I'm Joey, a Business Compliance and Risk Manager at SG Integrated. I'm thankful to have delved into the world of Workplace Safety and Health, recognising its pivotal role in organizational sustainability and new ventures. I make positive safety impacts on management and various personnel, including heavy vehicle operators, technicians, forklift operators, and warehouse staff handling hazardous substances in oil terminals, on roads, and within warehouses.

In October 2023, whilst serving as the Site Incident Commander (SIC) for our Company Emergency Response Team (CERT), I devised, led, and supervised a company-wide emergency response drill. The primary objective was to refresh personnel and validate our preparedness. The drill simulated a significant oil spill (23 MT) stemming from a collided Flexibag shipping container. Throughout the exercise, we assessed our response time, equipment utilisation, manpower allocation, communication protocols, and roles and responsibilities. The drill incorporated authentic containers, spillage equipment, and container reach stackers to replicate realistic scenarios.

During one of our client’s safety days in Q4 2023, our company was selected to deliver a safety briefing to all vendors on best practices to ensure the accurate loading of liquid products into shipping tanks (ISO Tanks). In crafting the presentation, I discussed liquid density, containment capacity, and their role in adhering to the 80/20 rule for tank filling to guarantee containment integrity during transportation. Additionally, I was honoured with the WSH Supervisor Award by the WSH Council and Singapore Logistics Association for 2022.

Initiating the Behaviour-Based Safety Study Programme for drivers marked a proactive step towards enhancing safe behaviours. This endeavour involved crafting sets of documents to facilitate behavioural reviews, encompassing checklists, recommendations, training sessions, and assessments. The programme entailed test drives along a predetermined route to evaluate behaviours related to pre-departure checks by drivers, environmental awareness, vehicle manoeuvring, "King-pin" (prime mover to trailer coupling) latching, and more.

Furthermore, launching the Near-Miss Data Analysis initiative aimed to effectively utilise near-miss reports prevalent across the company. By ensuring the usability of this data, the initiative sought to address gaps identified in the most frequently reported category of incidents and take necessary measures to mitigate associated risks.

Being in a leadership position involves the authority to delegate tasks and expect team members to fulfil their duties. However, the workload for ground members can often be demanding due to their primary responsibilities. For example, ensuring a high frequency of near-miss reporting from each member can pose a challenge. Near-miss reporting is encouraged to share both positive and negative observations, enabling the organisation to stay abreast of ground-level activities. Therefore, a higher number of reports is beneficial for overall awareness. In one quarter of 2023, the number of reports significantly decreased due to the organisation's involvement in a new project, which kept all members occupied.

To address this issue, I initiated alternative reporting methods to facilitate the task for ground members, extending beyond the traditional method of filling out forms on the office notice board. This included introducing a digital Google Form and an email template, providing staff with additional avenues to submit their reports. This addition helped restore our reporting numbers to normal levels, enabling us to effectively conduct our Near-Miss Data Analysis.

The implementation of the Behaviour-Based Safety (BBS) Study Programme had a positive impact on our organisation by enabling us to identify patterns unique to each driver/operator, thereby allowing us to adjust their tasks accordingly. More recently, as a result of conducting the BBS, we observed patterns such as difficulties in reversing a 40-footer truck exhibited by a new driver. The findings of the BBS were subsequently shared with the driver’s supervisor, who then provided recommendations and instructions to the management team to refrain from deploying the driver to locations requiring 40-footer truck reversing. This programme thus served as a crucial tool in mitigating risks associated with drivers' behaviours, including potential asset damages and spillages resulting from collisions.

Consequently, our workplace evolved into a safer environment for both employees and contractors, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and safety vigilance. Furthermore, the success of our programme served as inspiration for other organisations to adopt similar initiatives, particularly evident within our parent company, leading to widespread enhancements in safety performance throughout our community.

The primary attributes of a safety influencer encompass leading by example through hands-on involvement, fostering collaboration across all levels, and possessing a profound understanding of safety protocols, regulations, and best practices.

I have demonstrated these attributes, particularly in the realm of collaboration. Often, organisations invest considerable resources in establishing protocols, but due to the multitude of stakeholders within the safety value chain, both internal and external, each with their own objectives, these protocols may not be effectively applied.

A tangible example of this occurred during our response to a chain collision accident involving one of our company vehicles, resulting in a major spillage of a hazardous chemical on a public road. Despite the driver escaping major injury, there was an urgent need to address the spillage due to the chemical's environmental hazards. Complicating matters further, the accident caused a significant traffic jam, reducing a four-lane highway to just one usable lane, in addition to closing a flyover.

In response, I collaborated closely with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore Police Force (SPF), and Land Transport Authority (LTA) to orchestrate the road cleanup and resurfacing efforts. Leveraging our Company Emergency Response Team (CERT) equipment and members, we worked in tandem with the authorities to swiftly reopen the road on the same day. This collaborative effort effectively mitigated the impact of the incident on both public safety and the environment, underscoring the importance of collaboration in ensuring effective safety outcomes.