Demerit system for manufacturing, stricter criteria for public tenders among workplace safety changes

SINGAPORE’S workplace safety demerit point system will be extended to the manufacturing sector, and stricter safety requirements will be added to government tenders, among several moves to improve workplace safety and health (WSH).

The new Safety Accountability, Focus and Empowerment (Safe) measures were announced on Tuesday (May 23) at the launch of the National WSH Campaign 2023.

Some measures from the ongoing heightened safety period (HSP) will be retained, even after this period ends on May 31. For instance, if companies have WSH lapses after serious and fatal incidents, their chief executives must attend a half-day in-person programme – and, in selected cases, personally account for the lapses.

Companies issued with stop work orders after major injury cases must still engage auditors, and the composition fine per WSH lapse remains at a minimum of S$2,000, double the previous figure.

Other HSP measures, such as temporarily debarring companies from hiring foreign employees if they have WSH lapses after serious and fatal incidents, will no longer apply after May 31.

In his opening address at the event, Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad noted that the HSP cannot be extended “indefinitely”, adding: “It relies primarily on tougher enforcement and penalties and is not a sustainable approach.”

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The workplace fatality rate declined during the HSP, but the major injury rate worsened. As the HSP’s impact “has been uneven across industries”, with some seeing more fatalities and major injuries, it is important to target specific sectors and incident types, said Zaqy.

Since the HSP began on Sep 1 last year, 16 chief executives and top management have accounted for the lapses in their companies, he added.

The Safe measures aim to “strengthen WSH ownership on a sustained basis and build a strong safety culture amongst all stakeholders”, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).

Some measures will apply at the sectoral level. From this October, the construction sector’s demerit point system will be extended to the manufacturing industry. Manufacturers that accumulate 25 or more demerit points within an 18-month period will be temporarily debarred from hiring foreign employees.

Noting that the manufacturing sector’s fatal and major injury rate worsened during the HSP and exceeded that for construction, MOM said: “This indicates the need for more sector-specific intervention to improve workplace safety outcomes.”

By end-2023, the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety Taskforce (Mast) – set up for the HSP and to be retained – will expand to include the Ministry of Health, industry leaders and the labour movement.

From June 2024, rules on the safe use of machinery and combustible dust will be enhanced, and construction sites with a project value of S$5 million or more must install video surveillance systems.

Stricter safety requirements are in the works for public procurement tenders, with details to come after further consultation. There will be a harmonised set of WSH criteria for public construction and construction-related projects, as well as a minimum safety weightage for tender evaluation.

Public construction projects above a certain estimated procurement value will have extra requirements, such as a WSH bonus scheme to incentivise good safety performance. 

At the company level, from May 2023, an existing surveillance programme on workplace health will include more requirements on noise-related risks. From March 2024, the existing Top Executive WSH Programme will be made mandatory for the top management of all companies in higher-risk industries, such as construction and manufacturing.

At the event, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Alvin Tan told media that Singapore’s WSH approach requires not just enforcement, but also support. More WSH-related support will be provided to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through Enterprise Singapore’s SME Centres.

“We’re working together with large enterprises as well as MOM and Mast to provide SMEs with as much resources (as larger companies), including the StartSAFE programme where we have safety consultants to walk the ground with them to advise them on how to enhance WSH,” he added.

As for workers in the construction, marine and metalworking sectors, safety training will be improved with a new online micro-learning component from next January, with modules on high-risk work activities such as working at heights and vehicular safety. This will be added to the Safety Orientation Course recertification assessment, which workers must undergo every few years to stay certified to work.

This year’s WSH campaign also focuses on “fostering a culture of trust between employers and workers” to enable workers to report unsafe workplace situations.