MOM enhances measures to reduce heat stress risk for outside workers

Measures include monitoring of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature for every hour of outdoor work performed.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has enhanced its measures to reduce the risks of heat stress for outdoor workers. These measures will take immediate effect.

The measures will focus on four aspects: “acclimatise, drink, rest, and shade."

As per MOM, workers must hydrate at least hourly and take regular rest breaks under shaded areas to dissipate accumulated body heat.

Employers, for their part, must monitor the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) for every hour of outdoor work performed. 

The MOM will also require construction sites with a contract sum of $5m and up, shipyards, and the process industry to have a WBGT meter on-site. Other workplaces can use NEA’s myENV app to monitor WBGT readings.
 
When WBGT is 32C or higher, employers must provide workers with a minimum of 10-minute rest breaks hourly under shade. Workers with pre-existing conditions are entitled to longer rest periods or as advised by doctors.

MOM will conduct inspections at workplaces to ensure implementation of the measures.