Starting today, manufacturing and production companies have one week to set safe work environment measures and safe cohorting measures outside of work before resuming business on 12 May 2020.
Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing gave the update to reporters in an online interview on 3 May 2020.
“We need to start the work now to prepare for the resumption [of businesses]. We need to put in place at companies and factories safe distancing measures and rest areas. We also need to use technology solutions to track and trace and to do the necessary testing for high-risk groups. This is what we call the safe working environment measures,” he said.
Meanwhile, Mr Chan urged companies to segregate workers according to shifts and cohorts when work resumes, while ensuring workers in the different groups do not socialise after work.
“This will be critical for us because should there be a flare-up [in COVID-19 infections], we can quickly isolate that group and allow the rest of the work to continue,” he said.
Employers should implement the measures for both its local and foreign workers, added Mr Chan.
Mr Chan added that Singapore's focus will be on resuming its manufacturing and production capabilities first as these have a direct impact on the country's global supply chain.
Mr Chan also said that the Government will ensure that cleanliness and hygiene standards at the workplaces are stepped up, especially those with high human traffic and touch.
“With these safe working environment measures and safe cohorting measures, we think we'll be able to progressively restart many of the production activities that have taken a backseat for the last two weeks,” said Mr Chan.
He said that implementing these measures will help balance the safety of workers to sustain operations in the long run.
“I think the keyword is to have sustainable operations. Many countries are looking for ways to restart their economic progressively in safe and sustainable ways. And we also intend to do this now.
“Our working assumption beyond the circuit breaker measures must be that we continue to maintain our vigilance because if there's any lapse in our focus, then we might risk a relapse of the situation … So as we progressively reopen our economy, we need to be able to detect quickly and isolate effectively,” added Mr Chan.
