Eng’s Heritage outlet at Northpoint City has licence suspended after 26 people fall ill with gastroenteritis
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: The licence of Eng’s Heritage at Northpoint City has been suspended until further notice amid a suspected ongoing transmission of gastroenteritis, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Ministry of Health (MOH) said on Wednesday (Jan 13).
Twenty-six people were reported to have gastroenteritis symptoms after consuming food prepared by Eng’s Heritage between Jan 7 and 9, said the joint media release.
Five people are currently hospitalised and in a stable condition, with one additional case already discharged.
“All food handlers working in the suspended premises are required to re-attend and pass the basic food hygiene course before they can resume work as food handlers,” said MOH and SFA.
Appointed food hygiene officers working at the company are also required to re-attend and pass the food hygiene officer course before they can resume work as officers.
Eng’s Heritage is also required to clean and sanitise the premises, including equipment and utensils.
“Food safety is a joint responsibility. SFA would like to remind food operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times,” said the release.
SFA added that it would not hesitate to take firm action against anyone found to be in violation of the Environmental Public Health Act.
Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a very successful 2021! Stay safe and healthy!
this is index.phpMay all your dreams come true in the brand new year. Wishing everyone safe and healthy!
Crab Brand Black Pepper Seed recalled after excessive levels of bacterium detected: SFA
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) said on Tuesday (Dec 22) it has directed the recall of the Crab Brand Black Pepper Seed product after it was found to contain excessive levels of a bacterium that causes food poisoning.
The product was imported from Indonesia by Siem Trading, which has been directed to recall all the implicated products. The recall is ongoing, said SFA.
The agency said the foodborne bacterium was detected during a routine sampling of the product and the levels found exceeded the microbiological standards stated in the Singapore Food Regulations.
Called bacillus cereus, the bacterium can be found in soil, vegetation and in the intestinal tracts of insects and animals. Consumption of food contaminated with bacillus cereus can result in abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, SFA added.
The affected product is packaged in 50g bottles with an expiry date of Nov 1, 2021 and in 90g bottles with an expiry date of Oct 1, 2021.
Consumers who have purchased the affected product are advised not to
consume it, said SFA. Those who have consumed it and have concerns about their health should seek medical advice.
Consumers may also contact their point of purchase for enquiries, said the agency.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
this is index.phpWishing everyone a wonderful day with family & friends and a happy long weekend!
Restrictions on work from office may be eased in phase 3, more updates soon: Josephine Teo
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – Restrictions on workers returning to offices may be relaxed, said Manpower Minister Josephine Teo on Tuesday (Dec 15).
“The multi-ministry task force has been discussing whether restrictions on returning to offices can be further loosened,” she told reporters in Chinese after a visit to Singtel.
“Some announcements will be made in the near future soon. We need your patience to wait a little bit more.”
Mrs Teo’s comments came a day after the Government announced that Singapore will move into phase three of its reopening on Dec 28.
In a televised address to the nation on Monday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the permitted group size for social gatherings will go up from five to eight, and capacity limits for public places such as malls, attractions and places of worship will be increased.
Vaccinations will also be free for all Singaporeans and long-term residents, and will be voluntary for adults.
Migrant workers in some dormitories will also be allowed to return to the community once a month in a pilot scheme that will start in the first quarter of next year.
On Tuesday, Mrs Teo also gave an update on the SGUnited Traineeship Programme, an initiative for fresh graduates to gain job experience amid a weaker job market due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
As at early December, more than 4,700 trainees have been placed under the programme, she said.
“We are now discussing with MOE (Ministry of Education) on the future plans for the SGUnited Traineeships scheme,” said Mrs Teo.
She also said that about 430 mid-career job seekers have been placed in attachments with about 170 host organisations under the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme as at early December.
The programme, which lasts up to nine months, enables mid-career individuals to gain industry experience and pick up new skills to improve their employability. It includes a monthly training allowance of up to $3,000, of which 80 per cent is funded by the Government.
Mrs Teo said the programme is gaining momentum, “but not as fast as we would like”.
One of the reasons is that some companies have had to adjust their training programmes to better suit mid-career individuals, who already have years of experience and skills, she said.
In addition, many mid-career job seekers prefer a job offer rather than to join an attachment programme, said Mrs Teo.
“We want more employers and job seekers to take advantage of the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, and in doing so, explore and make available new options to themselves,” she said.
Construction firms urged to review safety protocols after 3 workplace fatalities in 2 days
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: Construction firms have been urged to conduct a “thorough” safety time-out exercise at their worksites, following three workplace fatalities in two days this week.
The call for a review of safety protocols was made on Friday (Nov 27) by the Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Council and the Singapore Contractors Association Ltd (SCAL), who said they were “deeply concerned” over the recent spate of worksite fatalities.
The first of the three incidents happened on Monday.
A worker was raising the work platform of a boom lift when he was caught between the guardrail of the boom lift and a roofing structural member, according to a bulletin on the WSH Council’s website.
The worker was extricated and pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
On Tuesday, a worker was checking formwork panels at a construction site when he lost his footing and fell about 0.8m to the ground. The worker was taken to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday.
The third incident involved a worker who was tasked to carry out arc welding on a pipe on Tuesday.
To facilitate welding works, an inert gas was earlier introduced into the pipe. “The worker was subsequently found unconscious with his upper body inside the opening of an adjoining pipe,” said the WSH accident notification.
He was pronounced dead in hospital.
The Ministry of Manpower is investigating the incidents.
A safety time-out involves reviewing construction activities and safety protocols.
This includes checking the stability of structures, as well as inspecting machinery, electrical installations and storage of materials and any hazardous chemicals.
“The recent accidents are strong reminders for us not to overlook the importance of WSH practices at worksites,” chairman of the WSH Council John Ng said in a media release.
“After a period of hiatus due to COVID-19, workers may have lowered their safety consciousness and become less mindful of safe operating procedures,” he added.
“Conducting a safety time-out exercise now will help industry stakeholders review all existing WSH provisions and address any potential lapses.”
SCAL president Ng Yek Meng said that the association urges “all construction firms to take a step back to check and ensure that all the safety processes are in place”.
He noted that many supervisors and workers have just returned to worksites after the “circuit breaker”, adding that “some complacency” may have set in or that safety processes might have been overlooked.
“Hence it is critical that employers carry out the safety time-outs to remind and reinforce the safety culture back into all their site personnel,” he said.
MOM to work closely with employers to manage risk of infectious diseases spreading at work
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) will work closely with employers and building owners to better manage the risks of infectious diseases spreading at the workplace, while continuing to stay vigilant in preventing workplace accidents.
Mental health support will also be enhanced, with the MOM launching an online assessment tool called iWorkHealth early next year, said Senior Minister of State for Manpower Zaqy Mohamad during his closing speech at the Singapore Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Conference, held virtually on Wednesday (Nov 18).
These were recommendations made by the International Advisory Panel (IAP) for WSH for a post-Covid-19 world and have been accepted by the Government, he said.
Mr Zaqy noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way businesses operate. For example, those in non-essential service sector have had to adopt technology to facilitate staff working from home.
“With the workplace moving into homes and online spaces, WSH must also adjust to address new perspectives and concerns that may emerge,” said Mr Zaqy.
Given the risk of a “disease X” that may be more infectious and lethal than Covid-19, the IAP recommended the MOM build on its experience working with public health authorities through the multi-ministry task force to integrate infectious disease management in the workplace within WSH, he added.
“The Government will work closely with employers and building owners to develop requirements and guidelines, such as sharing information with industry on transmission hot spots, for more targeted risk identification and interventions,” said Mr Zaqy.
The IAP also recommended the Government to enhance mental health support at the workplace, with companies encouraged to incorporate mental well-being as part of their risk assessment and management frameworks.
To help employers identify work stressors, the MOM is currently piloting the assessment tool iWorkHealth, which will be launched and made available to employers for free early next year, said Mr Zaqy.
The IAP also recommended that employers make their expectations for communications after office hours clear to employees, instead of implementing rigid rules that may inadvertently add to workers’ stress.
This was the approach taken by tripartite partners in the advisory for mental well-being at workplaces released on Tuesday, said Mr Zaqy.
Lastly, the IAP also urged companies to maintain vigilant in preventing workplace accidents, even as they manage new risks brought about by Covid-19.
Mr Zaqy said companies and employees may have overlooked the fundamentals of risk assessment and accident prevention practices as Covid-19 measures were implemented at the workplace after the end of the circuit breaker.
“This may explain why injuries continued to happen despite reductions in business and work activities for a substantial period in 2020,” he added.
In the first half of this year, there were 16 workplace fatalities, 201 major injuries and 4,779 minor injuries. In comparison, there were 17 fatalities, 319 major injuries and 6,294 minor injuries in the same period last year.
To combat this, the IAP called for the development of an approved code of practice to educate and engage company directors on their responsibilities and ways to ensure WSH risks are effectively managed.
Workers are also urged to cooperate with their employers and play their part in managing WSH risks, said Mr Zaqy.
He added that companies can tap technology such as virtual and augmented reality to manage both accident and Covid-19 risks at the same time, without the need for spending more money or using more manpower.
Nearly 140 workplace safety breaches uncovered at waste recycling companies: MOM
this is index.phpSINGAPORE: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Friday (Nov 13) that it had uncovered close to 140 workplace safety and health (WSH) contraventions at waste recycling companies during an enforcement operation.
Dubbed Ops Bowerbird, the targeted operation was launched last month with the support of the Singapore Civil Defence Force. More than 30 companies were inspected during the operation.
“Our inspectors uncovered close to 140 contraventions which posed fire and explosion risks such as poor handling of containers containing residual flammable/toxic gases and obstruction to fire safety measures,” the ministry said in a statement on Facebook.
“In addition, our inspectors also uncovered contraventions such as unsafe stacking, unsafe electrical wirings, poor forklift conditions, unsafe machine guarding and poor housekeeping.”
MOM said that some companies were found to be implementing good WSH practices: Some refused to accept materials they were not able to handle safely, such as canister cans, LPG cylinders and compressors, for example.
“All employers should conduct risk assessments, identify the materials that your companies are equipped to handle, and adhere to safe work procedures,” MOM said. “We will continue inspecting such workplaces to heighten focus on WSH, even amid COVID-19.”
MOM and the WSH Council will be working with industry leaders to issue an advisory on safe recycling work next month.
MOM added: “With year-end festivities approaching, businesses may be ramping up their work activities to meet deadlines due to earlier work suspension.
“Last year, in Nov and Dec alone, there was a spate of accidents that unfortunately resulted in the death of 13 workers.
“MOM would like to remind all companies to maintain vigilance and ensure necessary safeguards are in place to protect workers.”
Editor’s note: A previous version of this article, citing MOM, said that 11 workers died in workplace accidents in November and December last year. MOM has corrected this to 13 workers.
Source: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/nearly-140-workplace-safety-breaches-uncovered-at-waste-13532068#
SFA recalls Bellamy’s Organic pasta for infants due to ‘excessive levels’ of arsenic
this is index.phpSINGAPORE — The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Tuesday (Nov 3) directed the importer of popular baby food brand Bellamy’s Organic to recall its Organic Brown Rice Pasta Stars. This was after “excessive levels” of arsenic were found in the product.The product is targeted at infants from the age of seven months.
SFA said that it has detected arsenic in samples of the product, at levels exceeding the maximum limit for arsenic in baby food as stated in the Singapore Food Regulations.The maximum limit is 0.1ppm. The arsenic detected was at levels ranging between 0.12ppm and 0.3ppm in samples of the product, the agency said.SFA said that it has since directed the importer, DKSH Marketing Services, to recall the Australian product.“As a precaution, SFA is recalling all batches of the implicated product. The recall is ongoing,” it said.
The agency stressed that consumers who have bought the product should ensure that their infants do not consume them.They may also wish to seek medical advice for infants who feel unwell.“Those who have purchased the affected product may contact their point of purchase for enquiries and for exchange of product.
Personal data of 1.1 million RedMart user accounts stolen in Lazada breach and put up for sale
this is index.phpSINGAPORE – The personal information of 1.1 million RedMart user accounts was stolen from a customer database and put up for sale on an online forum.
A spokesman from e-commerce giant Lazada, which owns e-grocer Redmart, confirmed the data breach on Friday (Oct 30) and said that the personal information stolen included names, phone numbers, e-mail, mailing addresses, encrypted passwords and partial credit card numbers.
The company is in the process of reaching out to affected customers.
“Our cyber security team discovered an individual claiming to be in possession of a RedMart customer database taken from a legacy RedMart system no longer in use by the company,” the spokesman said.
“This RedMart-only information is more than 18 months out of date and not linked to any Lazada database.”
In a notification sent to affected users via e-mail and posted on its website, Lazada said the breach was discovered on Thursday as part of “proactive monitoring”, and stressed that “current customer data” is not affected by the breach.
The company has also taken action to block unauthorised access to the database and informed the Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) of the breach.
A PDPC spokesman said the commission was aware of the incident and is currently investigating.
As a security measure, Lazada has logged every affected customer out of their existing accounts.
When these customers log in, they will be asked to create a new password. Customers were also advised to change their passwords frequently.
Lazada also warned customers to be on the alert for phishing e-mails, where scammers ask for sensitive information while pretending to be from Lazada.
“Lazada does not request customers to verify your personal information,” the company said in the notification.
The breach likely happened due to an unsecured database on Magento – a commonly-used online retail payment platform – being exposed to the Internet without proper authentication, said Mr Stas Protassov, the co-founder and president of cyber-security firm Acronis.
“Although the data samples provided by the attackers are from 2019, it could still be used to create personalised phishing attacks, or even to (crack) the (encrypted) passwords for further attacks,” Mr Protassov added.
“Therefore it’s essential for customers to immediately change their passwords and stay vigilant for scam emails that might abuse this information in the near future.”