Almost 5,500 dengue cases reported in Singapore so far this year, exceeding last year’s total
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Almost 5,500 cases of dengue have been reported so far this year, already exceeding last year’s total.
“This is a worrying trend as we are only in April, and we expect a surge in the number of dengue cases in the coming months,” said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu on Sunday (Apr 24).
Speaking at the launch of the Public Hygiene Council’s Keep Clean, Singapore! event, Ms Fu urged “urgent collective action” to prevent mosquito breeding.
This includes binning one’s trash to prevent it from becoming unintentional mosquito breeding habitats, Ms Fu said.
“Dengue is a serious health threat. Let us stay on guard against dengue even as we see improvements in the COVID-19 situation,” she added.
Experts attribute the current spike in dengue cases to a number of factors, the most notable being a rise in mosquito numbers and the re-emergence of a previously uncommon virus serotype.
Earlier this month, the National Environmental Agency (NEA) said that the Aedes aegypti mosquito population in the community was about 48 per cent higher in March this year compared to the same period in 2021.
Inspections have also found that Aedes mosquito breeding has almost doubled from February to March this year, NEA said in response to queries from CNA.
In addition to higher mosquito numbers, the previously uncommon dengue virus serotype 3 (DENV-3) is now widely circulating.
An infectious diseases expert told CNA that the “increased circulation” of the DEN-3 serotype would have meant less immunity within the community.
At the event, Ms Fu spoke about the need to reframe the mindset that the home ends at one’s doorstep.
“The whole of Singapore is our home,” she said. “When we are out and about in our community, we should always bin our trash to prevent it from becoming unintentional mosquito breeding habitats.”
Source:https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/dengue-cases-singapore-mosquitoes-nea-2644281
Singapore expands recall of Kinder chocolate products due to possible presence of salmonella
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) has expanded its recall of Kinder chocolate products from Belgium to include all batches of three previously recalled products, as well as an additional one, due to possible presence of Salmonella.
This follows a new recall alert issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, SFA said in a news release on Tuesday (Apr 12).
The products are Kinder Schokobons, Kinder Surprise Maxi, Kinder Mini Eggs and Kinder Egg Hunt Kit.
The recall includes products under all batches and all best before dates, SFA said.
The agency has directed five importers – Kaimay Trading, Heinemann Asia Pacific, Focus Network Agencies, Walluco and Le Petit Depot – to recall the affected products and the recall is ongoing.
Those who have consumed the implicated products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice, it added.
Consumers may also contact their point of purchase or importers for enquiries.
This is the latest recall involving Kinder products in the past week.
SFA earlier issued recalls for some batches of Kinder Surprise, Kinder Surprise Maxi, Kinder Egg Hunt Kit and Kinder Mini Eggs.
Last week, Belgian health authorities ordered Italian confectionery group Ferrero – which produces Kinder chocolates – to suspend production at its plant in Arlon, Belgium, after Europe’s health agency launched an investigation into dozens of cases of salmonella potentially linked to the chocolates.
MOM revokes licence of workplace safety officer who was fined for corruption
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – A workplace safety and health (WSH) officer tasked with supervising the construction of a gas plant in Jurong Island has had his registration revoked by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) after he was fined for corruption last month.
Chia Wee Cheng, 42, had used his position as a WSH officer to borrow money from two foreign workers employed by sub-contractors on the project. On Feb 14, the Singaporean was fined $4,000 after he was convicted of three counts of corruption.
Chia was served a notice of intent to revoke his WSH officer registration after he pleaded guilty, and had 21 days to show why it should not be rescinded.
He did not do so, hence, the registration was revoked on Thursday (March 10) and he cannot apply to register as an authorised person under the Workplace Safety and Health Act for the next two years, MOM told The Straits Times.
It said its investigations did not find that Chia had compromised any safety aspect at his workplace, but he had put himself in a conflict-of-interest position.
According to his LinkedIn profile, which has since been taken down, Chia had more than eight years of experience as a WSH officer prior to his offences in 2020.
According to court documents, Chia’s first offence was on Oct 11, 2020, when a bore piling site supervisor for Song Yu Construction, a sub-contractor for the project, went to the project’s site office to ask Chia to approve a PTW for piling works.
The pair knew each other while working at the project site, and the site supervisor regularly submitted PTWs to Chia for approval.
At the office, Chia told the site supervisor that he needed money urgently and asked to borrow $300. He did not say what he needed the money for.
The site supervisor agreed as he hoped Chia would show some leniency with the PTW approval and safety inspections.
The site supervisor was also afraid Chia might make things difficult by withholding approval for the PTW if he refused, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Woon Yee.
He loaned Chia another $500 when the latter asked to borrow money again on Oct 31, on the pretext that he needed cash to repair his electric bicycle.
On Nov 29, Chia asked for a third loan, this time from a construction manager at Sinotcc (Singapore), another sub-contractor for the project.
The two of them interacted frequently as the construction manager was one of the people Chia would approach to stop work in the event of any safety infringements.
Not wanting to offend Chia and risk delaying the progress of the construction works, the construction manager transferred $1,000 to Chia’s account the next day.
Said DPP Lim: “The accused knew… he was not permitted to take such loans from sub-contractors as a conflict of interest may arise, and that he was prohibited from doing so according to Anotech’s Code of Ethics.”
It is not clear how Chia’s offences came to light, but he was charged with corruption on Sept 28, 2021, and his WSH officer registration was suspended on Dec 2.
He has since fully repaid the loans he took, and is now a food delivery worker.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, MOM said it takes a serious view against WSH officers who abuse their powers for personal gratification.
“Their integrity needs to be beyond reproach as the lives of our workers are at stake if safety and health measures are not implemented properly,” it added.
Among WSH professionals, this case has caused some consternation.
Mr Han Wenqi, a registered WSH officer, said he was concerned about the PTW system being misused, noting that the safety officer is supposed to jointly inspect the work site’s condition with the applicant before granting approval.
He said: “If the PTW process is neglected, the site may be unsafe. This puts workers at risk.”
In an earlier statement, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau said Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.
Anyone who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000, jailed for up to five years, or both.
SFA orders recall of two makers’ kueh products which contain illegal food additive
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Two manufacturers have been ordered to recall their kueh products, including carrot cake and soon kueh, after they were found to contain a prohibited food additive.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Thursday (March 10) that it detected benzoic acid in kueh products manufactured by K & B Nonya Kueh Manufacture and Beng San Food Industry Supplier.
Benzoic acid is not allowed in kueh products under the Singapore Food Regulations.
The affected products are: kueh lapis and the pandan, corn and red bean-flavoured kueh seri muka from K & B Nonya Kueh Manufacture, as well as yam cake, carrot cake, pumpkin cake, soon kueh and png kueh from Beng San Food Industry Supplier.
Only permitted food additives are allowed for use in food, within the permitted amounts.
SFA said that based on the levels of benzoic acid detected in the affected kueh products, once-off consumption of the products should not be of concern.
But people should not consume food containing high levels of benzoic acid over a long period of time, it added.
This is because even though benzoic acid is a common additive which is safe in small quantities, studies have shown that animals fed on high doses of benzoic acid have disorder of the central nervous system as well as changes in their brains, said SFA.
Those who have consumed the affected products and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice, and contact their point of purchase for inquiries.
SINGAPORE: Abbott Laboratories has been directed to recall certain batches of one of its powdered infant formulas due to the possibility of bacteria, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Saturday (Feb 19).
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Abbott Laboratories has been directed to recall certain batches of one of its powdered infant formulas due to the possibility of bacteria, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Saturday (Feb 19).
In a media release, SFA said the company had been told to recall “implicated batches” of Abbott Alimentum due to the possible presence of Cronobacter sakazakii and Salmonella Newport, both pathogenic bacteria.
“Cronobacter sakazakii infections are generally rare, and can cause meningitis or sepsis,” the agency said.
The bacterium can survive dry conditions, such as dry food like infant formula and powdered milk, it said.
Examples of symptoms in infected infants include fever, poor feeding or lethargy, SFA added.
Meanwhile, Salmonella Newport can cause gastrointestinal illness and those infected may experience fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhoea, said the SFA.
“Parents or caregivers who are concerned should stop using the product,” it said.
“They should seek medical assistance should their infants feel unwell after consuming the affected products,” the agency added, noting consumers can contact retailers for enquiries.
The code on the container of affected batches contains K8, SH or Z2, with the first two digits of the code running from 22 to 37.
The country of origin for the affected batches is the United States of America (USA), and the produces will have an expiration date of Apr 1, 2022 or later.
This comes after the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was working with Abbott Nutrition to initiate a voluntary recall of the infant formula due to the possible presence of the bacteria.
US authorities are investigating consumer complaints of infections reportedly linked to consumption of the product, SFA said.
The FDA said on its website that all four cases linked to these complaints were hospitalised and that a bacterial infection may have contributed to a death in one case.
Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/infant-formula-recall-abbott-alimentum-sfa-fda-2508446
SAF to conduct military exercise at The Star Vista on Feb 7
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Members of the public are advised to stay clear of The Star Vista in Buona Vista from Monday night (Feb 7) to early Tuesday morning during a military exercise that will be conducted by the Singapore Armed Forces.
In a media release on Thursday, the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) said the exercise would take place at the shopping mall between 9pm on Monday and 5am on Tuesday, and would involve “ground and aerial elements”, including low-flying aircraft.
It added that a temporary restricted area for aerial activities including kite-flying and flying unmanned aircraft such as drones will be established around the area from 9pm on Monday to 1am on Tuesday.
This area will stretch from North Buona Vista Road to Ghim Moh Link, and includes The Star Vista, Buona Vista MRT station, Ghim Moh Edge, Ghim Moh Valley and Dover Ville.
These restrictions are aimed at ensuring the safety of the public and low-flying aircraft in the area, MINDEF said.
Under the Air Navigation Order, those found guilty of conducting unauthorised aerial activities within the temporary restricted area face a fine of up to S$20,000 for a first offence, and up to S$40,000 for a second offence.
Repeat offenders also face a jail term of up to 15 months.
“The public is advised to keep clear of the area, and not to be alarmed,” said MINDEF.
Photos of air-con worker without safety harness outside top-floor HDB flat raise concern
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Facebook users have expressed concern after seeing photos of a technician servicing an air-conditioning compressor on the highest floor of an HDB block without using a safety harness.
The photos, posted on Facebook group Singapore Home DIY on Tuesday (Jan 11), show the worker sitting atop an external air compressor resting on its brackets on the 11th or 12th storey.
Comments on the post called it an unsettling sight, with one user saying “his life would be gone forever” if things were to go awry.
Several users said air-conditioning servicing contractors they engaged also had workers doing their job without a safety harness.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) declined to comment when contacted by The Straits Times on Thursday, but provided statistics on workplace injuries and deaths caused by falls from height.
Falling from a height was one of the top two causes of workplace fatalities and among the top three causes of workplace major injuries in the first half of last year, according to MOM’s Workplace Safety and Health Report for January to June 2021.
There were 35 reported falls from height in that period, a rise from 32 in the second half of 2020.
On Sunday (Jan 9), a 28-year-old Bangladeshi worker was taken to hospital after he fell from the fourth storey of Chinatown Point and landed on the second storey while carrying out waterproofing works.
Mr Han Wenqi, a registered workplace safety and health officer, said employers are responsible for putting in place measures for their workers’ safety while working at height.
He said risk assessment steps should be taken before starting maintenance works on compressor units on suspended brackets in older blocks without an air-con ledge.
These steps include conducting a pre-work survey of the location layout, and risk assessment based on the scope of work with reference to available work at height regulations and code of practice.
The bracket’s load-bearing capacity to carry both the technician’s weight and the compressor unit’s weight must also be considered, and a fall prevention plan must be made known to all workers on site.
Mr Han said that in places without anchorage points, like some HDB flats, deploying a transportable temporary anchor device like a door jamb anchor is an alternative. A door jamb anchor is placed against the door or window frame and adjusts to the vertical sides to provide a temporary but secure anchor point.
A self-retracting lifeline would allow the worker to move around and stop falls.
ST contacted several air-conditioning contractors for comments on their safety practices but did not receive any reply.
Dr Goh Yang Miang of The Institution of Engineers, Singapore, said more needs to be done about safety by air-conditioning maintenance contractors.
He said: “This is a perennial problem to which there are solutions like temporary door or window opening anchor, but not all contractors adopt them due to lack of awareness and cost considerations.
“Home and building owners can help to improve the situation by selecting contractors which have suitable fall protection solutions.”
Singapore companies opening up to giving staff more mental well-being support: Study
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Singapore employers appear to be changing their attitude towards supporting initiatives that deal with mental well-being issues in the workplace.
A recent local study by Oracle showed that 77 per cent of respondents felt their companies were more concerned about their mental well-being now, compared with before the pandemic, said Senior Minister of State Zaqy Mohamad on Thursday (Dec 9).
“We should capitalise on this momentum and awareness, to normalise support for employees’ mental well-being across all companies,” he said at the virtual launch of the inaugural Workplace Mental Well-Being Campaign.
The campaign is part of ongoing efforts by the Tripartite Oversight Committee on Workplace Safety and Health to foster a supportive working environment.
Mr Zaqy said he hopes the campaign will result in more employers and employees coming together to realise their shared responsibility in dealing with mental well-being at the workplace.
“Employees should surface issues to their employers, and employers should support their employees, because work can be good for mental well-being, and mental well-being is good for work,” he said.
Mr Zaqy cited a 2018 survey done by consulting firm Deloitte in Canada, which found that every $1 invested in mental well-being initiatives, such as leadership training and giving staff access to counselling programmes, yielded a return on investment of more than $2 from reduced medical leave and compensation costs.
Among the new initiatives launched at the event was a human resource playbook containing proven initiatives that HR professionals and employers in Singapore have successfully implemented to support their employees’ mental well-being.
Co-created by the Ministry of Manpower, the Institute for Human Resource Professionals and the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council, the playbook complements the resources on national mental health portal MindSG.
Also speaking at Thursday’s virtual event, Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary noted that the Health Promotion Board (HPB) has seen more demand for training programmes that equip supervisors, human resource managers and employees with supporting skills and knowledge.
“This is a positive sign that employers are increasingly recognising the value of helping their employees to keep healthy, not just physically but also mentally.”
Dr Janil added: “Through these programmes, participants learn to identify signs and symptoms of common mental health conditions, and acquire knowledge on how they can reach out to and support colleagues with mental health challenges, and encourage them to seek help early if required.”
He urged companies to work towards creating an environment that is conducive for workers to come forward and speak up when they feel they are overwhelmed.
“This may include establishing dedicated platforms or HR systems that allow employees to share their problems and challenges without feeling judged or penalised,” he said.
Mr Zaqy also announced a new award that will recognise companies that have made progress in their mental well-being journey, and highlight them as employers of choice.
The Care Award – signifying a culture of acceptance, respect and empathy – will join the WSH Council’s slate of annual WSH Awards.
Applications open in January next year, and the winners will be announced in July.
Shaw Centre fire: About 200 people evacuated, several restaurants closed
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: A fire broke out at Shaw Centre on Monday (Nov 22) morning, prompting about 200 people to vacate the shopping centre near Orchard road.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident 1 Scotts Road at about 10.15am.
“The fire involved an electrical circuit box in a unit on the second floor of the premises,” said SCDF.
It added that the blaze was extinguished by a water sprinkler system and by firefighters using one water jet.
There were no reported injuries and about 200 people had “self-evacuated” from the premises prior to SCDF’s arrival.
Photos of the scene showed several SCDF vehicles along Claymore Hill alongside about 10 firefighters. People were also seen waiting on the pavement next to the building.
In response to CNA’s queries, Les Amis Group said a fire broke out at its La Taperia restaurant.
“The situation is still under investigation and we are working closely with the SCDF team,” said a company spokesperson.
“All our staff have been safely evacuated and there were no injuries.”
The group also owns several other food and beverage outlets in the mall, including Bistro Du Vin, La Strada and Tarte by Cheryl Koh.
“For the safety of all guests and staff, all concepts at Shaw Centre will be temporarily closed today till the investigations have been fully conducted,” said Les Amis Group.
La Taperia, Bistro Du Vin and La Strada announced on Facebook that their outlets would be closed on Monday due to “unforeseen circumstances”.
On Instagram, Tarte announced that it has temporarily closed both its Shaw Centre and Raffles City outlets.
Workplace safety officers to get govt support as their role more critical now: Zaqy
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – When news of a virus outbreak in Wuhan broke early last year, Ms Christina Chua had to dust off the old protocols that her firm had used during the Sars epidemic in 2003.
With little information to go on about the new disease, the health, safety and environment manager at manufacturer Cameron Singapore relied on past experience to ensure that her workplace was safe, implementing temperature screening and other controls even before safe management measures were adopted.
She spent nights navigating new border restrictions to ensure that workers could return here to work, and came up with new protocols for the ever-evolving Covid-19 rules.
This was all on top of her usual work of making sure her firm was accident-free.
“That was a very big struggle, managing the pandemic and also safety,” the 47-year-old told The Straits Times.
She credited the support of her management and robust systems that were already in place for making things a bit easier.
The pandemic has forced safety officers such as Ms Chua to think of new standard operating procedures and take on more responsibilities than they normally would.
Speaking at a conference on Wednesday (Nov 10), Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad said these officers have become even more critical now than before, especially since businesses must address new risks, such as infectious disease outbreaks, mental health and terrorism, in the new normal.
The conference was a hybrid one held at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability and over videoconferencing platform Zoom.
The Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council has revised its risk management code of practice to include these new risks, and more is being done to train safety officers to be future-ready.
But Mr Zaqy also acknowledged that many safety officers have struggled to cope with their additional roles.
He said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has received “frank feedback” that the past two years have been challenging for safety officers juggling the prevention of accidents and the prevention of Covid-19 transmission.
Those who are not given more resources and support have had it even worse.
Mr Zaqy said: “For companies to manage both injury and Covid-19 prevention well, they need to acknowledge the valuable role of WSHOs (workplace safety and health officers) and equip them with the proper resources and skills… These cannot be only the WSHOs’ responsibility. They are the entire company’s responsibility.”
Observers have previously raised fears that safety is being compromised at worksites due to the disruptions and manpower crunch brought about by Covid-19.
Workplace injury rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels, and there have been at least 32 workplace deaths this year, more than the 30 deaths recorded last year.
Mr Zaqy said the Government will do its part to support safety officers.
The risk management code of practice, which gives advice on regulatory obligations and the implementation of risk controls, will include examples of how to identify, evaluate and manage risks related to infectious diseases, mental health and terrorism.
The curriculum for the nationally recognised BizSafe programme will also include these new risks.
In the coming months, MOM inspectors will look out for these new elements and advise companies on how to incorporate them if they are absent from their risk assessment processes, said Mr Zaqy.
The WSH Council said Covid-19 has not only reinforced the need to mitigate infectious disease transmission, but also the growing risk to workers’ mental well-being.
As for terrorism, while there has not been any significant trends recently, such threats continue to be “real and present”, said the council.
Hence, risk management processes must be kept relevant to address them, it said.
Meanwhile, MOM is working with the Singapore Institution of Safety Officers (Siso) to recognise more training courses to support professional development.
Siso and the Employment and Employability Institute will also create the first jobs portal dedicated to safety officers. It will be launched next February.
A career development plan for safety officers is also in the works, to help provide a structured career progression pathway and attract more locals to the sector.
Said Siso vice-president Darajit Daud: “As we learnt from the Covid-19 pandemic… crisis management has taken on new meaning, and integrating occupational health and well-being has become vital for successful businesses in the new norm.”
He added: “WSH officers will need to shoulder a new level of responsibility.”