Oral Answer to PQ on Enforcement Actions for Vehicular Safety Timeout

NOTICE PAPER NO. 481 OF 2026 FOR THE SITTING ON OR AFTER 11 FEBRUARY 2026
QUESTION NO. 1379 FOR ORAL ANSWER

MP: Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye

To ask the Minister for Manpower pertaining to the voluntary safety time-out focused on vehicular safety from 13 to 27 January 2026, what specific enforcement or inspection actions, if any, has the Ministry taken to ensure that companies not only pause operations but also implement concrete improvements to vehicular safety practices.

Answer:

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had called for a voluntary Safety Time-Out from 13 to 27 January 2026, focusing on vehicular safety because of four vehicle-related workplace fatalities in December. The objective of the Time-Out was to remind companies to take time off from their regular work routine to review and ensure that appropriate safety procedures were in place, and for workers to refresh their knowledge of safety procedures and to stay vigilant. In line with the voluntary nature of the Safety Time-Out, there were no inspections or enforcement actions. MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council encouraged companies to participate in the Safety Time-Out, and issued WSH advisories to guide companies on the key learning points from the recent incidents and relevant safety practices to be reinforced with their workers.

2 In addition to initiating the recent Safety Time-Out, MOM conducts regular inspections in high-risk sectors where vehicular hazards are present. This ensures that companies comply with measures such as having proper traffic management at the workplace and ensuring that drivers or operators have the necessary competencies. Around 500 inspections were conducted in January. Three stop-work orders and five fines were issued to companies and individuals for vehicle-related breaches.