MOM implements increases in maximum fines and mandatory video surveillance to improve workplace safety and health

S$50,000

Offences which are a major cause of serious harm, i.e. death, serious bodily injury, or dangerous occurrence (“DO”). These include failure to:

• ensure primary and direct measures, systems, and plans to ensure workers’ safety and health are in place (e.g. protective structures to prevent falls, and a safety and health management system (“SHMS”))
• conduct risk assessment (“RA”)
• appoint competent personnel to perform critical duties and for these personnel to perform their duties (e.g. professional engineer, scaffold supervisor, crane operator)
• ensure employees are adequately trained
  (e.g. any person carrying out manual work in the worksite)
• provide suitable personal protective equipment (“PPE”) (e.g. safety harness) or facilities or personnel to ensure safety and prevent an incident from escalating and resulting in serious harm (e.g. fire-fighting facilities)
• inspect, maintain or repair equipment (e.g. crane, scaffold), where such inspections or maintenance are critical to detect or prevent failures or defects that can cause serious harm
• provide warning notice of hazards which has the potential to cause or result in serious harm (e.g. warning notices on unsafe scaffolds and labels on electrical power circuit)

S$20,000

Offences which are not a major cause, but contribute to serious harm. These include failure to:

• ensure supporting measures are in place (e.g. review of SHMS, making available documents such as SHMS that need to be referenced when performing work, ensuring workers are fit for employment, conducting noise monitoring, conducting asbestos-removal plan)
• keep record of hazardous equipment, machinery, or process (e.g. lifting gears, inspections of the formwork structure)
• appoint WSH personnel or WSH committee
  (e.g. WSH officer, vessel safety coordination committee, site coordination meetings, design for safety, review meetings)
• provide emergency response (e.g. provision of first aiders and first aid boxes)

S$10,000 and below

Less serious offences that are procedural or administrative in nature. These include failure to:

• ensure completion of training programmes
• notify authorities after an accident or DO
• fulfil duties for WSH personnel, WSH committee, or person at work
• appointment of WSH committee secretary
• keep records of completed WSH tasks (e.g. RA)
• report defects by persons at work, and obstruction of duties (e.g. not allowing designated workplace doctor or WSH auditor to inspect workplace)
• failure to hold valid certificate for factory registration or update changes, or keep records which are not required to be referenced when performing work
• failure to make documents available during inspection
• failure to use, or misuse PPE provided
• failure to cooperate with employer or principal