Reduce outdoor work when PM2.5 rises, says MOM in additional guidance to employers

Employers should adjust outdoor work based on the hourly PM2.5 readings, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said in an additional guidance to employers on Tuesday (Oct 20).

It is intended to complement existing guidelines based on the 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) forecast, the ministry stated.

"(It) helps employers respond within the day as air quality changes."

Under the additional guidance, all outdoor activities can go on as planned when PM2.5 is in the normal band (0 to 55μg/m3), but there are now activity references across for healthy and vulnerable workers when concentration readings reach the elevated (56 to 150), high (151 to 250) and very high (251 and above) bands.

Prohibit outdoor work for vulnerable employees.

Defer non-essential jobs or reducing the intensity and duration of outdoor work.

If outdoor work is not avoidable, masks or appropriate respirators should be provided.

Affected workers should be given hourly rest breaks (e.g. 10 to 15 mins). Rest breaks should be taken indoors where an indoor area is available.

Risk assessment should account for reduced visibility, particularly for lifting operations involving tower and mobile cranes.

Referring to outdoor work, the ministry stated that reducing means doing less; minimising means doing as little as possible; avoiding means "do not do"; and, prohibit means must not allow.

It also defined prolonged as continuous exposure for several hours, and strenuous as activities that involve a lot of energy and effort.

Meanwhile, the existing guidance for PSI can still be used to plan for next day's activities, MOM said.

Employees are reminded to review their haze management plans.

These include identifying workers who are more susceptible to the effects of haze, determining which outdoor activities should be reduced or rescheduled; setting criteria for restricting outdoor work as conditions worsen, and maintaining at least a one-week supply of masks as part of their haze-related business continuity plans.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash reminded employers that the health and safety of workers must always remain a priority, especially during periods of haze, adding that the additional guidance will help employers respond promptly to changing air quality and make informed decisions on outdoor work arrangements.

"I strongly urge employers to stay alert to haze conditions, take appropriate precautions, and pay particular attention to workers who are more vulnerable to its effects. With timely adjustments to work arrangements and the right protective measures, we can better safeguard workers while supporting business continuity," he said.

人力部（MOM）周二（10月20日）向雇主发布了补充指导意见，指出雇主应根据每小时的PM2.5读数调整户外工作。

该部表示，此举旨在补充现有的基于 24 小时污染物标准指数 (PSI) 预测的指导方针。

“（它）可以帮助雇主在空气质量变化时当天做出反应。”

根据补充指导，当 PM2.5 处于正常范围（0 至 55μg/m3）时，所有户外活动均可按计划进行；但当浓度读数达到升高（56 至 150）、高（151 至 250）和非常高（251 及以上）范围时，现在对健康和易感人群的活动都有相应的参考标准。

禁止弱势员工进行户外工作。

推迟非必要工作或减少户外工作的强度和持续时间。

如果户外工作无法避免，则应提供口罩或合适的呼吸器。

受影响的工人应每小时休息一次（例如 10 至 15 分钟）。如有室内场所，休息应在室内进行。

风险评估应考虑能见度降低的情况，特别是对于涉及塔式起重机和移动式起重机的起重作业。

该部在谈到户外工作时表示，“减少”意味着“少做”；“最小化”意味着“尽可能少做”；“避免”意味着“不要做”；“禁止”意味着“绝对不允许”。

它还将长时间定义为持续数小时的暴露，将剧烈活动定义为涉及大量能量和努力的活动。

人力部表示，与此同时，现有的PSI指南仍然可以用于规划第二天的活动。

请各位员工检查并复习雾霾管理计划。

这些措施包括：确定哪些工人更容易受到雾霾的影响；确定哪些户外活动应该减少或重新安排；制定在情况恶化时限制户外工作的标准；以及作为与雾霾相关的业务连续性计划的一部分，至少储备一周的口罩。

人力部国务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什提醒雇主，工人的健康和安全必须始终放在首位，尤其是在雾霾期间。他还补充说，这些额外的指导意见将帮助雇主迅速应对不断变化的空气质量，并就户外工作安排做出明智的决定。

“我强烈敦促用人单位密切关注雾霾情况，采取适当的预防措施，并特别关注那些更容易受到雾霾影响的员工。通过及时调整工作安排和采取正确的防护措施，我们可以在保障员工安全的同时，确保业务的持续运营。”他说道。