Cause of Recent Toxic Fumes Incident at PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks Plant and Future Preventive Measures

86 Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the investigation of the recent incident where workers inhaled poisonous fumes at PUB's Choa Chu Kang Waterworks plant; and (b) what safety measures are being put in place to prevent a recurrence.

Dr Tan See Leng: As investigations are ongoing, we are unable to provide further details at this time.

Under the Workplace Safety and Health (Confined Spaces) Regulations, workplaces must implement safety measures to mitigate risks associated with working in confined spaces. These measures include gas tests conducted by a competent assessor to ensure that the atmosphere within the confined space is free from contaminants, effective ventilation of the space, adequate training of workers, the use of protective equipment, and an emergency rescue plan. Detailed guidance for employers and workers is provided in the Approved Code of Practice Singapore Standard 568 and the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s Technical Advisory on Working Safely in Confined Spaces.