Publicity of Workplace Safety Practices by Premises Owners
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Mr Ang Hin Kee’s inquiry into ensuring premises owners and service buyers protect independent contractors through publicized safety practices and educational resources. Minister Lim Swee Say stated that the Workplace Safety and Health Act mandates premises owners to conduct risk assessments to mitigate hazards for all workers. He highlighted the bizSAFE programme for service buyers and noted that independent contractors can access accredited training and WSH Council toolkits. Minister Lim Swee Say mentioned collaboration with the National Trades Union Congress Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit to improve safety awareness among self-employed individuals. Finally, he detailed nationwide campaigns using media and pictograms to educate workers on preventing injuries in high-risk workplace hotspots.
Transcript
55 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Manpower what are the efforts undertaken to ensure that (i) premise owners publicise safe workplace practices or make adequate provisions to ensure that independent contractors operating in their premises are protected from workplace incidents; (ii) service buyers play an active role in safety discussions with independent contractors that they engage so that the incidents can be avoided; and (iii) greater publicity, training and educational efforts are channelled to creating safer workplaces for independent contractors.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act, premises owners have to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure that their premises are safe for workers, including independent contractors. As required by the Act, premises owners need to conduct risk assessment to eliminate or mitigate any foreseeable risks before work activity can commence.
Service buyers also play an important role in ensuring the safety and health of independent contractors. For instance, service buyers are encouraged to adopt the bizSAFE programme, introduced by the WSH Council, to build in-house WSH capabilities in risk management. They can even go a step further to procure services only from bizSAFE certified contractors.
WSH is everyone's responsibility. Independent contractors can take steps to enhance their WSH capabilities. They can enrol in safety and health courses offered by accredited training providers. They can access the wide range of free WSH information and toolkits, customised to suit different industry trades, on the WSH Council website. The National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) has set up the Freelancers and Self-Employed Unit (FSEU) to reach out to self-employed and independent contractors. FSEU can work with the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the WSH Council to enhance WSH awareness and competency of freelancers and independent contractors.
On a broader front, MOM and the WSH Council have stepped up WSH awareness activities all year round, including organising engagement forums in collaboration with industry partners. A WSH Campaign highlighting seven common causes of workplace safety incidents in hotspots, such as working at heights and safe lifting operations, was launched since June this year. The campaign educates workers, including independent contractors, on simple and practical measures to prevent injuries at work through pictograms. These are disseminated through the mass media, television commercials, radio advertisements and outdoor media.
WSH is a collective responsibility of all stakeholders. Independent contractors, too, should play their part and ensure that they carry out work in a safe manner. MOM and the WSH Council will continue to work closely with our tripartite partners to create safer workplaces for all workers, including independent contractors.