies and acquire management and value-creating skills.

As a U-Associate Partner, SISO collaborates with the National Trades Union Congress in programmes to share and enhance WSH knowledge, such as workshops for NTUC union leaders, annual workplace safety and health officer conferences, and the WSH Leadership Programme.

In another collaboration, SISO and the Ministry of Manpower are jointly conducting the Mobile Work-at-Height Safety Clinic. Seventeen SISO members volunteered to visit selected construction worksites where they conduct work-at-height safety clinics for the workers and supervisors on-site.

The WSH Council is also supporting SISO in the Accident Sharing and Preventive Programme, where timely safety pointers are shared online so that employers and management can use the information to work towards ensuring safer workplaces.

For the 28th SEA Games and the 8th Asean Para Games, more than 100 members volunteered their time and services to ensure the safety of the many venues used for the two Games.

Last but not least, SISO provides a job-matching service, whereby we match qualified WSH officers with companies requesting assistance in hiring competent WSH officers.

SISO has many more programmes and initiatives for both WSH officers and the industry, and we invite anyone wishing to know more about SISO to contact us.

Bernard Soh

President

Singapore Institution of Safety Officers

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on October 23, 2016, with the headline Plenty of workplace safety programmes. Subscribe