Entrenching WSH Excellence with Increase in Maximum Fines and Mandatory Video Surveillance
To maintain the workplace fatal and major injury rates in 2023 (excluding 2020 when COVID-19 disrupted work) and entrench a culture of workplace safety and health (WSH) excellence, the Multi-Agency Workplace Safety and Health Taskforce earlier announced two significant measures that will be implemented from 1 June 2024 onwards which include :
- Increase in maximum fines for safety breaches under the WSH Act’s Subsidiary Legislation, and
- Mandatory installation of Video Surveillance System (VSS) at construction sites with a contract sum of $5 million and above.
Increase in maximum fines for safety breaches
2 The Ministry of Manpower will be increasing the maximum fines from $20,000 to $50,000 as a stronger deterrence against breaches of the WSH Act Subsidiary Legislation that could result in death, serious bodily injury or dangerous occurrence (i.e. serious harm). The maximum fines are reviewed based on principles such as severity of the offence i.e. whether it was a major cause or contributing factor of serious harm. The increase in maximum fines is a proactive step towards strengthening ownership and accountability of WSH, particularly among senior company leadership who are responsible for shaping the safety culture at the workplace. More details on the increase in maximum fines can be found in Annex A.
Mandatory installation of Video Surveillance System (VSS)
3The Construction sector remained a top contributor of fatal and major injuries across sectors in 2023, although there were improvements over the previous year. To push for further improvements in the sector, all construction sites with a contract sum of $5 million and above will be required to install the VSS at worksite locations where high-risk work activities are conducted. By enabling remote monitoring and video capture, the VSS 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. This will foster a proactive approach to WSH management, and promote a culture of incident prevention in workplaces.
4WSH is a collective responsibility, and all stakeholders must continue playing an active role in building a culture of WSH excellence in Singapore for workers and workplaces to thrive.
Annex A
MOM reviewed the provisions across 21 WSH Act Subsidiary Legislation, based on the following principles to determine the proposed maximum penalties for the first conviction:
