Revised Force Safety Management System rolled out
Headquarters Order (HQO) No. 6 of 2010 on Force Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Policy, which was promulgated in April, came into effect on May 1 with a revised Force Safety Management System (FSMS). The new system comprises a single HQO designed as a guide for officers at all levels to appreciate the key principles of OSH.
Other HQOs in respect of OSH will be cancelled and replaced by the following OSH Protocols:
* Local Safety Risk Management,
* Safety Risk Communication,
* Accidents,
* Display Screen Equipment (DSE), and
* Manual Handling.
These protocols detail exactly what needs to be done with respect to OSH and how to go about it. The new system will be supported by an electronic Force Safety Management System (e-FSMS). Introduction of the new FSMS and e-FSMS will significantly reduce workload and fulfil all legal requirements.
There will also be a new website to provide information on the new system and OSH issues; an OSH Cadre to provide more OSH expertise, and a revised OSH training syllabus to ensure smooth operation of the system.
The changes to the existing system are not major. Everything that officers have already learned from their training will still apply. Implementation of the changes will greatly simplify operation of the existing system, reduce paperwork, more closely mirror the way the Force operates, and provide a clearer direction whilst at the same time ensure that the Force complies with the OSH Ordinance.
On March 26, the then Assistant Commissioner (Support) Austin Kerrigan chaired the first Force OSH Management Meeting, which was attended by a Senior Superintendent from each Major Formation. Mr Kerrigan emphasised: "Under the new Safety Risk Communication Protocol, emphasis is placed on safety management at all levels; and the main objective of the process is to identify improvement to policy, procedures, equipment and training to ensure that the Force regularly reviews safety issues."
A number of meetings have been held at Major Formations, in particular in Regions where most of the safety risks exist and accidents occur. The OSH Division of Support Wing has been attending these meetings in order to offer assistance and provide direction on the safety risk communication process.
Key improvements to FSMS
Followings are the key improvements to the new FSMS:
* A Hazard Inspection (housekeeping) to reduce the need to conduct safety risk assessments for indoor matters and therefore reduce the size of risk registers.
* Emphasis on risk control through the Local Safety Risk Management Meeting to ensure that "ongoing" risk control measures are actually "going on".
* On-line safety risk assessment.
* On-line DSE self-assessment.
* On-line accident reporting.
* No more separate OSH accident reporting forms (use From 2 and Form 2B instead).
* No more mandatory "level 2" accident investigations.
Briefing
underway
on new features of the FSMS