Written Answer by Dr Tan See Leng to PQ on targeted measures taken to resolve cause of falling from heights fatalities at workplace and factors determining effectiveness

NOTICE PAPER NO. 1251 - Written PQ 1978 from Mr Yip Hon Weng for the sitting on 1 Aug 2022
QUESTION NO. 1978 for Written Answer
MP: Mr Yip Hon Weng

To ask the Minister for Manpower in view of falling from heights cited as the top cause of workplace deaths this year (a) what targeted measures are taken to resolve this problem; (b) whether there will be enhanced penalties for employers if they have worker fatalities in this area; and (c) besides death rates, what other measurables are taken into account in determining the effectiveness of preventive methods for workplace fatalities.

Answer

Falling from height is a known workplace safety risk with well-established mitigation measures. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM)'s preliminary investigation into the recent workplace fatalities indicate that most of these accidents were due to preventable safety lapses. To address the recent spate of fall-from-height fatalities, as well as the other workplace fatalities, MOM has adopted a combination of enforcement and education efforts and has worked closely with partners.

MOM launched proactive targeted inspections in the higher-risk Construction, Manufacturing and Marine sectors, from April to June 2022. More than 1,000 inspections were conducted, where a total of eight Stop Work Orders (SWO), and more than 400 composition fines and more than 2,200 notice of non-compliances were issued. Companies issued with SWO can only resume work after they have rectified their Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) lapses and the SWO is lifted.

MOM, together with the WSH Council, National Trade Union Congress and industry partners had also called for an industry Safety Time Out (STO) in May 2022, with a focus on working safely at heights. A STO forum was held on 19 May 2022 to engage and educate the industry on the findings from recent fatal cases, including the safe use of ladders and good practices when working on fragile surfaces. STO helps to ensure that companies take time to review their WSH management systems and learn from past accidents.

Penalties for a WSH Act breach are calibrated according to an offender's level of culpability, the harm caused by the offence and other relevant factors such as whether the offender has a poor safety record. The penalties are not determined by the type of workplace fatality. MOM has recently introduced stiffer penalties to target errant companies and will continue to hold companies as well as company leaders, supervisors and workers responsible for workplace accidents. To strengthen WSH ownership and accountability of company leaders, MOM is developing an Approved Code of Practices for Company Directors' WSH duties, to provide clarity and practical guidance on how to fulfil their legal obligations.

MOM takes a holistic approach to assess Singapore’s WSH performance and the effectiveness of measures to reduce workplace accidents. Aside from workplace fatalities and fatal injury rates, data on major and minor injuries as well as dangerous occurrences are used to assess the WSH trends and emerging areas of concern that warrant further intervention. MOM, together with the WSH Council, will continue to work closely with industry associations, employers and workers to strengthen workplace safety and health.