18 leading firms appointed as workplace safety, health advocates

They are part of new initiative to reward contractors with good safety practices

- Tay Hong Yi

A new initiative aims to reward contractors and sub-contractors that dedicate effort and funds to improving workplace safety and health (WSH) practices.

This involves the WSH Council appointing 18 leading firms across the construction, manufacturing and transport industries as WSH Advocates.

These advocates will try to ensure that contractors and sub-contractors, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), are fairly recognised and rewarded for their work in improving workplace safety.

The 18 firms all of which are major private companies with an outsized reach to many contractors that supply products and services - include semiconductor giant Micron Technology, SMRT and City Developments Limited.

Manpower Minister Tan See Leng unveiled the appointments in a pre-recorded address to open the eighth edition of the Singapore WSH Conference on Sept 11 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, which saw around 1,600 attendees.

Good WSH must mean better business opportunities, Dr Tan said, adding that the public sector is leading the way by giving companies that place greater emphasis on safety a better chance of clinching government contracts they tender for.