The Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA), in conjunction with its third anniversary, conducted the first virtual SHENA Safety Forum for over three days from 23^rd November 2021 to 25^th November 2021, which was participated by more than 700 attendees from various industries.

The 3-day forum covered three main themes: 1) Working at Height, 2) Safety and Health in Automotive Workshops in collaboration with Land Transport Department (LTD), and 3) Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Officer and WSH Co-Ordinator.

The general purpose of the event is to raise awareness on the compliance of Workplace Safety and Health Order, 2009 and the regulations thereunder, which is the primary part of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) legislation in Brunei Darussalam. In addition to the above, there is a significant concern in Working at Height activities. From 2013 up to October 2021, about 42% of the workplace fatalities were related to falling from height, and eight serious injuries have been reported due to falling from height. SHENA inspectors have conducted a number of regulatory visits to workplaces, including but not limited to construction sites. Concerns on the working at height activities were highlighted on Day 1 of the SHENA Safety Forum. The invited speakers advised participants on ways to effectively manage and control their potential HSE-related hazards and risks in Working at Height activities through safe practices in scaffold erection and inspection, ways to rescue from heights practices and arrangements and advancing tower safety.

In 2019, 27 injuries were recorded from Automotive Workshop, and 39 injuries were recorded in 2020. SHENA inspectors conducted about 38 regulatory visits in 2020, including joint visits with LTD and other agencies and seven regulatory visits were conducted by SHENA inspectors in 2021. General concerns and observations during the regulatory visits were among the presentation's highlights on Day 2. Yang Mulia Awang Nor-Muhammad Iqral Bin Abd Hamid as the invited speaker from LTD delivered a presentation on understanding the role of an Approved Workshop. The workshop's types and classification, the application process to be an approved workshop, and the vehicle fire incidents were among the highlights presented. LTD also emphasises on the importance for all automotive workshops to be registered with LTD.

SHENA started implementing fees for WSH Officers registration on 3^rd May 2021 and rolled out the WSH Co-Ordinator registration on 1^st June 2021; these were among the topics covered on Day 3. Other highlights included the criteria, roles, duties, powers, and registration process of the WSH Officers and WSH Co-Ordinators. The invited speakers provided inspiring and insightful presentations on their experiences as the appointed WSH Officers at their respective organisations.

This outreach programme is part of SHENA's continuous initiative in engaging stakeholders in various industry sectors to raise awareness and improve safety and health standards in Brunei Darussalam. The forum will also aid SHENA to gauge participants' understanding of national legislation, safety and health topics and obtain constructive feedback on SHENA's future outreach programmes. In light of the COVID-19 situation in the sultanate, the outreach programme was conducted as a live virtual event in line with the Ministry of Health's SOPs and Prime Minister's Office (PMO) directive.

The live virtual event recording, presentation slides, and question and answer pack will be accessible on the SHENA website at www.shena.gov.bn. SHENA is the national Authority responsible for regulating workplace safety and health, environment, and radiation matters in Brunei Darussalam.