All construction sites with a contract sum of $5 million and above will be required to install a Video Surveillance System (VSS) for employee safety from June 1, 2024.

This system acts as a deterrent for unsafe workplace behaviours, provides valuable training resources for companies and offers insights for investigations of safety incidents and near-misses, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Monday (May 27).

The VSS was demonstrated to AsiaOne during a media visit to the Serangoon Polyclinic construction site along Upper Serangoon Road on Monday.

Charles Cruz, 51, an interface engineer from Zheng Keng Engineering and Construction, the project's main contractor, showed the media the surveillance system which monitors workers in high-risk locations and uses video analytics to see if they upheld safety practices.

The system, which was installed last October, automatically detects safety breaches and sends an alert to supervisors. 

It costs $25,000, which Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said was a small proportion for a multi-million-dollar project.

"What's the cost of a stop-work order over a few weeks or months because you have an injury, fatality or major accident? (If) you weigh that in terms of total costs, on balance, I think some of these technologies are worth the extra money," he said at the site. 

Melvin Yong, assistant secretary-general of the National Trade Union Council (NTUC) told the media that while measures like the VSS may not be well-received by workers at first – it is ultimately there for their safety.

"The unions are regularly updating workers about various safety measures that companies have put in place, including video surveillance systems, to help them understand [their importance]," he said.

Maximum fine for workplace safety breaches raised to $50k

Also from June 1, companies that breach safety regulations will face a higher maximum fine of $50,000. 

The increased fine will apply to all industries under the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act Subsidiary Legislation for offences which are a major cause of death, serious injury, or a dangerous occurrence such as explosions.

Measures like these aim to maintain Singapore's record low for workplace fatalities and major injuries in 2023, excluding 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted work, and "entrench a culture of WSH excellence", said MOM.

A multi-agency workplace safety task force first announced the two measures in May 2023, but "gave companies a few months to adopt the practices", said Zaqy.

The task force also said last year that companies will bear the cost of implementing these measures, but Zaqy assured that there will be support for companies looking to adopt automated technology for WSH efforts.

He highlighted, however, that employers should not consider the safety of workers a "cost".

"This should not be a cost consideration because this is about saving lives," he said.

"Every life is precious, and certainly you want to move towards zero tolerance for any fatality."

Beating the heat

In addition to the VSS, the construction site also demonstrated measures to help workers beat the heat and stay updated regarding safety announcements.

Updates regarding weather conditions such as temperature and heat stress level are disseminated to supervisors every hour in three languages: English, Mandarin and Tamil, via a WhatsApp group chat.

Individual supervisors then update workers on the weather conditions verbally or using placards carried around the site.

Workers are also reminded through signs to take a 10-minute "drinking break" at a sheltered rest area after every hour of work under the sun.

The site also showcased other technology, such as sensors and automations, which help workers operating machinery avoid injuries.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com

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