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Demerit Points System for the Construction Sector

All main and sub-contractors in the construction sector will be issued with demerit points for breaches under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and relevant subsidiary legislation. The number of demerit points awarded depends on the severity of the infringement.

A contractor that has received more than 18 demerit points within a 12-month period will receive a formal warning from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). Continued accumulation of demerit points will result in more stringent corrective actions. For example, if a worksite of a main contractor accumulates more than 18 demerit points, the worksite will have limited access to work permit holders for six months. If a contractor continues to commit workplace safety and health offences, applications from the company for new and renewal of all types of work passes for all foreign employees will be rejected by MOM.

Contractors that have been issued with demerit point(s) will be informed by MOM in writing . Each demerit point is valid for 12 months.

List of Contractors with Demerit Points Download (75 Kb)

How Points Are Determined

Severity Scenarios Demerit Points
Potential Harm Composition Fines First Stage
  1. No demerit points for first five fines in each inspection
  2. 1 point per fine from the 6th fine onwards
Second Stage
  1. No demerit points for first three fines in each inspection
  2. 1 point per fine from the 4th fine onwards

Stop Work Order (Partial) 5

Stop Work Order (Full) 10
Harm Accident that led to serious injuries to any person 8

Dangerous occurrence 8
Severe Harm Accident that led to death of one person 12

Accident that led to death of more than one person 18

Penalty escalation for main contractors

MOM escalates warnings and penalties to main contractors as they commit repeated offences and accumulate demerit points.

First Stage

A warning letter will be issued to the main contractor if the total points accumulated by the company exceed 18 demerit points within a 12-month rolling period.
Second Stage The following will apply to an individual worksite if the total points accumulated by the worksite exceeds 18 demerit points:
  1. 6-month MYE freeze for 1st occurrence;
  2. 12-month MYE freeze for 2nd occurrence (within 12 months of the 1st occurrence); and
  3. 24-month MYE freeze for 3rd or subsequent occurrences (within 12 months of the previous occurrence)
A main contractor will have its records cleared when all its worksites do not accumulate any demerit points for a rolling period of 12 months.
Third Stage

A 24-month MYE freeze will be extended to all worksites under the company if three of its worksites have each accumulated more than 18 demerit points within any 12-month period i.e. the company's MYE has been frozen three times within a year.

Applications from the company for new and renewal of all types of work passes for all foreign employees will also be rejected.

Note: When the Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) allocated to a worksite is frozen, the MYE cannot be used by the company or its subcontractors for the employment of new non-traditional source (NTS) workers and the renewal of existing NTS workers.

Penalty escalation for subcontractors

MOM escalates warnings and penalties to sub contractors as they commit repeated offences and accumulate demerit points.

First Stage

A warning letter will be issued to the sub-contractor if the total points accumulated by the company exceed 18 demerit points within a 12-month rolling period.

Second Stage

MOM will reject applications from the company for new and renewal of all types of work passes for all foreign employees if the total points accumulated by the sub-contractor exceed 18 demerit points:

  1. 6 months for 1st occurrence;
  2. 12 months for 2nd occurrence (within 12 months of the 1st infringement); and
  3. 24 months for 3rd or subsequent occurrences (within 12 months of the previous occurrence).
A sub-contractor will have its records cleared when it dos not accumulate any demerit points for a rolling period of 12 months.

For clarifications, please email mom_oshd@mom.gov.sg

Last updated on 21 July 2010 03:07:14