{"id":93566,"date":"2026-10-17T01:18:03","date_gmt":"2026-10-16T17:18:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=93566"},"modified":"2026-10-17T01:18:03","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T17:18:03","slug":"employers-urged-to-protect-workers-as-haze-worsens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=93566","title":{"rendered":"Employers urged to protect workers as haze worsens"},"content":{"rendered":"


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SINGAPORE \u2013 Employers should plan changes to work arrangements and protective measures for workers ahead of worsening haze conditions, which could reach hazardous levels.<\/p>\n

This includes discussions on flexible work arrangements where feasible, Acting Minister for Manpower Jasmin Lau said at an Oct 16 press conference.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cProtecting workers from haze is not optional,\u201d said Lau, citing employers\u2019 obligations under the Workplace Safety and Health Act to keep their staff safe, including from the haze.<\/p>\n

Employers should monitor the haze situation, assess the risk to workers, and follow the Ministry of Manpower\u2019s (MOM) haze guidelines, she said.<\/p>\n

This comes as hazy conditions deteriorated across Singapore on Oct 16, with the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) hitting a high of 229 for the current haze season\u00a0at 3pm\u00a0in the central region.<\/p>\n

By Oct 16, Singapore had logged its 12th consecutive day of unhealthy air<\/span><\/a>\u00a0since Oct 5 \u2013 the longest continuous stretch of poor air quality the country has endured since the 2015 haze crisis. That year, bad air lasted 15 days, from Sept 23 to Oct 7.<\/p>\n

MOM has conducted more than 400 worksite inspections since September, said Lau, and \u201cmost employers have done the right thing\u201d in protecting their employees from the effects of the haze.<\/p>\n