Adjournment motion on keeping workers and workplaces safe

Anyone who witnesses safety lapses or poor safety practices should not be afraid to report them, as the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes every report seriously, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad. He said out of 2,300 reports received in the past 12 months, around 62 per cent of the follow-up inspections resulted in enforcement taken. He gave the assurance that there are safeguards to protect those who share information on safety lapses. Mr Zaqy said since the higher workplace fatality trend surfaced in April this year, MOM has ramped up inspections, imposed stiffer penalties and conducted safety timeouts. Mr Zaqy made these points in Parliament on Monday (Aug 1), in response to MP Melvin Yong. In his adjournment motion, Mr Yong urged the Government to establish safe and easy-to-use reporting channels, work with the unions to enhance safety inspections, step up safety gearing of workers, mandate higher management's commitment to safety and leverage technology to enhance workplace safety. He said the COVID-19 pandemic seems to have undone the hard work and strides Singapore has made, as companies rush to clear the backlog of work. Mr Yong stressed that safety is a collective mindset. Beyond ensuring that workers are well-trained, supervisors and management must have the right Workplace Safety and Health mindset, he said.