Inclusion of Policies on Managing Heat Stress and Driving Fatigue in WSH Guidelines for Migrant Workers and Commercial Drivers for High-risk Outdoor and Transport Sectors
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns MP Mr Cai Yinzhou’s inquiry into whether lessons from the Ministry of Defence’s policies on heat stress and driving fatigue were incorporated into Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) guidelines. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that the Ministry of Manpower and the WSH Council consulted the Singapore Armed Forces to adapt relevant practices for general workplace settings. SAF practices informed enhancements to heat stress guidelines regarding acclimatisation programmes, rest breaks, and symptom recognition. For driving fatigue, guidelines for commercial drivers integrated feedback from DSO National Laboratories on reporting mechanisms and sufficient rest periods. These policy adaptations aim to strengthen safety standards for high-risk outdoor and transport sectors by leveraging established military and laboratory insights.
Transcript
51 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry studied and incorporated lessons from the Ministry of Defence’s operational policies on managing heat stress and driving fatigue into the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) guidelines for migrant workers and commercial drivers; and (b) if so, what policy or procedural lessons have been adopted or adapted to enhance the WSH framework for high-risk outdoor and transport sectors.
Dr Tan See Leng: Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) guidelines are developed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the WSH Council in consultation with key stakeholders, which include relevant Government agencies. We have also involved the Ministry of Defence, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and their related entities in our reviews of guidelines on heat stress and fatigue management. As the training and operating conditions in the military are unique, MOM and the WSH Council incorporated lessons and practices where relevant to other workplace settings.
On heat stress, the SAF's practices have informed enhancements to the guidelines on measures to address heat stress, such as acclimatisation programmes and rest breaks, and recognition of heat illness symptoms.
On driving fatigue, the WSH Guidelines on Fatigue Management have incorporated feedback from DSO National Laboratories. The guidelines are applicable to commercial drivers and set out recommended measures, such as fatigue reporting mechanism for employees, sufficient rest periods in the work schedule and identification of fatigue symptoms.