Keppel marked its annual Global Safety Time Out (GSTO) from 1st to 3rd August, where over 10,000 employees, partners and subcontractors from across its global operations participated in safety programmes to enhance safety vigilance and improve safety processes.
During the GSTO, the respective work sites and operations stopped work and held sharing sessions on case studies as well as safety performance with their workforces. Safety campaigns or training sessions, including fire safety, electrical safety and working at heights, were also conducted across operations in various countries such as Singapore, China, Australia, Vietnam and Indonesia.
Keppel has maintained a strong safety performance in the first half of 2023, with zero fatalities recorded across all its operations in over 10 countries.
Mr Loh Chin Hua, CEO of Keppel Corporation said, “Safety is a Core Value for Keppel, and our annual GSTO is a reminder for all employees and our wider workforce to enhance safety vigilance and regularly review safety processes. As a global asset manager and operator, we have a multi-pronged approach to safety, including leveraging technology to enhance safety, providing comprehensive training to our workforce, including our subcontractor’s workers, and promoting a strong culture of safety where everyone is prepared to speak up and look out for each other. We are heartened to have recorded zero fatalities in the year to date and will roll out further initiatives to improve our safety performance.”
Keppel’s GSTO is line with Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower’s Safety Time Out initiative which encourages companies to take time off from their daily work routine to take stock of and review workplace safety and health (WSH) systems and work processes, as well as implement measures to control safety risks.
As part of Keppel’s GSTO, awards were also presented to recognise the performance of outstanding workers. At the construction site of The Reef at King’s Dock condominium in Singapore, two subcontract workers were commended for identifying and speaking up on unsafe situations. This is part of Keppel’s ‘Speak Up for Safety’ campaign which empowers and encourages workers at all levels to speak up in a no-blame environment if they encounter any unsafe behaviours and situations.
Launched in 2021, the campaign has been yielding positive results with more workers raising potential safety issues and thus reducing the number of incidents. This initiative has been further reinforced by the National WSH Council’s campaign this year to cultivate workplaces where workers feel safe to speak up.
In addition to the annual GSTO, Keppel is reinforcing its strong safety culture by leveraging technology and providing comprehensive training. Across its operations worldwide, Keppel is deploying its Safety 4.0 digital transformation programme which harnesses a cloud-based platform to digitalise HSE processes. The integrated platform captures and utilises these data to provide in-depth predictive analyses to identify safety hazards, provide real-time insights of risk patterns, and implement risk mitigation measures proactively. Keppel is also developing 5G safety applications through its subsidiary M1, such as using robots to enable onsite monitoring and remote assistance as well as using video analytics to automatically identify and alert users of workplace anomalies or unsafe conditions.
To ensure a high standard of safety competence among its workforce, Keppel works closely with all stakeholders, including contractors, subcontractors, customers, suppliers, regulators and industry associations on training. All direct employees and subcontract workers undergo the same safety training. In 2022, more than $27 million was invested in enhancing HSE-related infrastructure, upgrading systems and building knowledge and skillsets. To foster high safety standards in its operations, Safety Awareness Centres (SAC) have been built overseas in Vietnam, China, Malaysia and India to provide mandatory training for both Keppel’s and our contractors’ employees.
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About Keppel
Keppel Corporation (SGX:BN4) is a global asset manager and operator with strong expertise in sustainability-related solutions spanning the areas of infrastructure, real estate and connectivity. Headquartered in Singapore, Keppel operates in more than 20 countries worldwide, providing critical infrastructure and services for renewables, clean energy, decarbonisation, sustainable urban renewal and digital connectivity. Keppel creates value for investors and stakeholders through its quality investment platforms and diverse asset portfolios, including private funds and listed real estate and business trusts.