Data Related to Safe Transportation of Workers on Back of Lorries

Miss Rachel Ong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether data related to the safe transportation of workers on the back of lorries, such as the number of accidents, worker fatalities and injuries, form part of Workplace Safety and Health assessment; and (b) if not, why not and whether such criteria can be incorporated as part of the Workplace Safety and Health assessment and a company’s renewal of its bizSAFE status.

Dr Tan See Leng: Data related to past accidents, fatalities and injuries can be helpful when employers conduct a risk assessment (RA) on the safety and health risks posed to their workers, including when transporting them. However, such data alone is insufficient in ensuring a comprehensive RA. When developing their RA plans, employers should take guidance from the Risk Management Code of Practice, which covers areas, such as identifying safety and health hazards, evaluating the risk level of each hazard and taking reasonable steps to eliminate or minimise the risks.

BizSAFE renewal entails an audit of companies’ risk management, such as whether the companies have considered any relevant data, including safe transport data, if relevant, as part of their RA.