A smoky Singapore F1 race again? As haze threat looms, outdoor event organisers ready contingency plans

Formed in 1994, the task force is chaired by the National Environment Agency and comprises 28 government agencies, including the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the Singapore Tourism Board, which oversees the F1 race in Singapore.

Member agencies have action plans in place with tiered responses depending on the intensity of the haze, based on the 24-hour PSI and hourly PM2.5 readings.

For schools, outdoor activities will be adjusted and air purifiers will be switched on, the task force said. 

For workers, outdoor work will be scaled back, with special attention paid to the elderly, pregnant women and employees with chronic lung or heart disease, it added.

The task force was convened in April this year to review and update the respective agencies’ response plans in preparation for possible transboundary haze.

The authorities have also stepped up public communications to increase awareness on the increased risk of transboundary haze this year and precautions to take.