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SINGAPORE: High barriers to create a safe physical distance of at least 1m between employee workstations, as well as in shared spaces such as pantries and meeting rooms, or the use of visual markers to achieve a similar result, They are among the new measures that should be in place as of May 12 to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
From the same day, as more companies resume operations, the government will also require taxis to progressively establish a national digital registration system, called SafeEntry, for passengers, so that contact trackers can quickly find close contacts of infected cases. .
Taxi passengers are recommended to start and exit taxis by scanning the SafeEntry QR code.
Other places, like supermarkets and workplaces, like offices and factories, will also need to have this registration system starting May 12 for staff, visitors and customers.
These measures and others were announced on Saturday (May 9) by tripartite partners comprising the Ministry of Human Resources (MOM), the National Congress of Trade Unions and the National Federation of Singapore Employers, and separately by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office.
Immediately after the Government’s announcement that some companies such as barbers, home bakers and laundry services may resume operations on May 12.
The tripartite partners said that since May 12, workplaces in general must have safe management measures that ensure a safe work environment and minimize the risks of new disease outbreaks.
MASKS IN THE WORKPLACE MUST
For example, employers must require all on-site personnel, including employees, visitors, suppliers, and contractors, to wear masks in the workplace at all times, except during activities that require the masks to be removed.
Companies must have a detailed plan for monitoring staff to ensure they comply with safe management measures, and appoint safe management officers to help implement the measures in the workplace, as well as conduct inspections and controls.
REDUCTION OF PHYSICAL INTERACTIONS
Companies need to reduce physical interactions in the workplace and ensure that safe separation is respected, for example by ensuring that workers can work from home whenever possible. Such telecommuting options are recommended for vulnerable employees, such as older workers, pregnant employees, and people with underlying medical conditions.
Events and activities in the workplace involving close or prolonged contact between people, such as conferences, seminars and exhibitions, should be canceled or deferred.
Social gatherings in the workplace, such as interactions in staff canteens or group meetings during meals and breaks, should also be canceled or deferred.
STAGED HOURS, SPLIT TEAMS
When working from home is not possible, employers should ensure that precautions are taken before work can resume, such as staggering hours of work and rest.
Businesses can also arrange for staff to work shifts, work in divided teams, or report to different workplaces, but must ensure that they do not cross deployment workers or allow workers from different shifts, teams, or sites to interact. job.
The number of physical surfaces that workers come in contact with, such as slide scanners, should be reduced, and these surfaces should be disinfected frequently.
For contact search efforts, employers have been encouraged to have workers use the SafeEntry and TraceTogether apps in the workplace.
In addition to more frequent cleaning and periodic temperature testing of workers and visitors, employers must also have a plan to evacuate workers who are unwell or suspected of being infected with the coronavirus.
Some companies said they were already preparing for some of the measures announced Saturday.
PBA Group chief executive Derrick Yap said his company has already implemented safe distancing measures, such as staggered work times in preparation for the switch period.
He also hopes to use the slower business environment due to Covid-19 to test flexible work arrangements, which can be permanently implemented at his 200-worker robotics automation company in Singapore.
“We could allow a job to start working from home one day a week and see how things are going,” he said. Depending on the results, you can expand it to other positions or allow workers to work from home for two days a week.
OE Manufacturing Managing Director James Wong said his company, which makes hydraulic cylinders, will have safe spacing measures until a vaccine for Covid-19 is developed.
His office and factory have at most half of his workers on site, and the rest at home, he added. “We will continue to wear masks and make sure we are not too close to each other when we talk,” added Wong, who has 25 workers in Singapore.
Noting the various safe management measures employers can implement based on their workplace, Mr. Wong said his company decided to demarcate the floors to show where employees should be when they talk to each other. Each brand is 1m apart, he added.
“It may not be very practical to set high barriers,” he said.
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