MOM ‘considering’ extending Heightened Safety Period beyond February

THE six-month heightened safety period (HSP) for workplaces may be extended beyond February, as the Ministry of Manpower reviews “the next steps” beyond its planned end-date, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said in a written answer to a Parliamentary question on Monday (Feb 6).

“Extension of HSP is being considered as well as further measures to strengthen and entrench WSH (workplace safety and health) incentives and culture,” said Dr Tan, replying to Member of Parliament Melvin Yong.

The HSP applies from Sep 1, 2022 to Feb 28, 2023. During this time, companies found to have serious WSH lapses – after serious or fatal workplace incidents – may be barred from hiring new foreign employees for up to three months. Since the period began, 15 companies have thus barred.

More than 760 composition fines and 48 stop work orders have also been issued to errant companies during the period.

“Overall, the HSP measures have helped to abate the spate of workplace fatalities,” said Dr Tan. During the HSP, the annualised fatality rate fell to 0.8 per 100,000 workers for September to December 2022, down from the pre-HSP rate of 1.5 for January to August that year.

“This suggests that with sufficient resolve, the industry can keep the fatality rate below 1.0 per 100,000 workers, which is our WSH 2028 aspiration,” he added, noting that only four OECD countries have achieved this.

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The major injury rate per 100,000 workers improved in 2022 to 17.3, down from 18.5 in 2021. However, the annualised rate worsened during the HSP. Said Dr Tan: “More needs to be done to bring us back on track to our WSH 2028 target of less than 12.0 per 100,000 workers.”