Singapore issues recommendations to adjust outdoor work based on PM2.5 — Channel NewsAsia
In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower on October 20 issued new recommendations for employers on adjusting outdoor work based on hourly readings of fine particulate matter PM2.5. The guidance was issued amid haze in parts of the country, Channel NewsAsia reports.
The new recommendations supplement existing guidance based on the 24-hour forecast of the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI). Employers are advised to use this forecast to plan work for the following day, while hourly PM2.5 data should be used to adjust working conditions during the day. PM2.5 consists of fine particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less, which are the main harmful pollutant during haze.
Outdoor work
The ministry recommended gradually reducing outdoor work as hourly PM2.5 readings rise. Vulnerable workers, including older people, pregnant women and people with chronic heart or lung conditions, are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor work already at elevated readings.
At high pollution levels, such work should be avoided for vulnerable workers, while at very high levels it should not be allowed. Healthy workers are recommended to reduce strenuous outdoor work at elevated readings and avoid it at high readings. If readings are very high, employers are advised to minimise all outdoor work.
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Protective equipment
At elevated pollution levels, employers are advised to use mechanical aids, introduce staff rotation, provide indoor breaks and ensure workers have sufficient water. If strenuous outdoor work cannot be avoided at high readings, workers must be provided with N95 masks or equivalent protective equipment.
At very high readings, when outdoor work still cannot be avoided, masks or appropriate respirators should be provided and hourly indoor breaks should be arranged. The ministry also urged employers to assess risks caused by deteriorating visibility, including during lifting operations involving tower and mobile cranes.
Employers were advised to review haze response plans, identify workers more vulnerable to its effects and maintain at least a one-week supply of masks for staff working outdoors. Since September, the ministry has conducted more than 400 inspections of work sites; shortcomings were found at about a quarter of them.
