Speech at REDAS-WSH Council Safety Leadership Forum
Minister of State, Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Orchard Hotel Singapore
Mr Tan Swee Yiow, President of Real Estate Developers’ Association of Singapore (REDAS), Mr Chia Ngiang Hong,
speakers and panellists,
industry leaders and partners,
ladies and gentlemen.
- I am pleased to join you at today’s leadership forum. Let me start by sharing an encouraging development in our construction sector's workplace safety journey. Thanks to our collective efforts, fatal and major injuries in construction fell from 81 injuries in the first half of 2024 to 76 over the same period this year. This translates to a drop in annualised rate from 30.6 to 28.2 injuries per 100,000 workers. This was the lowest for the construction industry in the past 10 years, excluding 2020 when Covid disrupted work.
- However, we cannot afford to be complacent. Our construction sector is entering a period of significant expansion, with contracts projected to reach an average of between $39 billion and $46 billion per year from 2026 to 2029. Major national projects, including Changi Airport Terminal 5 and the Marina Bay Sands expansion. This will drive growth and opportunities for the sector. We must ensure that all developers, contractors and workers – both existing and new – continue to uphold high safety standards.
- It is important for us to realise that safety is not just something we talk about but something that adds to productivity, workers’ wellbeing and profit. While there will be many ways to uphold safety standards, let me sketch out a few ways to do so!
- First, is to Plan for safety through upstream building design.
- Second, is to Reward it, through preferring to contract with safer firms.
- Third, is to Lead it, through corporate leaders' role-modelling.
- Fourth, it is to Create a culture enhanced by technology.
- Firstly, developers have huge influence in planning for safety through design. A thoughtfully engineered design that minimises the need for workers to work at height, ensures safe maintenance access, and creates built-in safety systems can prevent accidents, while still achieving aesthetic excellence. When safety and visual appeal are considered complementary rather than competing priorities, the result can be both beautiful and safe, not just during construction, but for the entire lifespan of the building.
- Hence, I applaud REDAS for the timely update of their Design for Safety (or DfS) and WSH Good Practice Guide, as well as their new DfS Good Practice Library. Since its introduction in 2019, the Guide has become an invaluable reference for developers and industry professionals and has deepened the integration of DfS into the design and construction workflow.
- The enhanced version now includes expanded DfS examples and innovative solutions and incorporates updates to address the latest WSH codes and construction processes such as Prefabricated Prefinished Volumetric Construction, and Design for Manufacturing and Assembly.
- Secondly, to reward safety, I am delighted to welcome our next batch of 19 WSH Advocates, which almost doubles the pool of WSH Advocates to 37. The WSH Advocate Programme brings together major service buyers who use their influence across extensive supply chains to favour giving business to, and to reward, safer contractors. By making safety performance a key criterion in awarding business contracts, they send a strong signal that "good WSH is good for business," and that safety is a shared responsibility. Our 37 WSH Advocates represent a workforce of more than 340,000 across their supply chains, strengthening the collective movement of companies committed to raising WSH standards across their industries and value chains.
- Our second batch of WSH Advocates includes several private developers. Among them is Wing Tai, who sees safety as a mindset and strategic priority. Safety is integrated into every stage of their projects—from procurement to completion. They ensure that their contractors are bizSAFE certified. To recognise and promote strong safety practices, contractors with good safety records will be prioritised for invitation to future project tenders, where safety performance will be a key evaluation criteria. In addition, they work closely with their main contractors to conduct monthly toolbox meetings and regular training sessions tailored to current site activities, and recognise safe practices to motivate their contractors and workers. For example, in 2024 they organised a safety campaign and appreciation day, where 14 workers and supervisors were recognised for their outstanding dedication and exceptional focus on safety.
Launch of Proactive Prevention and Partnerships (3P) Walkabout Initiative
- Third, is leadership – the need for leaders to be upfront is non-negotiable because leaders set the pace and the direction and workers will look at you and know what they are being supported throughout the entire journey. I must acknowledge the WSH Council in launching the Proactive Prevention and Partnerships (3P) WSH Walkabout. Given that construction industry injuries typically peak in October, the annual "3P WSH Walkabout" will take place from 22 September to 21 October. I hope that you will join me in leading from the front and ensuring that our workers are taken care of.
- This initiative strengthens workplace safety through two key approaches: proactive prevention and vigilance, and strengthening partnerships among Trade Associations and Chambers, unions, and industry stakeholders. Companies are encouraged to:
- Conduct a site walkabout at your project sites to identify hazards and reinforce safe practices. I must add that MOM is not here with a cane or stick all the time but we also want to encourage positive examples to create a positive safety example.
- Have your top management lead by example to show WSH commitment and engage with workers on its purpose and involve them.
- Work with your partners and industry peers to share best practices and resources, including sharing your experience through the WSH Council’s website.
I hope you will embrace this effort and lead it from the front as you always have for your businesses.
- Perhaps most importantly, we hope to stage a positive safety culture. Ultimately, it is about creating a strong workplace safety culture and we can do this by embracing technology.
- For example, drones can now inspect hard-to-reach areas and confined spaces that would otherwise put workers at risk. Smart wearables can track workers' locations and health indicators, allowing rapid emergency response when needed. AI-enabled cameras can detect unsafe behaviours, alerting safety supervisors when someone steps into a restricted zone or when safety protocols are breached. To increase the adoption of such technology, MOM will work with industry associations to identify proven and cost-effective solutions. Together, we will engage vendors through group buys to lower the cost of adoption by companies.
- To scale up video analytics in construction projects, MOM has initiated SafeSite VA, a multi-agency initiative to pilot the deployment of video analytics for worksite safety monitoring across selected public construction projects. The project will lead to the development of resources to scale up the adoption of video analytics by both developers and contractors. A few video analytics vendors are pre-approved under the Productivity Solutions Grant and SMEs engaging them are eligible for up to 50% funding. MOM is also collaborating with A*STAR to develop AISpot, a generative AI tool that can complement traditional video analytics to identify a broader range of safety hazards.
- Enhancing safety is therefore important to both businesses and the government, as our works’ health and safety must be our key priority.
- I am sure that all of you will do the necessary and to work closely with the government as we aspire to build a positive safety culture and environment in our workplaces. Thank you!