In NUS, departments / research institute / research centres (RI/RCs) are encouraged to establish, implement and maintain a safety and health management system (SHMS) to ensure that the safety and health risks in the workplace are managed in a systematic and effective manner.

The key features of SHMS include:

• Top management commitments and direction
• Setting of Safety & Health (S&H) goals
• Planning of S&H programs
• Measuring S&H performance
• Continual improvement

How does SHMS benefit the department?

The Department SHMS focuses on maximizing opportunities to continually improve the overall safety & health performance at the departmental-level. An effective SHMS can bring the following benefits to the department:

1. Creates a safe and healthy work environment
2. Reduce injuries and injury-related costs associated with accidents and incidents
3. Improve compliance to S&H regulatory & other requirements
4. Strengthens S&H culture in the department
5. Enhance the department's reputation and image

Audit of Departmental Safety & Health Management System (DSHMS)

NUS Senior Management is seeking the support of the departments to make the campus a safer place to study, work and live. Hence, departments / research institute / research centres (RI/RCs) that are conducting high hazard activities or noted to have a higher frequency of high impact incidents shall be subjected to an audit of their departmental safety & health management system once every three years.

The criteria for high hazard activities & high impact incident is given here.

These are the departments identified for the audit:

*Note – This list is indicative & non-exhaustive and may be subjected to change by NUS senior management.

The circular from Senior Management on the mandatory audit for departments with high hazard activities can be found below:

• Deans of Faculties & Schools
• Heads of Administrative Departments
• Directors of Research Centres & Institutes
• Director, NUS Enterprise

Departments can refer to the NUS Safety & Health (S&H) Management System Standard for Departments - Part A: Requirements to establish & implement the DSHMS. A copy of the department SHMS Standard can be downloaded here.

Timeline

Please see below for the timeline for departments undergoing bienniel audit

NUSSHA Scheme

NUS has a scheme that rewards and recognizes departments/RIRCs for their good safety & health performance, named the NUS Safety & Health Awards (NUSSHA). Departments who are subjected to the biennial audit can choose to participate in the scheme using the result of the biennial audit.

More information on the scheme is available here.

For general enquiries, please contact Mr Hairulnizam Ishak at oshhi@nus.edu.sg, extension 67725.