No. S 517
Workplace Safety and Health Act
(CHAPTER 354A)
Workplace Safety and Health
(General Provisions) (Amendment)
Regulations 2011
In exercise of the powers conferred by section 65 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act, the Minister for Manpower hereby makes the following Regulations:
Citation and commencement
1.  These Regulations may be cited as the Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 and shall come into operation on 10th September 2011.
Amendment of regulation 2
2.  Regulation 2 of the Workplace Safety and Health (General Provisions) Regulations (Rg 1) (referred to in these Regulations as the principal Regulations) is amended by deleting the definition of “fume”.
Amendment of regulation 13
3.  Regulation 13(2) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting “20” in sub-paragraph (a)(i) and substituting “18”.
Amendment of regulation 19
4.  Regulation 19(11) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “factory building” and substituting the word “workplace”.
Amendment of regulation 20
5.  Regulation 20(8) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “fibre ropes or fibre slings” and substituting the words “natural fibre ropes or natural fibre slings”.
Amendment of regulation 23
6.  Regulation 23(2) of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the words “factory building” wherever they appear and substituting in each case the word “workplace”.
Amendment of regulation 26
7.  Regulation 26 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting the word “fumes” wherever it appears in paragraphs (3) and (5) and substituting in each case the words “fumes, gas or vapour”.
Amendment of regulation 28
8.  Regulation 28 of the principal Regulations is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “is the holder of an appropriate certificate of competency issued under any regulations made under the Act” in paragraph (8) and substituting the words “has successfully completed a training course acceptable to the Commissioner on the operation of that steam boiler”;
(b)by deleting the words “, (14) and (15)” in paragraph (12) and substituting the words “and (14) and regulation 31A”;
(c)by deleting the words “one month” in paragraph (14) and substituting the words “3 months”; and
(d)by deleting paragraph (15).
Amendment of regulation 29
9.  Regulation 29 of the principal Regulations is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “paragraphs (7) and (8)” in paragraph (6) and substituting the words “paragraph (7) and regulation 31A”;
(b)by deleting the words “one month” in paragraph (7) and substituting the words “3 months”; and
(c)by deleting paragraph (8).
Amendment of regulation 31
10.  Regulation 31 of the principal Regulations is amended —
(a)by deleting the words “paragraphs (6) and (7)” in paragraph (5) and substituting the words “paragraph (6) and regulation 31A”;
(b)by deleting the words “one month” in paragraph (6) and substituting the words “3 months”; and
(c)by deleting paragraph (7).
New regulation 31A
11.  The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 31, the following regulation:
Extension of time for examination of steam boilers, steam receivers and air receivers
31A.—(1)  The Commissioner may, on an application made by the owner of a steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver, allow the time delimited by regulation 28, 29 or 31 for the examination by an authorised examiner of the steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver, as the case may be, to be extended subject to such conditions as the Commissioner may determine in any particular case.
(2)  An application made under paragraph (1) shall be accompanied by —
(a)the payment of a non-refundable fee to the Commissioner of $115; and
(b)a certificate issued by a competent person appointed by the owner of the steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver, as the case may be, recommending the extended period within which the examination of the steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver is to be made.
(3)  It shall be the duty of the competent person referred to in paragraph (2)(b) —
(a)before issuing the certificate referred to in paragraph (2)(b), to take so far as is reasonably practicable such measures that are necessary to assess and examine the steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver, as the case may be, to ensure that it is safe for its intended use during the extended period; and
(b)to issue, as soon as is reasonably practicable, to the owner of the steam boiler, steam receiver or air receiver, as the case may be, the certificate referred to in paragraph (2)(b).
(4)  Any competent person referred to in paragraph (2)(b) who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes any duty imposed on him under paragraph (3) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.”.
Amendment of regulation 39
12.  Regulation 39 of the principal Regulations is amended —
(a)by inserting, immediately after the word “fumes” in paragraph (1), the words “, gas, vapour, mist, fibre”;
(b)by deleting the words “inhalation of the toxic dust, fumes or other contaminants” in paragraph (1)(b) and substituting the words “exposure to the toxic dust, fumes, gas, vapour, mist, fibre or other contaminants through inhalation, ingestion or skin contact”;
(c)by inserting, immediately after the word “fumes” in paragraphs (2)(b) and (d) and (3), the words “, gas, vapour, mist, fibre”;
(d)by deleting the words “toxic dust, fumes” in paragraph (2)(c) and substituting the words “fumes, gas, vapour, mist, fibre”;
(e)by inserting, immediately after the words “toxic dust” wherever they appear in paragraph (4), the word “, fibre”;
(f)by deleting the words “fibres, mists or vapours” in paragraph (6) and substituting the words “vapours, mists or fibres”; and
(g)by deleting the word “fume” in paragraph (7)(b) and substituting the words “fumes, gases, vapours, mists, fibres”.
Deletion and substitution of regulation 42
13.  Regulation 42 of the principal Regulations is deleted and the following regulation substituted therefor:
Warning labels
42.  It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace in which there is any container of hazardous substances to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practicable, every such container is affixed with one or more warning labels that conform with —
(a)any Singapore Standard relating to the classification and labelling of hazardous substances; or
(b)such other standards, codes of practice or guidance relating to the classification and labelling of hazardous substances as is issued or approved by the Council.”.
Amendment of regulation 43
14.  Regulation 43 of the principal Regulations is amended by deleting paragraph (2) and substituting the following paragraph:
(2)  Where any hazardous substance is sold to any person for use in a workplace, it shall be the duty of the seller or any agent of the seller who caused or procured the sale to provide the buyer with a safety data sheet for the substance that —
(a)gives accurate and adequate information on the substance; and
(b)conforms with any Singapore Standard relating to safety data sheets or such other standards, codes of practice or guidance as is issued or approved by the Council.”.
New regulation 44
15.  The principal Regulations are amended by inserting, immediately after regulation 43, the following regulation:
Exclusion from regulations 41, 42 and 43
44.—(1)  Regulations 41, 42 and 43 shall not apply in respect of the use, handling or storage in a workplace, or the sale for use in a workplace, of any hazardous substance that is in a consumer package and that is intended for retail sale.
(2)  In this regulation —
“consumer package” means a container that is intended for retail display and sale to households or offices, and includes a container that is transported or distributed as part of a larger consolidated container that consists of a number of identical consumer packages;
“container” means anything in or by which substances are or have been wholly or partly encased, covered or packed.”.
Amendment of regulation 45
16.  Regulation 45 of the principal Regulations is amended by inserting, immediately after the words “duty on him”, the words “for which no penalty is expressly provided”.
Miscellaneous amendments
17.  The principal Regulations, except regulations 19(11) and 23(2), are amended by deleting the word “factory” wherever it appears and substituting in each case the word “workplace”.
[S 463/2009; S 609/2009]
Made this 8th day of September 2011.
LOH KHUM YEAN
Permanent Secretary,
Ministry of Manpower,
Singapore.
[C010-048-00010; AG/LLRD/SL/354A/2010/8 Vol. 1]
(To be presented to Parliament under section 65(8) of the Workplace Safety and Health Act).