Speech at Opening of the Second Singapore Petrochemical Project Dormitories and Safety Training and Security Centre

Mr Gan Kim Yong, Acting Minister for Manpower, 32 Banyan Road, Jurong Island

Mr Kwa Chong Seng
Chairman & Managing Director
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Mr Georges Grosliere
Project Executive
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning

Introduction

I am pleased to join you this morning for the opening ceremony of both the Second Singapore Petrochemical Project Dormitories, and the Safety Training and Security Centre.

2.   The energy and chemicals industry contributed S$82 billion output last year, making it the largest contributor to Singapore's manufacturing output. We continue to see significant new investments which will add diversity to the range of products and players in the industry.

3.   While we attract these new investments and ensure their successful implementation, the Government is also committed to safeguarding the safety and well-being of our workforce. However, the Government cannot do this alone. Employers too, have a significant part to play in achieving this goal.

4.   I am greatly encouraged by ExxonMobil's efforts to create a better environment for foreign workers in Singapore as well as its commitment to the training of workers to develop a safety-first mindset and achieve an accident-free workplace. This must be the way forward if we are to maintain Singapore as an attractive destination for investors and workers including our local workers, as well as foreign workforce.

More land for foreign worker housing

5.   The demand for housing for foreign workers has increased as more workers are needed to support the growth in various industry sectors. More land has already been released to build foreign worker dormitories. Since February 2007, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Jurong Town Corporation (JTC) have released 11 new dormitory sites, providing some 65,000 additional housing spaces. The phased construction of dormitories in these new sites will be completed by 2010. To meet the immediate demand for dormitory facilities, some vacant government buildings will be converted into transitional dormitories, even as permanent dormitories are being built.

Acceptable housing standards for foreign workers

6.   While efforts are on-going to raise the supply of housing for foreign workers, industry players such as dormitory developers, dormitory operators and employers should work on maintaining and enhancing standards of current housing facilities.

7.   ExxonMobil is a good example of how companies can actively contribute towards creating a better housing environment for our foreign workers. In addition to providing safe and comfortable housing that meets environmental health requirements, ExxonMobil dormitories also cater to the recreational, social and medical needs of their foreign workers. Dormitory residents can now enjoy a game of basketball or cricket at the end of the day, while others can choose to play pool, work out at the indoor gym or catch a movie in the TV room. The convenience of having such facilities within the dormitories is not only a boon to workers but also their employers as the commute time is less and peak-hour movement of people in and out of Jurong Island is reduced.

Safety Training

8.   On workplace safety, ExxonMobil has also shown similar commitment in providing safety training for their employees. I am pleased to learn that ExxonMobil has worked closely with the Workplace Safety and Health Council to develop a specialised training curriculum for the 45,000 employees working on the Second Singapore Petrochemical project. Whether they are ExxonMobil's employees or those of their subcontractors, they will all benefit from this customised and comprehensive training programme. This commitment demonstrated by ExxonMobil in managing workers' safety training is something I hope to see in other companies.

9.   The ability of employees on the ground to manage their work safely is the key to better safety and health standards. While MOM can set mandatory training requirement for workers in high risk work areas, we cannot provide continuous safety education and re-education for every worker. This must ultimately be the employers' responsibility. Employers must instill safety awareness and educate all employees on work safety on a sustained basis.

Constant vigilance key to better safety performance

10.   During periods of high workload and tight business deadlines, the need to be vigilant on the workplace safety and health front is even more critical. Those who neglect to maintain this vigilance do it at their own peril. Even the best company can fail in workplace safety if complacency sets in. There is thus no room for slack in safety management and I urge all workers and management to bear this in mind.

11.   One way to ensure constant vigilance is to continuously review the risk assessment and management of your workplaces. To do so, employers must be prepared to take steps to change any work processes to improve safety. These efforts will provide the foundation for a strong and sustainable safety culture that will keep all our employees safe at work.

12.   ExxonMobil's commitment to safety has also been extended to its readiness to take on more responsibilities. ExxonMobil Asia Pacific has recently signed up to be a mentor under the WSH Council programme bizSAFE. bizSAFE aims to help SMEs develop better safety management capabilities. Large companies like ExxonMobil have been engaged to be mentors for relevant SMEs. I applaud ExxonMobil Asia Pacific's pledge to support this important programme and look forward to better WSH performance by the SMEs under your mentorship.

Closing

13.   ExxonMobil's commitment to workers' safety and well-being is most commendable. I hope to see more companies taking a pro-active approach in the management of their workers both local and foreign, in ensuring their safety and well being. In the spirit of an ancient Chinese proverb, “聚沙成塔”or "Many a grain of sand piled up will make a pagoda." Every effort will contribute to the development of a strong safety and health culture. Thank you.