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Legislative Council - Fifty-Second Parliament, First Session (52-1)
2010-05-25 Daily Xml
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SINGAPORE OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY INSPECTORATE

The Hon. I.K. HUNTER (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Industrial Relations. As South Australia plays an important role in promoting, both locally and internationally, strategies that contribute to safe and healthy workplaces, will the minister please provide the chamber with details of the visit by members of Singapore's Occupational Safety and Health division to our state?

The Hon. P. HOLLOWAY (Minister for Mineral Resources Development, Minister for Urban Development and Planning, Minister for Industrial Relations, Minister Assisting the Premier in Public Sector Management) (15:10): I thank the honourable member for his question. Today I had the great pleasure of meeting four members of Singapore's Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate from the Ministry of Manpower. This delegation is currently in Adelaide to gain further insight from SafeWork SA about best practice in workplace safety in a variety of occupational sectors. Workplace safety is a significant community issue not just locally, of course, but globally as well. This visit allows SafeWork SA to demonstrate how it administers occupational health and safety standards in workplaces such as restaurants, hotels, factories, warehouses and entertainment venues.

The delegation of senior workplace officials (led by Mr Silas Sng, who is the director of the inspectorate) will be in Adelaide from 24 May to 2 June. Their busy schedule takes them to sites in Adelaide, in the Hills, the Barossa Valley and Monarto in the company of SafeWork SA inspectors and officials. In addition to the various worksite visits, the Singapore delegation will have the opportunity to hear about the successful compliance and prevention campaigns that have been put in place by SafeWork SA, including the Safety Industry Improvement Program and the annual SafeWork Event.

This important visit, which was funded by Singapore's Ministry of Manpower, provides a unique opportunity for South Australia to strengthen its international networks. It is also in keeping with the vision of the International Association of Labour Inspection for true global involvement and labour inspection through regional cooperation programs, and of genuine collaboration across nations. I should take this opportunity to point out that SafeWork SA's Executive Director (Michele Patterson) is currently president of this international association.

I wish to thank officers from SafeWork SA for the work they have undertaken to showcase in this way South Australia's successful OHS initiatives. I also wish to thank the many South Australian businesses that have volunteered to host the delegation at their premises and demonstrate the high level of their workplace safety management systems. This is the third international delegation hosted by SafeWork SA following previous visits by inspectors from New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Through SafeWork SA, this government is pleased to be contributing to the promotion internationally of strategies to make safe, healthy and decent work a reality around the world. I warmly welcome the delegates from Singapore and wish them well in their endeavours to advance workplace safety.

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