SH5204: A combustible dust explosion killed three people and critically injured five others in Tuas, Singapore on February 24: Industrial Safety Engineering Research Paper, NUS, Singapore

Question 1

A combustible dust explosion killed three people and critically injured five others in Tuas, Singapore on February 24. In all, 10 people were initially injured by the explosion, however, three people died from their injuries on February 25.

Review the case report on Fatal Incident Case: Tuas Dust Explosion. Apply the theories and demonstrate your learning of Industrial Safety Engineering by:
a. Identify the occupational safety hazards associated with the company’s workflows and discuss how engineering control measures can be applied that could have prevented this incident.

b. With reference to the WSH (Design for Safety) Regulations 2015, Regulation 2 on “design risks”.

(1) Based on this accident, has the Designer complied with the Level 1 – DfS (design code and technical specification), Level 2 – DfS (legal requirements)? (Please take reference to relevant Act/ Regulations/ ACOP/ SS/ COP/ Guidelines, etc)

(2) Discuss how the respective stakeholder should perform their duties to prevent this accident? (Ref: WSH (Design for Safety) Regulations 2015, Regulation 4, Duties of Developer, Regular 9, Duties of Designer and Regulation 10, Duties of Contractor)

(3) What is the design for safety (DfS) considerations and approaches in the
rebuilding of this facility? Do you recommend adopting:

Approach 1: “Inherent Safer Design with PHA and HAZOP” approach or
combination of both methodologies, or

Approach 2: “GUIDE process checklist” Methodology (WSH Guidelines-DfS
published by WSH Council):
-GUIDE 1: Concept design review;
-GUIDE 2: Detailed design, maintenance, and repair review;
-GUIDE 3: Pre-construction review

(4) If the Designer wishes to implement Level 3 – DfS (beyond Level 1 – DfS & Level 2 – DfS), what is your recommendation? (Please take reference from the ACOP/ SS/ COP/ Guidelines/ International Standards, etc.) and elaborate.

c. Identify occupational health and potential water pollution hazards and propose engineered controls.

(1) Assume that the Ministry of Manpower is requesting the factory to evaluate workers’ exposure to noise, vibration, and air-borne contaminants. Identify the occupational health hazards that workers in this company could be exposed to. Propose engineered control to improve the process and the monitoring programs to protect the workers.

(2) Used oil and liquid wastes would be generated from cleaning and maintenance activities of the work processes, what engineered controls should be in place to prevent or minimize water pollution and damages to the sewerage system?