Republic of Singapore

Workplace Safety and Health Act

The Workplace Safety and Health Act (WSHA) is an essential part of the new framework to cultivate good safety habits in all individuals so as to engender a strong safety culture in our workplace. It emphasises the importance of managing workplace safety and health proactively by requiring stakeholders to take reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety and health of workers and other people that are affected by the work being carried out.

The Workplace Safety and Health Act came into effect on 1 March 2006.

Beside the main Act, the legislative framework will also include several subsidiary legislations. To find out more about the WSHA and the subsidiary legislation, please visit the OSHD website.

Workmen’s Compensation Act

The Workmen’s Compensation Act relates to the payment of compensation to workmen for injury suffered in the course of their employment. The Act covers all workmen engaged under a contract of service or apprenticeship.

Codes of Practice & other Guidelines

Besides legislation, Codes of Practice (CP) provide practical guidance on what constitute safety practices for specific work areas. These CP are jointly developed by the industry and regulatory agencies under the auspices of the Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board (SPRING Singapore). The Ministry of Manpower also issues guidelines on specific subject matters such as handling and removal of asbestos to complement regulations on the subject. To access the list of codes of practice and guidelines, please click here