WSH Auditor | SAFEPOINT

Workplace safety and health (WSH) auditor

Auditing organisations (AOs) and their WSH auditors are accredited by Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Singapore Accreditation Council (SAC), who at all times conduct due diligence when carrying out an audit, based on truth, independence and no bias. All findings must be flagged as a requirement of an auditor.

Workplace safety and health (WSH) audit

(1) It shall be the duty of the occupier of any workplace specified in the Third Schedule to appoint a WSH auditor to audit the safety and health management system of the workplace at a frequency as specified in that Schedule.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), the Commissioner may, subject to such conditions as he may determine, direct the occupier of any workplace specified in the Third Schedule to conduct an audit of the safety and health management system of the workplace within such period as the Commissioner may require.

(3) It shall be the duty of the occupier of any workplace specified in the Third Schedule to have the workplace audited within such period as the Commissioner may direct under paragraph (2).

(4) It shall be the duty of the occupier of any workplace specified in the Third Schedule to implement, as far as is reasonably practicable, the recommendations of the workplace safety and health auditor appointed under paragraph (1) without undue delay.

Duties of workplace safety and health auditor

(1) The duties of a WSH auditor appointed in respect of a workplace shall be —

(a) to audit the workplace in such manner as the Commissioner may determine;

(b) to submit an audit report to the occupier of the workplace upon completion of the audit indicating the findings and recommendations in the report;

(c) to advise the occupier of the workplace to take immediate action to remedy any unsafe condition or unsafe work practice found during the audit that may result in imminent danger to the safety and health of persons at work; and

(d) to report to the Commissioner the unsafe condition or unsafe work practice referred to in sub-paragraph (c) if the occupier —

(i) refuses to take immediate remedial action; or

(ii) needs more than a day to remedy the unsafe condition or unsafe work practice.

(2) A WSH auditor shall not conduct an audit of any workplace in which he, or the auditing agency of which he is a member, has any professional, financial or other interest which may conflict with his duties as a WSH auditor.

(3) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (2), a WSH auditor, or the auditing agency of which he is a member, shall be regarded as having a professional or financial interest which may conflict with his duties as a WSH auditor if he or the auditing agency of which he is a member —

(a) is involved in the establishment or implementation of the safety and health management system for the workplace in which he is to conduct an audit; or

(b) provides any WSHO or any WSHC to assist the occupier of the workplace (or any other person in charge of the workplace) on any WSH matter of the workplace in which he is to conduct an audit.

(4) It shall be the duty of the occupier of a workplace to ensure that the WSH auditor appointed under regulation 9(1), 10(3) or 11(2) in respect of the workplace is not a partner, an officer, an employee or an associate of the occupier of the workplace.

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4), a person shall be regarded as an associate of an occupier of a workplace if the person is —

(a) an employer of the occupier;

(b) where the occupier is a body corporate —

(i) a person who is a substantial shareholder of that body corporate as defined in section 81 of the Companies Act (Cap. 50); or

(ii) a director, secretary or similar executive officer of the body corporate; or

(6) A WSH auditor shall respect the confidentiality of protected information acquired by him in the course of his work and shall not disclose any such information to a third party without specific authority or unless there is a legal or professional duty to disclose.

(7) It shall be the duty of a WSH auditor appointed in respect of a workplace to exercise all due diligence when performing his function in relation to the carrying out of the audit of a workplace under paragraph (1).

(8) Any WSH auditor who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes paragraph (1), (2) or (7) 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.

(9) Any WSH auditor who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes paragraph (6) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

(10) Any occupier of a workplace who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes paragraph (4) 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.