10 Jun 2010

Keppel opens first-of-its-kind immersive safety training hub for its workforce

Keppel takes another stride towards a zero-incident workplace with the opening of its new integrated safety training facility, the Keppel Safety Training Centre. Located at Keppel Shipyard in Tuas, the Centre offers a complete range of safety training and certification courses in both trade-specific and broad-based skills for its workforce across all levels.

The Training Centre is one of the key elements of Keppel Shipyard’s Safety Excellence (SE) 2015 initiative, through which the company seeks to foster a pervasive safety culture and impart relevant safety competencies to its 14,000-strong multinational workforce, including subcontractors. The initiative also aligns Keppel with the national Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) 2018 strategies to raise the marine industry’s safety standards to the next level.

The Centre was declared open today by Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower & Health.

Mr Nelson Yeo, Managing Director of Keppel Offshore & Marine’s Marine Division and of Keppel Shipyard, said, “The Centre draws on the combined resources and expertise of Keppel and our safety partners to provide critical programmes and infrastructure to raise the safety standards of our workforce. We want to provide a positive learning experience that will not just educate, but also motivate our people to take ownership of their own safety as well as that of their colleagues.

“Training at the Keppel Safety Training Centre will be a pre-requisite for all workers at Keppel Shipyard. We will sponsor all our direct and subcontract workers for the same set of courses so as to imbibe in them a common safety mindset and attain a uniform level of competencies across the board. We need to be aligned at all fronts so that no one gets hurt.”

The Centre comprises a three-storey building equipped with classrooms, an e-learning zone, and a safety journey hall with multimedia and interactive training stations. It also features a life-size replica of the mid-section of a tanker with various technical training areas to provide a suitable context for hands-on learning.

Core competency and safety leadership development programmes as well as Workforce Skills Qualifications courses certified by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, are some of the key training modules conducted by qualified, full-time instructors at the Centre.

Mr Daipi said, “As we aim to raise our national safety standards in the marine sector, big players like Keppel and its various partners will play a pivotal role in influencing those who work for or with them to adopt proper risk management.

“Last year, the Keppel Offshore and Marine group committed to help all its subcontractors to achieve bizSAFE Level 3 by 2012. I am pleased to note that 100% of Keppel Shipyard’s resident subcontractors have already attained this standard, way ahead of the target. As part of Keppel Shipyard’s SE 2015 initiative, it has also committed to help its subcontractors develop further to reach bizSAFE Level 5 and put in place comprehensive WSH management systems.

“I would like to thank Keppel for being a forerunner in various innovative ways to enhance workplace safety. Besides the focused and worker-centric training centre, its safety leadership and buddy programmes are also good examples. I urge all shipyards to develop similar programmes and support the WSH Council in its implementation of the marine sectoral plan initiatives. These will go a long way to help us prevent incidents in the marine sector.”

Joining Keppel Shipyard in creating an incident-free workplace are safety partners Exxon Mobil, SBM, Shell, Prosafe Production, BW Offshore, Woodside, Statoil, Maersk FPSOs, BP and Frontier Drilling.


SE 2015 - taking workplace safety to the next level

As part of its safety journey which began in 2002, Keppel Shipyard continues to focus on strengthening its safety culture through the SE 2015 initiative, imparting relevant skills and work habits to its workforce and reinforcing ownership for safety at individual and collective levels.

The cumulative effect of Keppel Shipyard’s safety journey has lowered its Accident Frequency Rate ¹ (AFR) from 0.26 in 2008 to 0.15 at the end of 2009.

Mr Yeo said, “In spite of all our ongoing efforts, we still have people getting injured in the course of work. We recognise that more needs to be done especially in ensuring that every person has the relevant competencies and a strong mindset for safety.

“Together with our safety partners, we will redouble our efforts through the SE 2015 initiative to eliminate incidents from our yards.”

Apart from the training schemes under the new Keppel Safety Training Centre, SE 2015 also includes the implementation of two other enhancements to fortify Keppel Shipyard’s safety leadership and risk-management framework:

• The rollout of the Safety Buddy Mentorship programme, where an experienced mentor will guide, develop and inspire existing Safety Buddy Groups to foster solidarity and safety ownership.
• The enforcement of a zero-tolerance policy towards non-compliance of safety measures relating to the six High Impact Risk Areas (HIRAs) within the industry. These areas include working at heights and in confined spaces, electrical and hot works, incompatible work and lifting operations.

With the rollout of these new initiatives, Keppel Shipyard together with its customers, union and subcontractors reaffirm their commitment to build up a progressive and pervasive safety culture where “Nobody Gets Hurt”.


About Keppel Shipyard

Keppel Shipyard is a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Corporation, through Keppel O&M, a leader in offshore rigs, ship repair and conversion and specialised shipbuilding. Keppel O&M’s near market, near customer strategy is bolstered by a global network of 20 yards and offices in the Asia Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil, the Caspian Sea, Middle East and the North Sea regions. Integrating the experience and expertise of its yards worldwide, the group aims to be the provider of choice and partner for solutions for the offshore and marine industry.


¹ _{AFR measured in number of reportable injuries per million man-hours worked}

For further information, please contact

Diana Chan (Ms)
Senior Executive
Keppel Group Corporate Communications
Tel: +65 64136 430
Email: diana.chan@kepcorp.com

Attachments:

Download - Speech by Guest-of-Honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower & Health

Core competency and safety leadership development programmes as well as Workforce Skills Qualifications courses certified by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency, are some of the key training modules conducted by qualified, full-time instructors at the Centre.

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Health tries his hand at a safety test at the e-learning corner of the Keppel Safety Training Centre.

Mr Nelson Yeo, MD of Keppel Shipyard, shares with Guest-of-Honour, Mr Hawazi Daipi, how the new semi-automated pipeshop has improved safety and productivity for workers.

Dr Lee Boon Yang, Chairman of Keppel Corporation and Guest-of-Honour Mr Hawazi Daipi learn the safety aspects of specific marine trades at the training stations in Keppel Safety Training Centre from Keppel Shipyard’s safety leaders.

Keppel takes another stride towards a zero-incident workplace with the opening of its new integrated safety training facility, the Keppel Safety Training Centre.

Download - High res photos

Download - Speech by Mr Choo Chiau Beng, CEO of Keppel Corporation & Chairman, Keppel O&M

Download - Factsheet: Keppel Safety Training Centre