Mr Chan Yew Kwong
Integrating Safety and Health into Design
In line with the Singapore’s Workplace Safety and Health Act
and framework, reducing risk at source is one of the
components to improving construction safety and health. To
address risk at source for a construction project, there is a
need to look at who creates the risk and address the issue
from there.
The risks inherent in the design of a building or structure need to be addressed and means to
mitigate the risks identified.
In 2008, to assist the stakeholders in the construction industry to address risks at source, the
Construction and Landscaping Committee of Workplace Safety & Health Council has developed the
Guidelines on Design for Safety in Buildings and Structures. The Guidelines provide the framework
and process to address risks at the design and planning stages of a construction project.
Design for Safety in Buildings and Structures (or DfS, in short) is about identifying and eliminating
occupational safety and health hazards at the design stage or controlling risks, as early as possible,
in the planning and design of buildings and structures. DfS does not only address methods to make
construction safer but how to make a building/structure safer to build, use, maintain and even for
safe demolition.
Speaker Biography
Yew Kwong is presently the Director of Occupational Safety & Health (OSH) Inspectorate in the
Ministry of Manpower’s Occupational Safety & Health Division. As Director, he plans and oversees
the strategies, programmes and activities of the OSH Inspectorate in the key areas of regulatory
enforcement and surveillance, and ensures that the implementation of OSH standards and good
practices are effective in the control of workplace hazards and protect the safety and health of the
workforce.
He has been with the Ministry of Manpower for about 30 years. His 30 years' working experience in
workplace safety & health involves inspection & auditing of worksites, shipyards, chemical plants
and other factories, investigations into fatal/serious accidents, development of OSH standards,
guidance materials, management systems and auditing.
He was also involved in the development and conduct of many workplace safety & health (WSH)
training courses for supervisors, WSH professionals and managers. He held the position of Director
of Industry Capability Building in the WSH Council for about 2 years (Nov 2011 – Oct 2013), during
which he was responsible for the national WSH competency framework and capability building
efforts in organizations and individuals.
Yew Kwong is very involved in the development and promotion of WSH-related Singapore
Standards. In 2003 - 2004, he was the Chairman of the Singapore SPRING’s Technical Committee for
OSH Management which was responsible for the drafting of the first Singapore Standard SS 506 on
OSH management system. He is a member of the Singapore’s Standards Council since 2007 and he
currently chairs the Council’s General Engineering & Safety Standard Committee.