'It is incumbent the employer and site occupier make the risk assessment'
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is leaving it up to employers on how they plan to respond to adverse weather conditions as it admitted that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be practical.
Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Minister of State for Manpower, said it would be very difficult for the ministry to issue stop-work orders based on adverse weather events amid different weather conditions and their varying effects on workplaces.
"So, therefore, it is incumbent the employer and the site occupier to be able to make the risk assessment," Mohamad said. "This is where we put the burden on the employers and the work site occupiers to ensure that the workplace safety guidelines are all adhered to."
According to the senior minister, MOM and other agencies are engaging with both employers and workers to make risk assessments and outline the best practices.
"Certainly, from time to time, even before incidents occur, we try to provide templates for risk assessments and how they can manage these advisories," he said.
There are also resources available for employers and workers through various channels, including materials such as the Heat Stress Management Compliance Checklist, the advisory for preparing for adverse weather events, as well as the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature monitoring for outdoor work.
It was also previously reported that the ministry and the Workplace Safety and Health Council are developing a new guideline to help employers in cases of extreme weather conditions.
"But ultimately, I think even within Singapore, from time to time, in different locations, you will have variations in weather conditions as well, and therefore it's hard to see a one-size-fits-all rule," Mohamad said.
