Be Aware, Be Careful, Be Safe
October 14, 2024
The annual Science Safety Day on 25 September 2024 continues to serve as a key platform to promote a culture of safety in the faculty by raising awareness, and reinforcing the importance of safety practices.
The event centred around key themes such as Safety Sharing, Health Tips, General Safety Guidelines and Campus Security.
Referencing the cautionary tale of Prof K Barry Sharpless, a Nobel Prize winner who tragically lost sight in his left eye during a laboratory experiment, Prof Ang Wee Han, Vice Dean (Special Duties) and the Faculty’s Safety Chair, took the opportunity to reinforce the faculty’s commitment to safety and health. He underscored the importance of investing in, and developing proficiencies in safety knowledge and capabilities and the faculty’s commitment to streamlining and integrating safety processes within the broader NUS framework. Prof Ang also shared on upcoming programmes in 2024 – 2025, including safety training and education, total workplace safety and health programmes and inspections, to name a few.
In an insightful talk, “Know Your Numbers”, Dr Patrick Tan, Director of NUS’ University Health Centre, captivated the audience with his expertise on key health indicators such as hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidaemia, shedding light on the importance of knowing and monitoring these vital markers. Awareness of these key numbers enables individuals to take decisive steps to adopt healthy lifestyle practices for wellbeing.
Another speaker, Prof Jayaraman Sivaraman, Safety Chair of the Department of Biological Science (DBS), discussed the department’s safety management programme, named “RISE’’, which comprises the following thrusts:
- Respecting researchers’ safety concerns to create a supportive environment where individuals are encouraged to speak up on safety matters;
- Involving the department’s senior administration to foster leadership engagement and accountability in safety initiatives;
- Sharing of information to ensure the timely, efficient and transparent dissemination of safety updates; and
- Engaging researchers at all levels to promote a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility towards safety practices.
Through an interactive quiz on essential safety protocols, the Office of Risk Management and Compliance (ORMC) Safety and Health Management Team brought the audience through general safety requirements in different areas, including biological safety and field research.
To encourage staff participation, a Safety Slogan Competition was launched, encouraging participants to craft catchy and meaningful phrases that describe the core values of safety. The response was overwhelming, and after deliberation, the committee announced Mr Kustomo as the winner for his slogan “In Science We Trust; In Safety We Must!”
Prizes were also presented to recognise the efforts of staff and students who have consistently shown a commitment to fostering safe practices at Chemistry laboratories and facilities through innovative safety protocols, proactive risk mitigation strategies and other initiatives.
In the second half of the event, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) delivered a talk on campus security, the importance of collective vigilance and other pertinent topics such as scams, outrage of modesty / voyeurism, trespassing and more, which provided students crucial information to protect themselves in various situations.
Through interactive sessions and engaging activities, the messages of shared responsibility and the importance of observing safe practices were brought home to some 200 participants, including the Deanery, Department Safety Chairs, Safety Leads, staff and students.
The faculty would also like to thank our sponsors Asia MatteLab and AdvanceLab Pte Ltd for their generous support in providing laboratory equipment and resources for science research.
