Caught in the act: Manpower Ministry takes action against 174 firms for workplace safety violations

353 workplace safety violations were uncovered.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has taken action against 174 companies for 353 workplace safety violations uncovered during a month-long Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) enforcement operation.

During the operation, MOM conducted surprise inspections at 250 worksites in high-risk sectors, including the construction and marine industries.

Among these worksites, 60 were issued with fines ranging from $1,000 to $13,000 per inspection, leading to a total of 108 fines being meted out. The Ministry also issued Stop-Work Orders (SWOs) to the occupiers of four worksites with severe WSH lapses.

MOM will require the occupiers of the four worksites issued with SWOs to fully rectify the unsafe conditions identified. In addition, where MOM assess that the lack of trained personnel is a contributing factor leading to the SWO, MOM will require workers to undergo refresher training to improve their competency before the SWO can be lifted.