Written Answer by Minister of Manpower Dr Tan See Leng on the Number of Companies in High-risk Industries Inspected for Workplace Safety

NOTICE PAPER NO. 425 FOR THE SITTING ON 5 JULY 2021
QUESTION NO. 1143 FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

MP: Mr Leon Perera

To ask the Minister for Manpower,
(a) what new measures are put in place to minimise workplace accidents and ensure that employers do not compromise on workers’ safety and that workers performing high-risk tasks are trained to do so;
(b) over the past twelve months, what is the number and percentage of companies in high-risk industries that have been inspected by the Ministry; and
(c) whether the Ministry is planning to expand the number of safety inspections conducted on such companies.

Answer

1. Singapore has made significant progress in our workplace safety and health (WSH) fatality record over the last decade, from a rate of 2.9 per 100,000 workers in 2009 to a rate of 0.9 in 2020. This is the result of concerted efforts by all stakeholders - business leaders and employers, workers, and government. Over the years, tripartite partners have worked together to raise awareness and ownership of WSH, build capabilities and strengthen WSH regulations. Recent efforts have been guided by the WSH2028 strategies, with the aim of reducing Singapore’s workplace fatality rate to, and sustaining it at, less than 1.0 per 100,000 worker.
2. One key strategy is to ensure WSH is aligned with business interests. We have done so on two fronts. First, we amended the Work Injury Compensation Act to require insurance claims data to be shared amongst insurers. This facilitates more accurate insurance premium pricing. In turn, companies with good safety records are rewarded with lower premiums while those with poorer safety records pay more. The legislative amendment came into effect last September.
3. Second, in January this year, MOM launched the CheckSafe e-service, an online tool that provides information on the WSH performance of construction companies. This enables developers, contractors and clients to make informed decisions on contract awarding and partnerships, taking into consideration companies’ safety track record.
4. On 29th April, the Workplace Safety and Health Council launched the National WSH Campaign, a year-long initiative calling upon employers and employees to “Take Time to Take Care of Your Safety and Health” at every level, from management to individual workers. This year’s campaign targets key accident types, such as slips trips and falls and machinery safety, by drawing attention to the importance of safe operating of machinery and making slips trips and fall risks more apparent to workers.
5. More recently, following the spate of accidents between May and June that resulted in nine fatalities, the WSH Council called for a Safety Time-Out (STO), which received strong support from the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as well as industry associations and commenced on 25 June. I strongly urge all employers to review and update their risk management and work processes, and ensure compliance with safe work procedures.
6. Other ongoing efforts remain essential. For example, WSH training ensures workers have the skills and know-how to carry out work safely. All workers in high risk industries or performing specific high-risk activities are required to undergo the requisite safety training. Re-certification is a pre-requisite for work pass renewal so that workers remain current.
7. MOM’s safety inspections complement such efforts and continue to be an important part of safeguarding Singapore’s WSH. While fewer inspections were conducted last year due to worksite closures during the Circuit Breaker period, MOM averaged more than 15,000 inspections annually over the past three years, across all industries. Around 5,000 or 33% of companies inspected were from the construction, manufacturing and marine industries, which are higher risk.
8. Mr Speaker, the first half of the year has seen quite a number of workplace accidents, which is of grave concern. However, if all stakeholders take ownership of WSH and do our part, I am confident that the situation will turn for the better.