Heat safety framework for outdoor workers revised

MOM makes clearer distinction between compulsory and recommended measures

- Shabana Begum

To make it easier for companies to protect employees working outdoors against intense heat, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has reworked current heat stress measures based on an existing advisory for the public.

The ministry is making a distinction between compulsory heat safety rules such as having acclimatisation programmes and ensuring workers have roofed spaces to rest in - and recommended measures, such as rescheduling outdoor physical work to cooler parts of the day.

On Sept 6, MOM said it will conduct inspections at workplaces to ensure that the required measures under its reworked framework are implemented.

Worksites that breach these rules may be fined or given notices of non-compliance and stop-work orders.

This announcement follows inspections conducted from March to June the hottest months of the year which revealed that about one in three workplaces breached heat safety rules. Heat stress measures for outdoor workers were put in place in October 2023.

The reworked measures also give employers flexibility to adjust and implement measures based on their specific work settings, MOM said.