Webinar on Safe Boarding of Vessels

23 Nov 2021 Forum Past Event Marine

• Date:

  28 May 2021

• Time:

  2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

• Location:

  Zoom

• Spots Available:

  500

• Event resources:

  Added
  (Jump to event resources)

In collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council held a webinar on safe boarding of vessels on 28 May 2021, which drew more than 520 participants. The webinar focused on encouraging the maritime sector to uphold greater WSH standards, and to remain resilient against the spread of infectious diseases. 

Professor Chan Eng Soon, Chairman of the WSH Council (Marine Industries) Committee, kickstarted the event by sharing that since the last dialogue session with the water transport industry in 2019, the Committee had been advocating greater WSH ownership through the tracking of near misses, incorporating health in risk assessment, and boosting WSH awareness through the aid of collaterals. In particular, the new “Safe Boarding of Vessels” poster has been developed and will be distributed to the maritime sector through the associations and industry partners over the next few months.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, highlighted to participants the importance of remaining vigilant against COVID-19 transmission on our maritime frontline, while continuing to prevent accidents linked to working on vessels. He also shared that the WSH Council would be collaborating with MPA on the following initiatives to enhance the WSH capabilities of workers: 

• The extension of bizSAFE workshops to include more maritime stakeholders;
• A case studies booklet featuring past incidents with learning points; and 
• A video showcasing WSH practices for safe boarding of vessels to be screened at
Marina South Pier and West Coast Pier as well as distributed via social media.
 
At the webinar, MPA shared the challenges faced by the industry, enhanced measures on COVID-19, and lessons learnt from past incidents. Speakers from PSA Marine and GAC (Singapore) also shared common issues and best WSH practices pertaining to safe boarding of vessels and other initiatives to improve WSH such as the use of drones. The webinar rounded off with an interactive Q&A session moderated by Prof Chan, with the discussion centered on how WSH ownership should be fostered in the maritime sector, the best WSH practices for working on vessels, as well as the importance of training.

Download the "Safe Boarding of Vessels" poster