Reducing Heat-related Incidents at Work and Measures to Make Workplaces More Heat-resilient
Ministry of ManpowerSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the effectiveness and enforcement of enhanced heat stress measures for outdoor workers, as raised by Mr Yip Hon Weng. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng stated that two heat-related incidents were reported since October 2023, with annual cases remaining below five over the past five years. He highlighted that the Ministry of Manpower has inspected nearly 70 workplaces and penalised 23 companies for non-compliance while providing guidelines and multilingual support through the FWMOMCare App. To ensure sustainability, the Ministry conducts industry forums and disseminates information through the Workplace Safety and Health Council to help employers rectify safety lapses. Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng affirmed that the Ministry will continue consulting stakeholders to update measures as temperatures rise to ensure long-term workplace heat resilience.
Transcript
52 Mr Yip Hon Weng asked the Minister for Manpower since the implementation of enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers (a) whether the measures are reducing the number of reported heat-related incidents; (b) how many employers have been issued fines for non-compliance; (c) how is the Ministry working with employers to ensure that the measures are sustainable; and (d) how does the Ministry support employers in making their workplaces more heat-resilient in the long-term.
Dr Tan See Leng: The enhanced measures to reduce heat stress for outdoor workers were developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health's Heat Stress Expert Panel, Government agencies and employer associations, such as the Singapore Contractors Association Limited. To help businesses prepare for and comply with the enhanced measures, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council have released guidelines including the Heat Stress Management Compliance Checklist and Specifications for Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Meters for Workplace Measurements, as well as conducted several industry-specific forums. MOM and the WSH Council also disseminate information on heat stress regularly through channels, such as the WSH Council's Bulletin and Facebook page and MOM's FWMOMCare App, where information is disseminated in the native languages of migrant workers.
In the six months since the implementation of the enhanced measures in October 2023, two heat-related incidents have been reported to MOM. The number of reported heat-related incidents has remained low in the past five years, with no more than five incidents annually.
To ensure compliance to the enhanced heat stress measures, MOM has inspected close to 70 workplaces and taken enforcement actions against 23 companies for breaches. We have worked with these employers to rectify the lapses and put in place measures to protect their workers from risk of heat injury.
MOM will also continue to consult the industry when there are new developments and update the heat stress measures accordingly if the temperature gets warmer. Together, we can build heat resilience in workplaces.