MOM, WSH Council advise employers to prepare for adverse, erratic weather

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council on Sunday (Sep 22) advised companies to prepare for erratic and sudden changes in weather conditions. 
In particular, they urged employers to be prepared for stronger winds, warmer temperatures, longer dry spells and increased occurrences of lightning and flash floods. 
“Along with other countries in the region, Singapore is beginning to experience the effects of climate change,” MOM and the WSH Council said in an advisory. 
The advisory noted that Singapore was hit by strong winds and heavy rains on the evening of Sep 17 that toppled trees, snarled traffic and caused property damage.
MOM and the WSH Council said employers, particularly those in outdoor sectors, can implement four measures to better prepare for adverse weather conditions.
First, they can monitor weather conditions closely by using weather monitoring systems and subscribing to weather alerts, such as those provided by the National Environment Agency through its myENV mobile app.
Second, they can review risk assessments.
“Consider the impact of adverse weather events and implement suitable risk controls for specific work activities affected by the climate (conditions),” the advisory said.
Third, employers can communicate possible weather-related hazards to workers and train them to recognise such hazards and to report them to their supervisors or to make calls to halt work during emergencies.
Finally, MOM and the WSH Council advised employers to prepare recovery plans and to inspect affected structures and essential outdoor machinery and equipment after adverse weather events to verify their integrity.
The advisory also provided a list of risk controls that can be applied at workplaces when faced with specific weather events.
Recommendations for strong wind events include: Monitoring the movement of debris, dismantling and removing structures where possible, reinforcing structures so that they can withstand higher winds, and evacuating workers from areas where structures could collapse.
During extreme rainfall or flooding, on the other hand, companies can implement ground stabilisation measures to prevent soil movement, add tiebacks to prevent temporary structures from being washed away, and educate workers on potential flood-related hazards.