NUSafe: [N]ever [U]nderestimate [S]afety!
October 12, 2023
Science Safety Day 2023, with the theme of [N]ever [U]nderestimate [S]afety was held on 27 September as part of an annual safety event organised by the Faculty of Science (FoS) Safety Committee.
The annual Science Safety Day is a crucial event that instils a culture of safety among faculty members, staff and students. It raises awareness about the importance of safety in all aspects of scientific work and encourages individuals to be mindful of safety in their daily activities.
Close to 300 participants, including the Acting Chief Risk Officer, Vice Dean, Heads of Department (HoDs), Department Safety Chairs, as well as staff and students attended the event.
The event focused on emergency preparedness, including first aid techniques, evacuation procedures and response plans for different scenarios. This equips faculty members, staff, and students with the skills to respond effectively in case of emergencies.
A distinguished panel of experts also shared their knowledge and insights.
Assoc Prof ANG Wee Han, Vice Dean of Special Duties and the Faculty’s Safety Chair, kicked off the event with a welcome address. In his speech, he shared on the importance of Science Safety Day as a platform to exchange information on best / new practices, and to recognise students and colleagues who contributed to improving workplace safety in the past year. As one of the most research-intensive faculties in NUS, with more than 100 research and teaching laboratories, not only is a strong culture of safety imperative, but this culture should also continually evolve and improve.
Assoc Prof Ang emphasised three key pillars that drive FoS’ safety culture forward: People, Processes and Practice. These form an overarching Safety and Health Strategy for FoS with the goal of building a safety-centric organisation.
He also announced some key achievements by FoS departments. The departments of Chemistry, Physics, Food Science and Technology (FST) and Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) secured the Commitment Award under the NUS Safety & Health Awards (NUSSHA) 2023 while the Department of Biological Sciences (DBS) received a Commendation Award. Most significantly, the Department of Pharmacy clinched the NUSSHA Excellence award in recognition of its sustained efforts towards safety excellence.
In addition, the departments of Pharmacy and LKCNHM joined the Total Workplace Safety and Health Programme (TWSH) in 2022, while DBS and FST joined in 2023.
The top three types of incidents – cuts by objects, chemical exposure and chemical spills – remain as key concerns in safety performance. However, various safety preventive measures have been put in place, with enhanced focus on hand safety and sharp handling in the year ahead.
Lastly, he shared on three key initiatives and campaigns that FoS will be embarking on: initiating an annual housekeeping campaign, harnessing technology to enhance inspections and developing a system for hazard and defects reporting in FoS.
Dr Patrick TAN, Director of the NUS University Health Centre, also brought attendees through some tips on first aid and personal care. He illustrated the techniques with a live demonstration on how to handle common workplace incidents, such as cuts, tooth avulsion, burns, bleeding or emergencies such as epilepsy.
The second speaker, Assoc Prof Ivan SIN from the Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and programme chair for the Master of Science in Safety, Health and Environmental Technology, talked about facts and myths of human behaviour in fire evacuation and how to be better prepared.
The final guest speaker, occupational medicine practitioner Assoc Prof NG Wee Tong, Director of Continuing Education and Training (CET) programmes at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, shared his insights on the TWSH programme.
Our Safety Awards foster a sense of pride and ownership in safety practices, leading to a collective commitment towards maintaining a safe work environment. Hampers were presented to the winners of top performing laboratories to recognise those who consistently demonstrate safe practices, serving as examples to inspire others to observe excellence in safety.
FoS staff and students were also encouraged to participate in our two Safety Competitions: Safety Slogan Competition, where participants formulated safety messages and the Safety Infographic Design Contest, where pictorial designs brought safety messages to life.
Right: Mr Kamarorizal Bin KAMARUDDIN receiving his prize as the Safety Infographic Design Contest Winner
In the second half of the event, Mr Saravanan PANALIAPPAN from the Sustainability Strategy Unit was invited to share about Green Laboratory Practices, a timely topic given the current focus on climate change and overuse of disposables. Laboratories can save significantly on electricity and water by observing these practices.
To echo the theme and support the event, FoS department safety committees set up game booths at the Lecture Theatre 28 foyer, such as Safety Crossword Puzzle (Physics), Word Search Puzzle and Globally Harmonised System (GHS) labels (Chemistry/Pharmacy), Safety Memory Games (DBS) and a Monopoly board game (FST). These games served as fun and cost-effective ways to engage participants and encourage participation. Small prizes were given out to the winners of the games.
