Yes, the Environmental Protection and Management Act, Environmental Protection and Management (Hazardous Substances) Regulations and Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act administered by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Ministry of Manpower (MOM) define and regulate how businesses should implement effective measures and contingency plans at their premises to safeguard the environment and their employees from any potential spills and exposure to toxic/hazardous chemicals.

Refer to our downloadable supplementary document in the Information & Resources section of our website for more information.

The Code of Practice for Pollution Control and Code of Practice for the Storage of Flammable Liquids published by the Singapore Standards Council specifies the recommended requirements and practices for safe and effective management and control of spills.

This includes secondary containment and mitigating measures to prevent water pollution, control and contain the accidental release of hazardous substances; as well as spillage catchment and spill containment compounds for flammable liquids.

Refer to our downloadable supplementary document in the Information & Resources section of our website for more information.

Contraventions of the Act and Regulations set out by NEA or MOM carry stiff penalties, the following are a few examples:

Penalties for Discharging Toxic Substances or Hazardous Substances into Inland Waters

(a)           be liable on the first conviction to a fine not exceeding $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both; and

(b)           be punished on a second or subsequent conviction with both imprisonment for a term of not less than one month and not more than 12 months and a fine not exceeding $100,000.

Hazardous Substances

(6) Any person at work in a workplace who wilfully or recklessly does any act that may result in any other person being exposed to hazardous substances shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on

conviction to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both.

General Penalties

50. Any person guilty of an offence under this Act (but not including the regulations) for which no penalty is expressly provided by this Act shall be liable on conviction —

(a) in the case of a natural person, to a fine not exceeding $200,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years or to both; and

(b) in the case of a body corporate, to a fine not exceeding $500,000

Offences

8. Any employer, self‐employed person or principal who contravenes regulation 3(1), 4(1), (2) or (4), 5, 6, or 7 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —

(a) for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000; and

(b) for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $20,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.

Instruction and training

20. Every person authorised to store hazardous substances shall ensure that his agents and employees have received adequate instruction and training to enable them to understand —

(a) the nature of the dangers of all hazardous substances being stored; and

(b) the emergency action plan to be implemented in the event of any accident or emergency involving any hazardous substance stored.

Elimination and Control of Risk

4-(2) Where it is not reasonably practicable to eliminate the risk, the employer, self-employed person or principal shall implement —

(a) such reasonably practicable measures to minimise the risk;

(3) The measures referred to in paragraph (2)(a) may include

(b) engineering control;

Spill kits and proper spill response training are great examples of engineering controls used to eliminate and minimise the effects of spills, such as the risk of injuries caused by slips in the workplace or exposure to toxic and hazardous substances.

Chemical spills constitute both a safety and environmental issue if not properly dealt with in the event of accidental release.
Spills create both a slipping/tripping hazard that may cause injury as well as potential harmful exposure to toxic/hazardous substances if adequate protective measures are not provided to deal with their harmful effects.

Spills not properly dealt with or cleaned up may contaminate the surrounding land or make their way into drains and watercourses severely impacting the environment. It is essential therefore that effective measures are introduced and maintained to prevent harm to one’s health and the environment when dealing with toxic and hazardous substances/chemicals.

Refer to our downloadable supplementary document in the Information & Resources section of our website for more information.

There are many motivators and drivers as to why your business needs spill control measures and equipment when dealing with liquids, chemicals and or toxic/hazardous/flammable substances.

One of the strongest motivators is the obligation to conduct business in a lawful manner, not only to ensure regulatory compliance but also to maintain a safe workplace with high staff morale; reduce financial burdens by avoiding unnecessary fines, penalties, legal costs, increased insurance premiums and lost productivity; but also to increase consumer confidence in your business and upkeep your brand’s image and reputation.

Yes, it is recommended to check the contents of your spill kit regularly to ensure all necessary items remain intact,  functional and ready for deployment. We suggest a 3-year expiry date as the most appropriate duration for the replacement of PPE within the kits.

Our Bio-waste, Laboratory and Cytotoxic Spill Kits are sold with a minimum 3-year shelf life, which is based on the expiry date of the gloves and detergent in the kit. Other contents such as absorbent pads, booms, rolls, pillows, waste bags and tools etc. have a 5-7 year shelf life when kept in a cool, dry place.

Therefore, provided those items with expiry dates are changed out where necessary, our kits are serviceable for up to 10 years.