MERS-CoV -Health Advisory (June 2015)

Health Advisory (June 2015)

          The World Health Organization (WHO) does not recommend the application of any travel or trade restriction to areas affected by MERS-CoV. However, to reduce the risk of exposure to MERS-CoV, we advise Singaporeans and other residents travelling to affected areas to maintain their vigilance and adopt the following health precautions when overseas:

·         Observe good personal hygiene at all times;

·         Practise frequent hand washing (e.g. before handling food or eating, after going to toilet, or when hands are soiled);

·         You may consider wearing a surgical mask in crowded places and avoid close contact with persons suffering from acute respiratory infections (e.g. someone who is coughing);

·         Avoid contact with camels and other live farm or wild animals, including not visiting camel farms. If contact has been made, thoroughly wash hands with soap.

·         Adopt good food safety and hygiene practices and avoid consuming unpasteurised milk, undercooked meats, raw fruits and vegetables (unless they have been peeled), or unsafe water.

·         Avoid visiting healthcare institutions in the Middle East and South Korea, unless it is necessary to do so.

 

2           On their return from a MERS-CoV affected area, Singaporeans and other residents should monitor their health closely for two weeks. Singaporeans and other residents need not self-quarantine themselves upon their return if they have no symptoms of illness. However, they should wear a surgical mask and seek medical attention promptly if they become unwell with fever and cough and if they had recent travel history (within two weeks) to any areas reporting human cases of MERS-CoV. They should inform the doctor of the areas that they had travelled to. Truthful declaration of travel history is important. They may also be isolated for observation and further investigations, which may take up to 48 hours.

3           As the situation is evolving, MOH will provide updates should there be any further measures implemented according to our public health risk assessments. Singaporeans and other residents should refer to this MOH webpage on MERS-CoV for the latest health advisory.

MERS-CoV

Background

The Middle East Respiratory Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is a novel coronavirus which causes acute respiratory illness in infected patients. The virus was first reported by the WHO on 22 September 2012, and thus far all cases worldwide remained associated with the Arabian Peninsula. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which are known to cause illness in humans and animals. Human coronaviruses usually cause mild respiratory illnesses like the common cold, with the exception of the MERS-CoV and the SARS coronavirus which can cause severe illness.

Potential conflicts of interest - WSH professionals

WSH Professionals warned to stay clear of activities with potential conflicts of interest

Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Professionals, including WSH Officers and WSH Auditors, are expected to uphold the highest ethical standards in their professional practices and should stay clear of any activities with potential conflicts of interest.   For example, a conflict of interest would arise if a WSH Officer, tasked by the Occupier to review and approve risk assessments submitted by the Occupier’s subcontractors, was also engaged in a commercial arrangement with the same subcontractors under his charge to conduct a risk assessment on their behalf. This situation creates at least two potential conflicts of interest: (i) the WSH Officer will be reviewing and approving his own risk assessment conducted on behalf of the subcontractor; and (ii) he is in a position of authority to influence the subcontractor to engage his consultancy services.   The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigated one such case recently and took enforcement actions against the WSH Officers involved. The Ministry takes a serious view on WSH Professionals who do not conduct their work with due regard for the professionalism of their practice. The Ministry will not hesitate to take actions against WSH Professionals who are found guilty of any misconduct. Penalties include revocation, blacklisting, suspension, and/or prosecution of the WSH Professionals.   Other situations with potential conflicts of interest include: • The WSH Professional tasked to oversee/appoint a WSH service provider concurrently has commercial arrangements with the service provider. • The WSH Auditor or his close relation has a management role or holds an equity interest at the company where he is conducting a WSH audit. • The WSH Auditor himself, or the WSH Auditing Organisation from which he is employed, is involved in the establishment/implementation of the safety and health management system of the company where he is conducting a WSH audit. • The WSH Auditor himself, or the WSH Auditing Organisation from which he is employed, provides any WSH Officer or Coordinator to the company where he is conducting a WSH audit.

Gazette of WSH (Design for Safety) Regulations 2015

The WSH (Design for Safety) Regulations has been gazetted and published on 10 July 2015. It will come into operation on 1 August 2016.   The key provisions of the proposed WSH (DfS) Regulations are:   1. To place duties on developers and designers The proposed Regulations will place duties on developers and designers to identify and address foreseeable risks throughout the lifecycle of a construction project. Where risks cannot be mitigated by design interventions, it will have to be communicated to those involved in the construction project.   2. To require implementation of a DfS review process throughout every phase of the construction project The implementation of a DfS review process throughout every phase of the construction project (or whenever design changes are made) would ensure that risks in the design are highlighted and managed in a systematic and coordinated way. By making it a mandatory requirement, we can ensure that time and resources are set aside to address the WSH risks at the design and planning stage.   3. To require a DfS register for all construction projects To ensure vital information is communicated downstream, the regulations will require proper record keeping of WSH risk for future reference via a DfS register. The DfS register will record (i) safety and health issues identified during the design reviews and actions taken; and (ii) risks that cannot be removed through design changes. The DfS register should be a live document which will be updated as and when new WSH risks are identified.   4. To allow developers to appoint a DfS professional Developers have the option to discharge their duties, such as the facilitation of the DfS review process and the preparation of a DfS register, to a DfS professional. Nonetheless, to ensure that developers take responsibility for the risks they create, they would have to make arrangements to ensure that the DfS professional carries out his assigned duties with due diligence.   5. To mandate it for projects with contract value of $10 million and above For a start, we propose for the Regulations to apply only to projects with contract value of $10 million and above. Over the last two years, about 80% of fatal accidents and dangerous occurrences in the construction industry were contributed by projects with contract value of $10 million and above.

Guide to Noise Control in the Music & Entertainment Industry

Prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause hearing loss or noise induced deafness (NID). This guide serves to raise the awareness of noise hazards from loud music in the music and entertainment industry. It provides guidance on practical measures to prevent and control noise hazards, and to reduce the risk of NID.

Where

Sectors / workplace include:

Food and beverage outlets where live music or recorded music is played in

- Restaurants, bars, nightclubs, discotheques, lounges or pubs.

Who

Employees include:

- Bar staff, floor staff, DJs (disc jockeys), security officers, managers, bouncers / door supervisors.

Why

Concern of Hearing Loss

Unlike manufacturing industries, where noise is a hazardous by-product i.e. unwanted sound, noise is actually the desired product of the music entertainment industry. However, the damaging effects of exposure to loud noise are alike, whether the noise is desired or unwanted.

The permissible exposure limit for noise is 85 dBA over an 8-hr workday. The daily noise exposure level (Leq,8h) in pubs and clubs range from 89 to 100 dBA (Ref 1). The corresponding permissible exposure time is 2.5 hours to 15 minutes. Persons working in the entertainment industry are at a higher risk due to longer working hours and exposure to loud music.

What

Legal Requirements

Since 1 March 2008, hotels, food and beverage sectors have been covered under the Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) and its subsidiary legislation.

Under the Act, all stakeholders must proactively manage the safety and health risk at their workplace, and take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of employees and other people that are affected by the work being carried out. The relevant regulations are as follows:

1. WSH (Risk Management) Regulations

- Assess the safety and health risks at workplace including risks from excessive noise, and take reasonably practical measures to eliminate or reduce the risks.

 2. Factories (Noise) Regulations*

- Take practical measures to control noise and ensure that employees are not exposed to noise exceeding 85dBA over an 8-hr workday.

 

3. Factories (Medical Examinations) Regulations*

- Send employees who are exposed or likely to be exposed to excessive noise for pre-employment and annual audiometric examinations.

 

4. WSH (Incident Reporting) Regulations

- Report accidents and occupational diseases (including NID) that occur at workplace.

* The WSH (Noise) Regulations and the WSH (Medical Examinations) Regulations will be gazetted and will come into effect when the WSHA is extended to cover all workplaces in September 2011.

How

Achieving the right balance between protection of employees and customers‟ enjoyment does not necessarily mean the end of the sound of music. Providing a conducive and safe environment for both customers and employees makes good business sense.

Assessing the Risk

Hazard identification is performed to identify employees who may be exposed to excessive noise – 85 dBA or higher. This can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. If the outcome of the qualitative assessment suggests that a noise problem exists, a quantitative assessment should be carried out to determine the exposure.

1. Qualitative assessment

- Assess the workplace using a checklist or through visual inspection to identify employees who may be exposed to excessive noise. One simple test to check is if employees need to raise their voice for normal conversation at 2m apart

2. Quantitative assessment

- Engage a competent person to conduct noise measurements or monitoring to identify noisy areas, and to determine the noise exposure level taking into account the noise level and exposure time.

 

Controlling the Noise

1. Design of work areas

Ø Separate staff from loud music by

ü  Positioning bars away from dance floor to quieter areas

ü  Providing quiet areas or “chill-out” rooms for resting

ü  Placing acoustic screens (hard and dense panels) to protect employees from direct noise sources e.g. by enclosing or partitioning off DJ booth or bar areas

 

Ø Reduce noise level in other areas by directing the music to desired areas. This can be done by

ü  Distributing sound evenly over the dance floor using directional speakers

ü  Increasing the number of directional speakers to avoid hot spots

ü  Reducing the volume of peripheral speakers

ü  Pointing speakers away from the bar and other work locations

 

Ø Reduce the reverberant noise by

ü  Carpeting hard floors

ü  Lining the ceiling above dance floors with acoustic absorbent materials (made of soft, porous or fibrous materials)

ü  Lining walls with acoustic absorbent materials

ü  Lining workstations with absorbent materials

 

2. Reduce the music volume

Ø Install a sound limiter to prevent the music volume from exceeding a pre-set level; a warning is given when the pre-set level is reached.

 

Ø The pre-set level is determined by the type of venue, effectiveness of venue design, and type of music played.

 

3. Maintenance of equipment

Ø Maintain noise control equipment e.g. noise limiters, acoustic screens and sound absorbers in good working conditions.

1. Administrative measures

Ø Reduce the duration of employees‟ exposure (if it is not possible to reduce the noise level) by

ü  Rotating staff between noisy and quiet areas

ü  Rotating staff between noisy and quiet shifts

ü  Rotating staff between noisy and quiet tasks

ü  Providing regular „quiet‟ breaks

 

2 Providing hearing protectors

Ø Provide and ensure proper usage of hearing protectors when all practicable measures have been taken but are not sufficient to reduce employees‟ exposure to excessive noise.

Ø Hearing protectors should be suitable for the job, comfortable, and not overly protected.

Ø Select the right type of hearing protectors for adequate hearing protection whilst enabling staff to communicate with customers. For example:

ü  Earmuffs with sound restoration devices fitted for DJs to enable them to monitor the music and isolate them from the ambient noise in the venue

ü  Communication equipment with built-in hearing protection for door supervisors and security officers

ü  Uniform attenuator earplugs or pre-mould earplugs for bar staff who need to communicate

Training and Education

Ø  Educate employees on the effects of noise on their hearing. They need to understand the risk, the need for noise control and the importance of wearing hearing protectors.

Ø  Train employees on the proper use and maintenance of hearing protectors.

 

Ø  Ensure that employees understand the relevant provisions of the regulations and the need to follow instructions on the control measures taken.

 

Ø  Conduct training for all employees exposed to excessive noise, and within 3 months of job commencement for new employees.

Ø  Audiometric Examinations

Ø  Conduct pre-employment and yearly audiometric examinations for all employees who are exposed to excessive noise.

 

Ø  Ensure that employees are examined by Designated Factory Doctors to detect any early hearing impairment.

 

Case study

(Source: Sound Advice- Control of Noise at Work in Music and Entertainment, HSE 2008)

A venue owner engages live bands on five nights a week. After consultation with health and safety representatives, he arranged for some noise measurements to be made. With a reference position 5 m away from the loudspeakers, a level of 103 dB was measured. It was clear that the staff were being exposed to excessive noise.

A number of minor architectural changes were made:

Ø  Changed location of the stage.

Ø  Provided loudspeakers directly above the dance floor.

Ø  Put acoustic absorption material on the ceiling and upper part of the walls opposite the stage and on the wall behind the bar.

Ø  Fitted an acoustic screen to the end of the bar nearest the stage.

Ø  Replaced doors to kitchen, office and foyer with acoustic doors.

Ø  Some management changes were made.

Ø  Bands were limited to a maximum of 103 dB.

Ø  Job rotation for glass collectors.

 

The levels of exposure are below. Before Leq,8h (dBA)		After Leq,8h (dBA)
Bar staff	92		86
Glass collector	94		88
Door staff	91		84
Reference point	103		100

Permissible exposure limits for noise

THE SCHEDULE

Regulation 2(2)

PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE LIMITS FOR NOISE Sound pressure level, dB(A)		Maximum duration per day
1.	82	16 hours
2.	83	12 hours 42 minutes
3.	84	10 hours 5 minutes
4.	85	8 hours
5.	86	6 hours 21 minutes
6.	87	5 hours 2 minutes
7.	88	4 hours
8.	89	3 hours 11 minutes
9.	90	2 hours 31 minutes
10.	91	2 hours
11.	92	1 hour 35 minutes
12.	93	1 hour 16 minutes
13.	94	1 hour
14.	95	48 minutes
15.	96	38 minutes
16.	97	30 minutes
17.	98	24 minutes
18.	99	19 minutes
19.	100	15 minutes
20.	101	12 minutes
21.	102	9 minutes
22.	103	7.5 minutes
23.	104	6 minutes
24.	105	5 minutes
25.	106	4 minutes
26.	107	3 minutes
27.	108	2.5 minutes
28.	109	2 minutes
29.	110	1.5 minutes
30.	111	1 minute
31.	112	56 seconds
32.	113	45 seconds
33.	114	35 seconds
34.	115	28 seconds
35.	116	22 seconds
36.	117	18 seconds
37.	118	14 seconds
38.	119	11 seconds
39.	120	9 seconds
40.	121	7 seconds
41.	122	6 seconds
42.	123	5 seconds
43.	124	4 seconds
44.	125	3 seconds
45.	126 to 127	2 seconds
46.	128 to 129	1 second
47.	130 to 140	<1 second.

Notes:

1. The duration of exposure is to be obtained by adding up the total duration of exposure per work day, whether there is one continuous exposure or a number of separate exposures.

2. Every continuous, impulsive or impact noise of sound pressure levels from 80 dB(A) to 140 dB(A) must be included in the computation of the noise exposure of the person.

3. The permissible exposure limit is exceeded if a person is exposed to noise at a sound pressure level listed in the Table above in excess of the corresponding duration.

 

Made this 20th day of July 2011.