In an emergency press release issued late night yesterday, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say advised employers and employees to continue working despite having the haze hitting hazardous range. Minister Lim Swee Say has however issue a “caution”, effectively pushing responsibilities of the health of workers to employers:
“We should keep our business activities and work activities going as normal as possible. However, we’d like to emphasise that we should do so by not compromising on the health and safety of our workers. So, in other words, individual employers will have to continue to update their risk assessment and pay particular attention to work which are strenuous and that involves prolonged outdoor work”
Screenshot of Lim Swee Say from Facebook video
Most employers have continued business operations including those in sectors that involves outdoor activities like construction and manual labour work. Singapore’s economy has just dropped 4.6% in its latest second quarter result and it is unlikely the Singapore government will issue a stop work order as the ministers’ annual bonuses factor a GDP component.