Safe Hands Campaign 2023

Losing a finger, a hand or any other body part not only causes physical pain to the worker, but also severely impacts his or her livelihood and mental well-being. The annual Safe Hands Campaign reminds everyone to protect their hands while at work, and companies to instil a culture of prevention in the workplace so as to prevent hand and finger injuries.

Launch of the Safe Hands Campaign 2023

Organised by the WSH Council, the Safe Hands Campaign was launched on 30 March 2023 to raise awareness on the prevention of hand and finger injuries at the workplace.

The launch, which was be hosted at SLB, featured the following:

- Welcome Address by Ms Amy Chua, Basin President Asia, SLB
- Opening Address by Mr Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Manpower
- Launch of Safe Hands Campaign 2023, with screening of the machine safety animated video
- Presentation and Q&A Session on SLB’s Best Practices on Hand Safety by Ms Christina Chua, Asia HSE Training and Communications Coordinator

This year’s Campaign is targeted at the Metalworking subsector, which remains the second highest contributor to major injuries in Singapore, with machinery incidents being the top cause.

Amputation often arises from two reasons:
- Improper or lack of machine guarding: This results in workers’ hands being exposed to moving parts of the machines.
- Workers not performing Lock Out Tag Out: Bypassing of safety interlocks can cause amputations as machine parts can still move during maintenance.

Companies can take these actions to prevent hand and finger injuries in the workplace:
- Ensure that machine guarding is properly maintained and not dismantled out of convenience.
- Ensure that workers are trained to operate a machine and know how to react safely to unexpected situations.
- Encourage workers to look out for one another’s safety and health.
- Consider incorporating technology into work operations to reduce the need for manual handling. This will help reduce human interaction with potential hazards, like moving blades and heavy machinery.

How to participate in the Safe Hands Campaign 2023

Pledge your company’s support for Safe Hands
Take steps to identify possible machinery hazards, and adopt measures to minimise your workers’ risks.

Share the following resources with your workers and management: