Lend Lease is the first and only mall operator in Singapore to achieve bizSafe Partner status for all its retail malls – 313@somerset, Parkway Parade and Jem.
Created by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council, bizSafe Partner status recognises companies which have been proactive in getting their partners and associates to incorporate safety into their business models.
It follows Global Minimum Requirements (GMRs) for environmental, health and safety standards that go beyond compliance with statutory requirements for all its shopping malls, sites and offices across the globe.
Lend Lease incentivises its partners and associates to be onboard with its health and safety commitment by only working with partners, contractors and vendors who have at least bizSafe level 3 certification. When tendering for a job, they also need to submit proof that they are qualified and trained to perform tasks with proper safety know-how, together with their health and safety records.
After the works have been awarded, they have to attend a Health and Safety Induction to learn about the mall’s emergency protocols and Lend Lease’s unique Global Minimum Requirements (GMRs). The GMRs are the minimum stringent Environment, Health & Safety standards that go beyond compliance with statutory requirements. They set out environment, health and safety criteria and standards for operating incident and injury free at all of Lend Lease’s operations across the globe including our construction sites, offices and shopping malls. Among others, the GMRs outline preventive measures to avoid incidents and instructions for incident management in the event of an emergency.
Reggie Lim, head of environment, health & safety with Lend Lease, Asia, says having experienced the Lend Lease approach on health and safety, and the benefits of the GMRs, suppliers, contractors and partners can adopt them on other projects.
“We hope to create a ripple effect to help raise health and safety standards in the industry. More importantly, we want to create a safe, healthy and caring environment where individuals who work on or visit our facilities can do so without fear of injury and return home safely every day.”
Moving forward, the malls managed by Lend Lease also intend to conduct safety briefings and training for their partners to ensure their skills and certification remain relevant and updated in the industry.
“At Lend Lease, safety goes beyond merely chalking up accident-free days or winning awards as safety of our workers and shoppers is our top priority. Our malls are thoughtfully designed with an eye to ensure that it creates a safe environment for all its shoppers,” he added.
Safety measures in the malls include placing automated external defibrillator and spill-kits at common areas in case of any emergency. In 313@somerset and Jem, tall glass panels are installed at the side of escalators to prevent objects from dropping or people from falling over and the escalators have a unique fiber optic intrusion safety system which automatically stops the escalator belt when an item is stuck. To avoid skidding and slippage, the two malls’ flooring also has a minimum slip resistance rating of PTV40. And Parkway Parade recently implemented a personal, caring touch by integrating its newly installed escalators with audio-prompt messages to remind people to watch their steps when riding on it.
Lee Tzu Yang, chairman of the WSH Council said: “We are very pleased to have Lend Lease and all its managed malls in Singapore as our bizSafe Partners. We encourage more companies to tap on the bizSafe programme to build WSH capabilities and earn the benefits of investing in workplace safety and health for their business.”
Source insideretail.asia