The Safety, Health and Environment National Authority (SHENA) hosted their inaugural live virtual Outreach Programme to Commercial Laundry (self-service and manned laundry) Operators on 1 September 2021.

The event aimed to provide a brief introduction to SHENA and its functions as well as an overview of the Workplace Safety and Health Order, 2009 and its regulations thereunder, which is the primary piece of Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) legislation in Brunei Darussalam. During the event, the participants were advised on ways to effectively manage and control their potential HSE related hazards and risks throughout their commercial laundry operations.

General concerns and observations made by SHENA Inspectors following multiple inspections to self-service laundry premises were also highlighted to the participants. The focus on commercial laundry premises was triggered by an incident which occurred in July 2017 where a gas leak led to an explosion at the self-service laundry premise injuring three individuals seriously where one of them eventually passed away from the injuries he had sustained.

The outreach programme is part of SHENA's continuous initiative in engaging stakeholders in various industry sectors to raise awareness and improve HSE standards in Brunei Darussalam with earlier events held this year for construction companies and educational institutions, amongst others. Considering the COVID-19 situation in the country, the outreach programme was conducted as a live virtual event in line with the Ministry of Health's directive of more stringent social distancing measures and to promote virtual events as part of the new norm and adaptation to the pandemic era.

Presentation slides and question and answer pack is accessible on the SHENA website at www.shena.gov.bn SHENA is the national Authority responsible for regulating the workplace safety and health, environment as well as radiation matters. For any enquiries, SHENA can be contacted at info@shena.gov.bn as the office is currently closed until further notice due to the pandemic.