Lifting standards across the industry

More companies are prioritising workplace health and safety, from setting minimum certification standards for tender bids to sponsoring subcontractors for safety training

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Subcontractors working with Chip Eng Seng Contractors (CESC) can tap up to $8,000 in funding to attend courses that help them build workplace safety capabilities.

The no-strings-attached initiative is part of the company's push to raise workplace safety and health (WSH) standards across its supply chain and encourage smaller players in the sector to attain higher safety certifications.

"As long as subcontractors have expressed interest to work with us, we will sponsor them to attend the bizSAFE programme up to bizSAFE Level 3," says Mr Ash Lau Jin Cai, senior manager at CESC.

The nationally recognised programme, launched in 2007, helps firms strengthen their WSH standards through five progressive levels - from Level 1 to the highest tier, bizSAFE Star.

To further support its partners, CESC also offers the bizSAFE Upgrading Support Programme and the bizSAFE Partner Maintain Scheme. These initiatives encourage subcontractors to move up the bizSAFE levels or sustain their bizSAFE Star status.

Since CESC launched the scheme in January 2024, the company has backed one subcontractor with funds set aside from its safety budget.

When the initiative was first rolled out, some subcontractors were hesitant, notes Mr Lau. "From bizSAFE Level 3 and higher, they have to put in more resources and paperwork.