SINGAPORE \u2013 From Dec 1, 2026, employers must ensure their outdoor workers wear breathable, sweat-wicking uniforms that provide better ventilation, under a new rule to protect employees from hotter days ahead.<\/p>\n
Employers must also ensure that ice packs or water sprays are available on site in case of a heat illness scare, and make cool water available at worksites. They must also ensure all outdoor employees are trained to understand the suite of heat stress measures to keep them safe.<\/p>\n
Existing measures include\u00a0ensuring workers are regularly hydrating themselves and that new workers are gradually acclimatised to heat before being sent to work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Flouting these four new rules may result in penalties such as stop-work orders and fines.<\/p>\n
These measures were listed as recommendations under the Manpower Ministry\u2019s (MOM) heat stress framework, which was introduced in late 2023<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n The new rules were announced by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Aug 28 during a visit to the construction site of the PSA Supply Chain Hub @ Tuas. They bring the total number of compulsory heat stress measures to 11, up from seven currently.<\/p>\n Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash inspecting a thermal blanket during a visit to the construction site of the PSA Supply Chain Hub @ Tuas on Aug 28.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The announcement comes as Singapore is experiencing rising heat risks and hotter months ahead, due to a rapidly intensifying and warming El Nino climate phenomenon<\/span><\/a>. The highest temperatures in the first half of August exceeded 33 deg C on all but one day.<\/p>\n Other existing mandatory requirements that employers have to follow include providing employees with a shaded rest area.<\/p>\n New workers and those who have been on leave for more than a week must also be put on a heat acclimatisation regime. This entails workers gradually increasing their daily heat exposure over at least seven days.<\/p>\n MOM\u2019s framework classifies the measures based on three heat stress levels, which are determined by the wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT). This is a measure of heat stress that factors in temperature, humidity levels, wind speed and solar radiation.<\/p>\n The four new measures apply across all three heat stress levels under MOM\u2019s framework \u2013 when the WBGT is under 31 deg C, when the WBGT ranges from 31 deg C to under 33 deg C, and when it is 33 deg C and above.<\/p>\n But other existing measures are differentiated based on heat stress levels. For example, when the WBGT is between 32 deg C and 33 deg C, employers must ensure that workers doing strenuous work are given hourly rest breaks of at least 10 minutes.<\/p>\n During periods of higher heat stress, when the WBGT is 33 deg C and above, employees doing strenuous work are urged to rest for 15 minutes every hour.<\/p>\n Since 2024, it has been mandatory for WBGT meters to be installed at all worksites with a contract sum of at least $5 million, shipyards and for the process manufacturing sector.<\/p>\n In the first half of 2026, MOM found 56 companies flouting heat-safety rules, nearly matching the 62 cases for the whole of 2025.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Common lapses included a failure to monitor the WBGT, and have acclimatisation programmes or emergency response plans in place.<\/p>\n On Aug 28, MOM also introduced a new voluntary measure encouraging employers to provide shaded rest areas that are cooled or well ventilated. These include a sheltered area with fans and an insulated roof with wooden panels.<\/p>\n In end-May, the National Environment Agency warned that El Nino\u2019s temperature impact is the highest when the El Nino event weakens, which could be March to May 2027 \u2013 coinciding with the hottest period of the year. The onset of the 2026 El Nino event was around June<\/span><\/a>.<\/p>\n At the tail end of the last super El Nino event in 2016, the average temperature in the March to May period that year was 29.2 deg C, 1 deg C above the long-term average. Singapore also faced its last heatwave in April 2016.<\/p>\n Scientists have been warning that the 2026 El Nino could be the strongest<\/span><\/a> since at least the 1950s.<\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>