SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has issued 52 composition fines of S$1,000 to employers for failing to comply with requirements for safe-management measures at their workplaces as of 5pm on Monday (June 15). 

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, MOM said that seven companies were also ordered to stop operations for failing to comply with the requirements. 

Six of the seven firms were ordered to halt operations after MOM officers found many employees working at their workplaces, even though they could have done so from home. One company was ordered to stop operations on account of multiple lapses in rolling out safe-management measures. 

These penalties were meted out as part of MOM’s inspection of close to 1,000 workplaces since circuit breaker measures were lifted on June 2, as Singapore moved into the first of three phases of the reopening of its economy. 

Singapore will begin the second phase of exiting the circuit breaker on Friday, with the majority of workplaces allowed to resume operations. 

As part of the reopening of workplaces, companies must ensure, among other things, that masks are worn at the workplace and there is safe distancing of at least 1m between employees at all times.

MOM said that while most employers were adopting safer workplace arrangements, such as putting in place the SafeEntry visitor-management system for employees and visitors, and having staggered work hours and lunch breaks, there was still a need for employers to stay vigilant at the workplace to keep community transmission low. 

Besides inspections of workplaces to ensure they abide by the rules, MOM said it has also been advising businesses on how to further improve their safe-management measures.  

This includes how to better evacuate suspected coronavirus cases found at the workplace, as well as other employees within the same space. 

In its Facebook post, MOM also said that those who wish to report workplaces flouting the rules may do so via its SnapSafe mobile application.