FAQs on Safe Management Measures at the workplace

All businesses allowed to operate are required to have implemented Safe Management Measures.

MOM will take calibrated enforcement actions based on the areas of non-compliance found.

Failure to comply with Safe Management Measures is punishable with a fine up to $10,000 or imprisonment up to 6 months, or both. Repeated non-compliance is punishable with a fine up to $20,000 or imprisonment up to 12 months, or both.

Enforcement action may be taken by any inspector who is appointed under section 7 of the Workplace Safety and Health Act. You may request for the inspector to show the certificate of appointment.

You can refer to Annex B – Checklist of Safe Management Measures at the workplace for resumption of business activities for an overview of the requirements that must be fulfilled prior to resuming business activities at your workplace.

Unionised companies are also encouraged to engage their unions on such arrangements.

Annex B – Checklist of Safe Management Measures at the workplace for resumption of business activities sets out the requirements needed for employers to resume operations.

Employers are not required to fill out the checklist, but must ensure that the documents listed in the checklist (or equivalent) are available upon request by officials.

When inspected by any government agency, businesses must be prepared to show that they have fulfilled the requirements.

All employers must implement Safe Management Measures at their workplaces for all employees and contractors.

Companies that have employees deployed to other sites should also ensure that their employees comply with the Safe Management Measures put in place at these sites. In fact, some of the Safe Management Measures can be implemented by employers regardless of where employees are deployed to, such as health monitoring.

If you notice any breach of Safe Management Measures or poor practices at the workplace, you can report it to MOM.

MOM will treat each report seriously and will keep your identity strictly confidential.

As we transit towards living with COVID-19, wearing of masks when indoors is optional in most workplaces, except in healthcare facilities, residential care homes and public transport settings. Any individual who feels unwell or would like to still wear their masks, should be encouraged to do so as part of exercising personal responsibility and protecting own health.

For workplaces such as public transport setting where indoor mask wearing is still required, individuals should put on a mask at all times when indoors, except when:

• Not interacting in person with another individual present in that area.
• Not in customer-facing areas where interaction is likely to happen.
• Eating, drinking or consuming medication.
• Engaging in strenuous physical exercise.
• Wearing equipment that must be worn during the course of work (e.g. motorcycle helmets).

However, if the individual has severe medical conditions, he may wear a face shield in lieu of a mask.

Mask wearing in outdoor settings, e.g. worksites that are not sheltered is optional.

Yes, IMDA provides a list of digital solutions and resources that aims to make business continuity essential more accessible to businesses.

Eligible businesses can also apply for the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) to support business transformation and put in place flexible work arrangements to minimise spread of COVID-19 (e.g. work from home, staggered hours).

As we transit towards living with COVID-19, wearing of masks when indoors is optional in most workplaces, except in healthcare facilities, residential care homes and public transport settings. Any individual who feels unwell or would like to still wear their masks, should be encouraged to do so as part of exercising personal responsibility and protecting own health.

For workplaces such as public transport setting where indoor mask wearing is still required, every individual should put on a mask at all times when indoors, except when:

• Not interacting in person with another individual present in that area.
• Not in customer-facing areas where interaction is likely to happen.
• Eating, drinking or consuming medication.
• Engaging in strenuous physical exercise.
• Wearing equipment that must be worn during the course of work (e.g. motorcycle helmets).

However, if the individual has severe medical conditions, he may wear a face shield in lieu of a mask.

Mask-wearing in outdoor setting, e.g. worksites that are not sheltered is optional.

Settings with physical interactions may include meetings where participants are engaged in conversations.

Yes. In healthcare facilities, residential care homes and public transport settings, employees have to wear a mask in customer-facing areas as these are areas where interaction is likely to happen. Beyond the operating hours when customers are not expected to enter the area, mask wearing can be made optional.

Some examples of customer-facing areas include reception areas, registration areas, passenger service counters, etc.

Yes. Employers can impose mask-wearing rules above and beyond existing requirements with consideration to workplace safety and health and operational needs.

Conversely, employees may also choose to continue wearing masks if they prefer or feel uncomfortable being unmasked while working indoors.

If mask-wearing is required in your workplace (i.e. healthcare facilities, residential care homes and public transport settings), a mask that closely and completely covers the nose and mouth (i.e. without leaving a gap between the mask and the face) should be worn in indoor settings while at the workplace, except when employees are:

• Not interacting in person with another individual present in that area.
• Not in customer-facing areas where interaction is likely to happen.
• Eating, drinking or consuming medication.
• Engaging in strenuous physical exercise.
• Wearing equipment that must be worn during the course of work (e.g. motorcycle helmets).

The following specific groups of persons can use a face shield, in place of masks:

• Children 12 years and below, who may have difficulty wearing and keeping face masks on for a prolonged period of time.
• Persons who have health conditions that may result in breathing or other medical difficulties when a mask is worn for a prolonged period of time.
• Persons who are speaking to a group in a classroom or lecture-style setting, where they largely remain at the spot from which they are speaking, and are able to maintain a safe distance away from any other persons.

A face shield must be worn properly so that it covers the entire face, from the forehead to below the chin, wrapping around the sides of the face.

Plastic spit guards predominantly cover the mouth and are not considered as masks. Face coverings such as neck gaiters, bandannas, scarves or handkerchiefs are not considered as masks.

If the risk of encountering an infectious person is high (e.g. personnel has sustained contact with many other individuals throughout the course of their work), then surgical masks and other relevant PPEs should be used instead.

Yes.

As the recommended frequency and intensity may differ by sector, businesses should refer to the sanitation and hygiene advisories disseminated by NEA.

The monitoring plan should at minimum, include details on the steps taken to ensure the requirements are communicated and adhered to, and how any anomalies or non-compliance will be identified. The plan should also highlight risk mitigation strategies and proposed steps to remedy and document any non-compliance found.

You can refer to Annex B – Checklist of Safe Management Measures at the workplace for resumption of business activities for guidance on what should be included in the monitoring plan.

Companies should appoint someone capable of carrying out the duties stated in MOM’s requirements for workplace Safe Management Measures within the organisation as the designated Safe Management Officers (SMOs). For unionised companies, union leaders or Workplace Safety and Health officers could be appointed as SMOs.

Companies should ensure that SMOs are provided with sufficient resources and guidance to carry out their duties effectively.

SMOs can be part-time appointments.

Employers are responsible for ensuring that Safe Management Measures are in place, communicated and explained to employees prior to resuming work.

You are encouraged to have a transparent and open discussion with employees on the work arrangements, taking into consideration factors such as:

• Business needs and nature of work, i.e. task requires employees to be physically in office.
• Readiness of workforce, e.g. infrastructure, IT support, onboarding of new hires, etc.
• Implications on remuneration package, e.g. savings from office space rental, transport allowances, etc.
• Sensitivity towards certain groups of employees, i.e. older and more vulnerable employees, employees identified by MOH as not suitable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, employees with caregiving needs.

Having a clear set of guidelines or workplace policies on the work arrangements would help prevent misunderstandings or disputes.

You may wish to refer to TAFEP's telecommuting guide for more details on implementing a sustainable telecommuting arrangement or work-life programmes that can be implemented at the workplace.

No. Common spaces include entrances, lifts lobbies, meeting rooms, pantries as well as shared machinery and equipment should be cleaned in accordance with NEA’s advisory. You are not required to enlist a cleaning contractor.

You should make an assessment based on your workplace setting. For instance, those whom the infected worker had meals with, or those who were at a long meeting with them, may be at risk of infection. You may wish to conduct ART to ensure that they are safe and reduce transmission risk.

It is important that employers and employees remain socially responsible to lower the risk of transmission at the workplace so as to prevent potential disruption to their operations if more workers are infected.

Safe distancing will no longer be required between individuals or between groups.

VDS has been lifted in most settings except:

• Events with more than 500 participants at any one time.
• Nightlife establishments where dancing among patrons is one of the intended activities.
• Food and beverage (F&B) establishments, including restaurants, coffee shops and hawker centres.

Employees in these settings are generally exempted from VDS requirements if they are present at these premises to work.

Companies should refer to the guidance note from BCA, NEA and MOH on the guidance note on improving ventilation and Indoor Air Quality in buildings. This note provides building owners and facilities managers with updated recommended measures to enhance ventilation and air quality in indoor spaces, through proper operations and maintenance of air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems.