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Guest-of-Honour Address at SCAL EHS Campaign 2026

Minister for Manpower, Dr Tan See Leng, SCAL Construction Hub

Mr Lee Kay Chai,

President of The Singapore Contractors Association Limited,

 

Industry partners,

 

Award recipients,

 

Distinguished guests,

 

Ladies and gentlemen,

 

  1. A very good morning. I am delighted to join you today at SCAL’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Campaign 2026.

     

  2. Let me begin by thanking SCAL for being a longstanding and valued partner of MOM. Over the years, SCAL has worked closely with MOM and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council to advance workplace safety and health standards across the construction sector.

     

  3. Beyond WSH, you have also stepped forward to help workers in the construction sector. Last week, when MOM reached out to SCAL to facilitate job matching for workers affected by alleged salary non-payment, you readily stepped in to connect these workers to new employment opportunities. Thank you for stepping up to support workers in the industry.

     

  4. I am also pleased to be visiting the new SCAL Construction Hub. Your focus on innovation, training and collaboration reflects the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement.

     

    Progress in Singapore’s WSH Journey

     

  5. Today’s theme, “Raising Safety Standards”, is an important one.

     

  6. Singapore has made significant progress in workplace safety and health over the years. These improvements are testament to the strong partnerships between MOM, WSH Council, industry partners and wider WSH community.

     

  7. In 2025, Singapore achieved a workplace fatal injury rate of 0.96 per 100,000 workers. This was the lowest rate recorded outside of the COVID period.

     

  8. The construction sector has also made encouraging progress. Fatal and major injuries declined from 166 cases in 2024 to 148 cases in 2025, translating to a reduction in injury rate from 31 to 26 per 100,000 workers – the lowest for the construction sector on record.

     

    The Next Frontier: Raising Safety Standards

     

  9. But past achievements alone cannot guarantee future outcomes.

     

  10. We have seen a recent spate of fatal accidents that is deeply concerning.

     

  11. In May, a supervisor lost his life when a newly constructed canopy gave way after a pallet of bricks was placed on it. This was an accident that could have been prevented.

     

  12. Across the sector, the stakes are only set to rise. As Singapore embarks on major projects such as Changi Airport Terminal 5, the Marina Bay Sands expansion, the development of new BTO flats, the Long Island project, Woodlands Gateway and the Greater Southern Waterfront, construction activity will continue to grow.

     

  13. We will need the whole construction industry to come together to ensure that while there are good years, they don’t translate to bad years for accidents.Our growth must never come at the expense of workers' safety.

     

  14. This is why MOM with the support of MAST called for a nationwide Safety Time Out last week to call for increased vigilance. The reduction in Construction’s fatalities and major injuries is encouraging but more can be done.

     

  15. To achieve our next frontier of WSH excellence in Construction, we should focus on four pillars – RISE:

     

    1. Reducing risks upstream.
    2. Innovation and technology.
    3. Shared responsibility.
    4. Evolving WSH frameworks.

     

  16. I will venture to add a fifth pillar, “N”, making it RISEN. The “N” reflects a mindset where we treat our workers, both foreign and local, as how we would treat our Next-of-Kin who are closest to us. By doing this, I think we would have conquered half the battle in making sure they are safe.

     

  17. Now, let me elaborate on the pillars

     

    Pillar 1 – “R”:  Reducing Risks Upstream

     

  18. First, reduce risks upstream. Many safety outcomes are determined much earlier before a worker arrives on site – it happens during planning, design and procurement.

     

  19. This is why Design for Safety, or DfS, is so important. A well-designed project can eliminate hazards before construction even begins.

     

  20. To support this, the WSH Council has established a workgroup to strengthen DfS implementation and encourage more developers, consultants and contractors to integrate safety considerations early in their projects.

     

    Pillar 2 – “I”:  Innovation and Technology

     

  21. Second, embrace innovation and technology, as they give us new capabilities to prevent accidents before they happen.

     

  22. Advances in operational technology and AI should be leveraged to make this possible. From robotics and prefabrication that reduce workers' exposure to higher-risk tasks, to AI and video analytics that can identify unsafe conditions in real time, companies today have better tools to anticipate and manage risks.

     

  23. As these technologies become more accessible, we should not see them as optional add-ons, but as part of how we design, plan and deliver safer worksites from the outset.

     

    Pillar 3 – “S”:  Shared Responsibility

     

  24. Third, strengthen shared responsibility. Strong governance and leadership commitment remain critical to achieving good WSH outcomes.

     

  25. Safety is everyone's responsibility. It starts with leaders making safety a business priority, but it depends on everyone – from supervisors to workers – speaking up, intervening early, and looking out for one another.

     

    Pillar 4 – “E”: Evolving WSH Frameworks

     

  26. The final pillar is “Evolving WSH frameworks”. As the operating environment changes and new risks emerge, MOM will continue working closely with Government agencies, the WSH Council and our industry partners to keep our safety regime relevant and effective.

     

  27. One area we are reviewing is scaffold fire safety.

     

  28. Taking into account industry feedback and international developments, MOM has been studying measures to reduce fire risks associated with scaffolds. This includes reviewing the use of timber scaffolds and introducing fire performance requirements for scaffold nettings.

     

  29. With effect from 1 January 2027, the maximum period that timber scaffolds may remain in use will be reduced from the current 9 months to 3 months. This reduces the presence of combustible timber materials and lowers fire risks on site.

     

  30. Together with SCDF, MOM is also studying new requirements for scaffold nettings installed outside buildings to be fire retardant. This will limit the spread of flame in the event of a fire. We will share more details in time to come.

     

    Recognising Safety Excellence

     

  31. Hence my last point on treating every worker, supervisor and manager on site as we would treat our next-of-kin. If we adopt this mindset , we will arrive at safety excellence.

     

  32. Ultimately, raising safety standards requires more than design, technology, or regulations. It requires a shared commitment to make safety a priority.

     

  33. The award recipients we are recognising today exemplify this mindset. They demonstrate that strong safety performance is achievable through leadership, innovation and sustained effort.

     

    Conclusion

     

  34. As we look ahead, the challenge before us is not simply to maintain our progress, but to continue raising the bar for workplace safety and health.

     

  35. Our vigilance must never ever waver. Each incident represents a worker who did not return safely, and a family that has lost a loved one.

     

  36. This is why we must continue to strengthen our culture of prevention.

     

  37. Together, we can build a construction sector that is productive, innovative, agile but above all, safe.

     

  38. Thank you.