Occupational Safety and Health Resource Guide

Occupational Safety and Health Resource Guide

Guide Index

Introduction

Occupational health is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as “the aspects of health and safety in the workplace, with a strong focus in the primary prevention of hazards”. Occupational safety and health (OSH) deals with the protection of the safety, health and well-being of employees in the workplace, as well as the promotion and maintenance of the physical, mental and social well-being of workers in all occupations.

This is a selection of resources on open innovation available from the NLB catalogue or the Internet. It is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

Search Terms Call Number
Industrial Psychology 158.7
Occupational Safety and Health 363.1
Hazardous Materials Technology 604
Occupational stress 616
Safety Engineering 620.8
Fire Protection Engineering 628.9
Occupational Safety and Health Management 658.4

Workplace Health and Safety

Most people in the workforce spend many hours each day at their workplace, be it an office, studio, factory, plantation etc. Therefore, work environments should be kept safe and healthy for everyone. However, in reality, workers often face health hazards, both apparent or hidden, in their jobs. Work-related accidents or diseases can lead to pain and suffering for workers, and incur costs for the employers. Implementing OSH policies in the workplace can help to prevent work-related illness, injury or fatality amongst workers, and reduce costs for employers in terms of medical care, replacement and disability benefits.

Books

Call No.: RBUS 658.4022 CAD

Suitable for members of operational teams in high-hazard industries, this book examines how operational teams can balance productivity and safety performance to achieve an efficient, yet safe, working environment for workers.

Call No.: RBUS 658.382 ENG

This guide looks at how companies can stay lean and competitive while developing and implementing safety practices in the organisation, by linking the theories of Six Sigma processes and lean manufacturing to OSH.

Call No.: R 333.7940289 GRE

This report is a study of the likely impacts which new technologies in green jobs could have on workers’ safety and health by 2020. The study involves a series of scenarios of the economy and some potential new technologies which may be used in green jobs by 2020.

Call No.: R 363.110973 FRI

This handbook looks at some major issues in OSH today, such as industrial hygiene, hazardous materials, violence in the workplace, and terrorism preparedness. It also includes a directory and list of resources which readers can use to gather more information about OSH. This book is also available in the electronic format via the ProQuest Ebook Central database.

Call No.: R363.11 GOE

This book is a useful guide to the basics of occupational health and safety. It looks at various OHS concepts including some OSH standards from governmental agencies, emerging trends in the field of OSH, and how safety professionals can play a part in OSH in the workplace.

Call No.: RBUS 658.408 GOE

This book provides a comprehensive overview of OSH for technologists, engineers and managers. Besides OSH concepts, it also covers OSH laws and regulations, case studies of compensation lawsuits, and key management issues related to OSH.

Call No.: RBUS 658.382 SCH

Are safety practices still important and effective in the modern workplace? Find the answers to this question and more from this book, which looks at safety issues in the modern working environment and how to develop practices which will stay relevant in the global workplace.

Call No.: R 363.1 VIN

This book explores the theoretical concepts of OSH, from it the industrial revolution, to its modern-day development. Besides a holistic view of the field of OSH, the author also includes legislations, statistics and case studies of disasters.

Databases

  • Champoux, D. (2015). OSH practices and interventions in small businesses: Global issues in the Quebec context. Policy and Practice in Health and Safety, 13(1), pp. 47–64. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Central.

Can OSH practices be implemented in small businesses? This journal article describes the results of a survey conducted on small businesses in Quebec, Canada, on their OSH policies, practices and interventions, and examines some of the issues small businesses face in OSH.

  • Fertman, Carl. I. (2015). Workplace health promotion programs: Planning, implementation, and evaluation. Hoboken: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook looks at how health promotion programmes can be organised in the workplace to help workers stay fit and thus, improve productivity. It includes theoretical concepts and practical applications, planning models and guidelines to help facilitate the planning and implementation of such programmes in the workplace.

  • Haight, J. M. et al. (2014). Safety management systems. Professional Safety, 59(5), pp. 44–51. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier.

This journal article looks at health and safety management systems, from the definition, function, principles, to the implementation. It also compares such management systems to the traditional safety programmes, and outlines some of the benefits of management systems over the traditional programmes.

  • Hilgret, J. (2013). Hardship or hazard: Crafting global norms on the right to refuse unsafe work. United States: ILR Press. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook details the rights of workers to a safe and hazard-free working environment, including the right, under United States legislation, to refuse work in unsafe environments.

  • Lies, M. A. and Simonsen, C. B. (2015). Workplace violence: Putting employers on the horns of a dilemma. Professional Safety, 60(10), pp. 25–27. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier.

This journal article examines the issue of violence in the workplace via two case studies, which illustrate the responsibilities and liabilities which employers may face when they make decisions on how to respond to workplace violence. It also looks at some regulations which protect employees from such incidents.

  • Olszewski, K. and Wolf, D. M. (2015). Follow me, like me, tweet me!: Implementing social media into occupational health. Workplace health and safety, 63(6), pp. 240–244.Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Central.

This journal article illustrates how social media and mobile apps can become efficient tools in disseminating information and communication on OSH issues, listing some of the benefits which social media can bring for OSH implementation in the workplace.

  • Paez, O. and Genaidy, A. M. (2017). Financial assessment of health and safety programmes in the workplace. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 18(3), pp. 241–265. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier.

This journal article outlines a five-step framework, known as the Economic Assessment of the Work Environment (EAWE), which employers and the management can use to predict the financial benefits of safety and health implementation for companies.

  • Roughton, J. and Crutchfield, N. (2013). Safety culture: An innovative leadership approach. Saint Louis: Butterworth-Heinemann. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

A useful guide for management personnel, this ebook outlines steps on how a safety culture can be implemented in an organisation. It also includes concepts of safety management systems and processes, and provides tips on how leaders can involve their workers in the implementation of safety cultures and systems.

Websites

This article describes some ways in which companies have effectively implemented safety practices to reduce the number of injuries in the workplace, improve the morale among staff, and increase cost-savings and production for the organisations.

This article, published in the Occupational Health & Safety digital magazine, looks at some measures which employees and employers can take to prevent injuries to the hands, which are the most common site of injury as people do most work with their hands. The website also provides access to other issues of the Occupational Health & Safety, which is free to register and download.

This article examines how OSH has become a negative culture in companies, which has led to the setting of more rules, barriers and limitations, and thus unhappiness in the workplace. It also describes some measures which companies can adopt to avoid such negativity.

This article looks at the importance of a positive safety culture in the workplace, and how such a culture can complement safety management systems. It also proposes some ways to change existing safety cultures in organisations.

This infographic lists some health and safety issues which workers may face in the workplace, such as work-related stress and fatigue, which might ultimately affect their performance and lead to accidents. It also provides some useful tips for workers to relax and recover from stress and pressure faced at work.

Hazards at the workplace

Physical hazards are factors in a workplace which can bring harm to the body with or without direct contact. These include chemical hazards, biological hazards, safety hazards and ergonomic hazards.

Examples of safety hazards include:

  • working from heights
  • machinery and moving machinery parts
  • electrical hazards
  • noise or lighting

Examples of biological hazards include:

  • tainted blood or other body fluids
  • fungi, bacteria and viruses

Examples of chemical hazards include:

  • liquids such as paints, acids, solvents
  • poisonous gases, vapours and fume
  • flammable materials

Examples of ergonomic hazards include:

  • incorrect sitting and standing postures
  • lighting
  • slippery surfaces

Besides physical hazards, workers may also face psychosocial hazards such as stress and bullying at the workplace. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines work-related stress as “the response people may have when presented with work demands and pressures that are not matched to their knowledge and abilities and which challenge their ability to cope”.

Examples of psychosocial hazards include:

  • excessive demands and pressures
  • bullying
  • harassment

Books

Call No.: R 616.89 BEL

This book explores the relationship between occupational stress and mental health. It provides insights on a methodology, developed by the authors, to assess work stressors- the Occupational Stressor Index (OSI).

Call No.: R 620.82 OCC

This book looks at the theoretical and practical aspects of ergonomics, including some of the common ergonomic hazards at the workplace and how such hazards can impact workers. It also covers related topics such as disability management and psychosocial rehabilitation in the workplace.

Call No.: R 604.7 CHE

Covering commonly used chemicals in key industrial processes, this book outlines how industrial chemicals can be safely handled via step-by-step instructions. Besides chemicals, it also includes content on selecting the right materials to protect against fires and corrosion.

Call No.: R 620.86 ERI

This book describes various hazard analysis techniques and explains when to use them, why they are important, and how to perform them to analyse possible hazards present in the workplace. It also looks at what a hazard is and how to recognise one during an analysis.

Call No.: R 628.92 FER

Find out how to identify potential fire hazards in the workplace from this book, which looks in detail at fire hazards, from flammable substances to the building structure itself. Besides this, the book also covers concepts such as how to formulate detection systems, prevention plans and management programmes against fire hazards.

Call No.: R 616.98 LUN

This book looks at work-based stress from a unique psychobiological perspective, whereby the workplace is seen as both an avenue of stimulation and positive mental well-being, and a source of pressure and illness. It also provides some focus on health problems which could arise due to stress, and how workers can respond to stress in the workplace.

Call No.: R 660.2804 LEE

This book is a useful guide to the identification of hazards in the workplace, including physical hazards like fires and toxic release, and human factors such as human error. Besides this, it also looks at how measures can be implemented to control or prevent such hazards at the workplace. This book is also available in the electronic format via the ProQuest Ebook Central database.

Call No.: R 158.72 STR

This book provides comprehensive research literature on stress from various angles and perspectives, including study results related to occupational stress and burnout. It also includes information on work-life balance and stress management.

Call No.: R 363.11 SPE

The book describes and explains many types of physical hazards and their control measures, with practical guides for the implementation of these measures in the workplace.

Databases

  • Bartlett, J. A. (2016). Workplace bullying: A silent epidemic. Library Leadership and & Management (Online), 31.1. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Central.

The issue of bullying in the workplace is explored in this article, which studies the examples, impacts and prevalence of bullying at work by using libraries as a case study.

  • Bureau for Analysis of Industrial Risks and Pollution. (2016, August). Hazards identification and assessment- using lessons learned from accidents. Loss Prevention Bulletin, 250, p. 25-27. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier.

Using case studies of real industrial accidents which occurred in Europe, this article examines the importance of hazard identification and risk analysis, and how failure to avoid hazards and risks can lead to serious consequences for both workers and companies.

  • Eduardo, C. (2015). Safety science: Methods to prevent incidents and worker health damage at the workplace. Sharjah: Bentham Science Publishers. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook discusses some methods and approaches to prevent workplace accidents, injuries and diseases, as well as propose some suitable methods to address different types problems on safety at the workplace.

  • Fishwick, T. (2015, August). The hazards of confined space operations. Loss Prevention Bulletin, 244, pp. 4–8. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier.

This article gives a detailed view of the hazards and dangers involved in confined space operations, which include toxic fumes, heat, flammable fumes, collapsing structures etc. It also provides some tips on how to avoid accidents in such work environments.

  • Goran, K. and Axelsson, J. (2016, November 1). Health consequences of shift work and insufficient sleep. British Medical Journal (Online), p. 355. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Central.

This article details the possible side effects of shift work which workers can suffer from, from lack of sleep to chronic illnesses such as diabetes and coronary heart disease. It also links shift work to an increased risk of occupational accidents and injuries at the workplace.

  • Hansen, A. M. et al. (2014). Workplace bullying and sleep difficulties: A 2-year follow-up study. International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, 87(3), pp. 285–294. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Central.

This journal article looks at workplace bullying and its link to sleep difficulties in victims, which in turn leads to other consequences, such as damage to health, diseases, and depression, and negatively affect morale and productivity in companies.

  • International Labour Office. (2012). Stress prevention at work checkpoints: Practical improvements for stress prevention in the workplace. Geneve: International Labour Office. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook manual, published by the International Labour Office, tackles the topic of work-related stress and contains a series of checkpoints which can be utilised to aid the implementation of stress prevention measures in the workplace.

  • Jenkins, M. (2013). Preventing and managing workplace bullying and harassment: A risk management approach. Bowen Hills: Australian Academic Press. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook explains what workplace bullying and harassment are, starting with the identification of such psychosocial hazards and their impacts, to the identification, assessment and management of such risks in the work environment.

  • Manuele, F. A. (2014). Advanced safety management: Focusing on Z10 and serious injury prevention. Somerset: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from ProQuest Ebook Central.

This ebook gives a comprehensive view of concepts of safety management, including the possible risks and hazards present in the workplace, the importance of a safety culture and employee participation in the implementation of safety practices, methods to analyse and assess risks, and the design of safety management systems.

Websites

Are you aware of these 6 types of workplace hazards? (2016, June 29). Retrieved March 27, 2017, from Safety Line website: https://safetylineloneworker.com/blog/workplace-hazards/ In the first part of a series of 5 articles on Workplace Hazards, this article outlines the 6 common types of hazards which workers may face in the workplace- safety, biological, physical, ergonomic, chemical and work organisation.

This website contains links to access e-guides produced by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work to manage stress and psychosocial risks in the workplace. Different versions of e-guides are available for different countries in Europe.

This article provides insights on asthma caused or triggered by substances like dust, mould and chemicals present in the work environment. It examines some possible causes of occupational asthma, its prevalence in the United States, and how employers can play a part to prevent workers from contracting occupational asthma.

OSH in Singapore

Singapore is a strong advocate of promoting Occupational Safety and Health. Many national bodies and initiatives, led by Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower, work towards preventing workplace incident and minimising its occurrence.

Books

Call No.: RSING 658.382 ABD

Written in the local context, this book details how employers can make their businesses more successful by implementing health and wellness programmes in the workplace to transform workers into healthier and happier people.

Call No.: RSING 658.382095957 TRI

This report contains the findings of the Tripartite Committee on Workplace Health on industrial hygiene and the promotion of health and well-being in employees in Singapore.

  • Singapore Standards Council and SPRING Singapore. Specifications and Codes of Practice Collection: http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/standards/

The various Singapore Standards, available at Level 7, Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, list the specifications and codes of practice which ensure OSH in various industries and work environments. For instance, the Code of Practice for Confined Spaces lists the requirements for a safe working environment in confined spaces.

Call no.: RSING 363.11095957 TOW

This publication by the Workplace Safety and Health Institute provides guidelines on how leaders in an organisation can establish a safer and healthier workplace by advocating industrial safety and hygiene.

Databases

Cheong, D. (2017, February 15). Workplace injuries on the rise: Experts will be sent to 1,000 SMEs to help identify safety lapses under startSafe scheme. The Straits Times. Retrieved from ProQuest Central. This Straits Times article reports on a new initiative by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Institute, named startSafe, to send 1000 safety experts to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the next year to help the companies identify safety lapses.

Go, H. H. (2016). The case for safety. TCE: The Chemical Engineer, 901/902, pp. 42–43. Retrieved March 27, 2017, from EBSCOHost Academic Search Premier. This article outlines Singapore’s recent efforts in OSH, focusing on the adoption of the safety case regime to manage hazards at work, and the establishment of the Major Hazards Department, a new regulatory body for safety matters for major hazard installations.

Ho, O. (2016, October 9). Workplace safety in Singapore: 55 deaths, and all ‘were preventable’. The Straits Times. Retrieved from ProQuest Central. This Straits Times article reports on the rise of workplace deaths seen since 2015. It provides statistics on deaths and injuries in the workplace, as well as the incidence rate among the high-risk industries in Singapore, such as marine, manufacturing and construction.

Websites

Health Promotion Board (HPB), Singapore. (2017). Healthy workplace ecosystem. Retrieved April 5, 2017, from Health Promotion Board website: https://www.hpb.gov.sg/workplace/healthy-workplace-ecosystem

This website by HPB explains its Healthy Workplace Ecosystem initiative, which is a series of health-related programmes and activities for local workers occurring at or near the workplace. It contains links to the various participating organisations and details on how workers can register for these programmes.

Ministry of Manpower. (2017). Workplace safety and health. Retrieved April 5, 2017, from Ministry of Manpower website: http://www.mom.gov.sg/workplace-safety-and-health

This website by the Ministry of Manpower provides links to various OSH-related webpages in Singapore, such as information on the requirements for pressure equipment, requirements and resources for Major Hazard Installations, and best practices in OSH etc.

Workplace Safety and Health Council. iWSH Newsletter. Retrieved April 5, 2017, from Workplace Safety and Health Council website: https://www.wshc.sg/wps/portal/wshc/newsletter?action=publicViewAllNewsletter&newsletterType=I

This WSH website provides access to the iWSH Newsletter published by the Workplace Safety and Health Council. The newsletter, published in various languages like English, Chinese, Tamil and Bengali, contains information to educate workers on OSH issues.

Workplace Safety and Health Council. WSH statistics reports. Retrieved April 5, 2017, from Workplace Safety and Health Council website: https://www.wshc.sg/wps/portal/wshc/cms?action=cmsPublicView&cmsId=C-2014091001131&tabId=C-2014091001132

The WSH Council releases workplace safety and health statistics biannually during mid-year and year end, providing the latest findings on workplace safety and health performance in Singapore.

Websites of OSH organisations

Occupational Safety and Health is a widely accepted discipline and there are many organizations worldwide advocating the cause. Their mission is to prevent workplace incident through proper education, communication and application process.

OSH organisations in Singapore

The Health Promotion Board provides workplaces with the assistance and tools to provide a health promoting environment for workers via company-based and sectoral approaches.

The Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHD) promotes OSH at the national level, working with employers, employees and all other stakeholders to identify, assess, and manage workplace safety and health risks so as to eliminate death, injury and ill-health.

The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council works closely with the Ministry of Manpower and other Government agencies, the industry, unions and professional associations to develop strategies to raise WSH standards in Singapore and to realize the national WSH 2018 strategy.

An initiative by the Ministry of Manpower and WSH Council, WSH 2018 aims to bring down the national fatality rate to less than 1.8 per 100,000 workers by 2018 and make the workplace safe and happy for everyone.

International and national OSH organisations

The Centre for Safety and Health Sustainability (CSHS) is committed to ensuring the safety, health, and sustainability of the global workforce. The Centre engages safety and health partners around the world to establish minimum standards that help reduce workplace injuries and ill health.

Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) is the Chartered body for health and safety professionals. The site provides guidelines for training, certifications etc.

International Network of Safety & Health Practitioner Organisations (INSHPO) is a global alliance of professional occupational safety and health (OSH) organizations dedicated to advancing the OSH profession through the development and promotion of professional standards and the exchange of evidence-based practices. The site incorporates related resources.

Occupational Safety and Health Online provides useful, applicable information in the field of workplace safety and health. The website also publishes a digital magazine on OSH, and contains many educational videos related to OSH.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) site, by the United States Department of Labour, is a national advocacy which aims to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance.

Osh.Net is an internet gateway containing useful resources and information on industries, occupational health and safety, industrial hygiene and governmental regulations.

Safe Work Australia leads the development of national policy to improve work health and safety and workers’ compensation arrangements across Australia. The official site contains vast resources related to the field.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has a vision of eliminating work-related illnesses and injuries. The site contains various useful, related materials and resources.

The European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA) is official site aiming to make Europe a safer, healthier and more productive place to work through many resources available.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) site provides tips, publications, resources on occupational safety and health with objectives to prevent workplace illnesses and injuries.

This official World Health Organization (WHO) site contains many useful resources on occupational health, including details of a global plan of action to protect workers’ health.

WorkSafe NZ is New Zealand’s workplace health and safety regulator. The portal helps too promote workplace health and safety responsibilities and enforce workplace health and safety legislation.

The Standards Collection at the National Library Board

The Standards Collection at the National Library Board is made available through a partnership between the National Library Board and Enterprise Singapore. The collection is housed at Level 7 of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, National Library Building located at 100 Victoria Street.

The Standards Collection can be accessed without any charge at the National Library Building and users do not need to be registered NLB members. Users can also make use of the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s Business, Science and Technology information resources to complement their research on Standards.

Please note that all the Standards are strictly for reference only.

Both the Standards Collection is housed at:

  • Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (Level 7)
    National Library Building, 100 Victoria Street, Singapore 188064.
    Opening Hours
    Mon – Sun: 10:00 am – 09:00 pm
    Closed on Public Holidays.
    Closed at 5.00 pm on eves of Christmas, New Year and Chinese New Year.

In addition, the Singapore Standards Online Collection is accessible via any Multimedia Stations in NLB’s libraries. The online collection of more than 900 Singapore Standards is available in full-text in this database, except those standards with copyright restrictions for e-circulation.

Accessing National Library Board Singapore Resources

Accessing the Print Materials

You can search the library catalogue (for physical materials) in the library and from home (http://catalogue.nlb.gov.sg). The easy search function allows you to search/browse by author, title, keyword, subject and ISBN/ISSN whereas the advanced search allows you to narrow your searches to specific media types or language holdings. In both instances, you will also be able to limit your search to specific libraries by clicking on the “limit by branch” option.

To search Lee Kong Chian Reference Library’s Holdings

If you wish to search for only materials available in the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, please always click on the “Limit by Branch” button at the bottom of the page, after you have keyed in your search term. This brings you to a new page whereby you will be able to select the library of your choice. Choose “Lee Kong Chian Reference Library” and select “yes” under the “Display only items available in the selected branch below” and then click on search.

Things to note:

Once you have identified the title that you need, please double-check the following information and write down the necessary info:

i. The “Status” of the item: the item is not available in the library, if the status displayed is “in transit”, “in process” or “not ready for loan”.

ii. Double-check that the item is in Lee Kong Chian Reference Library under “Branch”.

iii. Write down the Location Code and the Call Number of the item. This helps you to locate the item within Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. Please refer to the table below for more information (Note: Please feel free to approach the counter staff for help in locating the books.)

All featured books and periodicals are located at the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library.

Accessing the Databases

The National Library Board (NLB)’s eResources are free for all NLB members. Click here to find out how to register as a member.

If you’re having problems registering or logging in, please contact us. If you wish to find information in the databases but am not sure where to begin, or need recommendations on which databases to use, please use the “Ask A Librarian” function or send an email to ref@nlb.gov.sg for help. The librarian will get back to you within three working days.

Authors

Pattarin Kusolpalin
Goh Lee Kim (Updated by)

The information in this resource guide is valid as at Feb 2017 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history on the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

All Rights Reserved. National Library Board Singapore 2017.

PREVIOUS

The Digital Frontier

NEXT

Standards Resource Guide