Implemented in 2006, the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Act of Singapore holds stakeholders and business owners accountable for keeping their workers safe.
This act covers all workplaces except those exempted, hazardous substances like explosive, corrosive, flammable substances, and machinery and equipment, like MHE, such as forklifts.
Four key features mark the WSH act:
1. The placement of all responsibility on its stakeholders to ensure safety at the workplace.
2. A focus on the outcomes of these measures, not mere compliance or observance.
3. The proper enforcement through the issuance of remedial orders.
4 . Imposition of higher penalties for violators.
To give you an idea of some of the higher penalties, here is a list of offences and their corresponding fines:
1. For general penalties:
• Individuals must pay $200,000 after their first conviction and $400,000 for any repeat convictions – they could face up to 2 years imprisonment, too.
• Corporations must pay $500,000 after their first conviction and $1,000,000 for any repeat convictions.
2. For refusing to comply with an order:
• For refusing to comply with remedial orders, the initial fine is $50,000, with an additional $5,000 for each day.
• For refusing to comply with stop-work orders, the initial fine is $500,000, with an additional $20,000 for each day.
• Both could result in up to 12 months of imprisonment.
The WSH ensures that businesses under this act will keep their workers safe and avoid injuries while operating their equipment, such as the forklift.
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