WSH Forum

Hands Safety: Perspectives from a

Furniture Manufacturer

Industry Sharing by
Ms Alison Kwok, Executive Director of Cathay Interiors
Executive Committee member of SFIC
 Sharing on…
• Introduction of furniture & furnishing industry
• Common WSH hazards and risk in the
furniture industry
• Industry Best Practices
• Prevention can be as easy as A-B-C: WSH
Guidelines
Common WSH hazards

Woodworking machines
>> sawing, drilling, lathing,
milling
Common WSH hazards

Powered and non-

powered handheld
tools (e.g. for nailing,
planning, routing,
sanding)
Sawing operations

Example of accident:
Worker operating a table saw
got killed when the plank being
cut suddenly recoiled and hit
worker’s abdomen
Best Practices

1. Installation of
machine guard for
blade to prevent cuts.

2. Installation of splitter
to prevent kickbacks.
 Best Practices

1 2 3
• Use of push stick to prevent
cuts.
• Use of face mask to protect
against inhalation of wood
particulates.
• Use of goggles to protect
against eye injury from wood
particulates.
Best Practices
• Proper sheaths or protective
panels installed near saw
blades to ensure that the
blades are not exposed;

• Ensure that materials being

cut are held down properly
to prevent the materials
from flying off and injuring
workers when there is a
ricochet effect upon
cutting.
 Best Practices
• Blunt tools can be a cause of injury
too, especially when the tools slip. As
such, it is necessary to ensure that
tools are properly maintained.
 Best Practises
• Developing safe work procedures for
use of each tool and woodworking
machine
• Providing workers with adequate
training and supervision on safe work
methods
 Workplace fatal injury rate for Construction sector, 2006-2014
Construction industry remains as the top contributor in 2014 with 27 workplace fatal
injuries or 45% of all workplace fatal injuries. Positive trend: workplace fatal injury rate in
the Construction sector fell from 7.2 per 100,000 employed persons in 2013 to 5.5 per
100,000 employed persons in 2014.

Source: Workplace Safety & Health Report, 2014

 The Manufacturing sector saw a further reduction in its workplace fatal injury
number and rate. The workplace fatal injury rate saw a decrease from 1.6 per 100,000
employed persons in 2013 to 1.4 per 100,000 employed persons in 2014.

Source: Workplace Safety & Health Report, 2014

 Proper House
Keeping
determine safety @
work

Proper placement of tools

GENTLE REMINDER
 WHY
Safety Rules?
“Following safety rules allow us
to go home to our families safely
after a day’s work.”

“Safe work procedures not only

keep the worker safe, but also
those working around them.”
 Training Opportunities
• Carpentry training programme provided by
SFIC Institute: Excellent platform to educate
companies & workers on Workplace Safety
& Health guidelines & process
Accidents don’t come in the
form you expect
Be future Ready for Quality work &
Productivity
Thank you!