SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry is aiming to have 10,000 Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) coordinators, officers and auditors trained over the next five years to raise standards within the industry.

Acting Manpower Minister Gan Kim Yong announced this at the inaugural bizSAFE conference for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on Thursday.

He said his ministry will be working with the WSH Council over the next few months to attract professionals, managers, executives, technicians and school leavers to the sector.

The overall workplace fatality rate here has continued to drop. Compared to 4.9 workers per 100,000 in 2004, it fell to 2.8 per 100,000 last year.

Even then, it was still higher than the WSH Council's goal of achieving a world-class rate of less than 1.8 per 100,000 by 2018.

To make this possible, more professionals are needed. The Manpower Ministry projected that it needs to grow the local pool of WSH professionals to 19,000 by 2018, from the current 4,000.

Mr Gan said: "Funding support to help companies send their employees for training under the Workforce Skills Qualification framework will be enhanced. Employers will be able to tap on higher course fee support and absentee payroll under SPUR to send their staff for WSH training. This will help them manage their manpower costs during this downturn."

Examples of WSH programmes that are supported under SPUR include the Graduate Certificate, Specialist Diploma, Advanced Certificate and Certificate in WSH. The courses are aimed at both existing WSH professionals and newcomers to the sector.

Over the next two to three years, authorities want to see 10,000 SMEs join bizSAFE - a capability building programme to help employers build safer workplaces.

And there are more initiatives to make bizSAFE more attractive. These include streamlining the bizSAFE application process and arranging for bizSAFE enterprises to enjoy additional benefits like having access to specialised safety and health services.

The WSH Council had linked up with the American International Group (AIG) to reduce the insurance premium for work injury compensation for companies that had successfully implemented risk and WSH management systems.

There are currently some 2,000 companies on bizSAFE since the programme started in April 2007.

Separately, Mr Gan was asked for his view on DBS' forecast of 99,000 retrenchments by the middle of next year released on Wednesday.

Mr Gan said: "What's important for us is rather than focusing on the numbers, let us focus on what we can do to minimise the number."

He urged all parties to do their part and make the most of the various schemes in place - such as SPUR, Jobs Credit and the Professional Skills Programme - to minimise layoffs and unemployment.

- CNA/yt