SINGAPORE: Additional measures will be put in place to accelerate the restart of construction work safely with most foreign worker dormitories now cleared of COVID-19, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said on Wednesday (Aug 12).
BCA said in a news release that it has granted permission for all companies with foreign construction workers to resume work.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe new measures include allowing firms and their foreign construction workers to resume work outside of construction sites and supply works premises without seeking approval from BCA.
The AccessCode status on the SGWorkPass platform will show that these workers have been approved to start work, BCA said.
Workers who meet the other four conditions – those who are cleared of COVID-19 infection, not on stay-home notice, installed the TraceTogether app and staying in COVID-cleared accommodation – will also have their AccessCode status turned to green and allowed to resume work.
This will benefit about 40,000 workers, BCA added.
AdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, main contractors for construction sites and supply works premises are still required to apply for BCA approval to resume work.
[h=3]READ: COVID-19 - Most foreign workers to be able to return to work by end-August, says Lawrence Wong[/h]“To minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission, main contractors will have to set out in their applications to BCA the necessary safe management measures,” the authority said.
“Main contractors will continue to make the application on behalf of its subcontractors and the subcontractors’ workers for such works.”
The restriction limiting construction projects to only allow workers from up to 10 accommodation addresses will also be temporarily suspended to facilitate faster construction restart.
“During this time, employers should work towards cohorting their foreign workers together in their accommodation, minimally by employer,” said BCA.
[h=3]READ: A timeline: Singapore’s biggest COVID-19 cluster at S11 dormitory closes[/h][h=3]READ: Foreign worker dormitory linked to more than 1,500 COVID-19 cases among 9 more clusters closed[/h]The authority added that employers and accommodation operators should also continue to work closely to ensure safe living measures and provide dedicated transport for foreign workers.
“Contractors should take into account the larger number of workers on-site and enforce strict zoning of their workforce, and ensure that workers residing in different accommodation or performing different activities do not intermingle on site.
“BCA will closely monitor the situation, including stepping up audits and inspections at worksites,” it said.
Cohorting will also be carried out in 43 dormitories licensed under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act to minimise intermingling of workers. These dormitories house about 160,000 workers.
Employers and workers will be informed of the cohorting schedule in advance, so that workers can prepare for the shift, including packing their personal belongings, BCA said.
Workers who are living in cleared dormitories with “green” AccessCode status will be allowed to continue working while the exercise is underway, which must be completed by Sep 30.
AccessCode statuses of workers in dormitories that fail to do so by that date will turn “red” and they will no longer be able to work, BCA added.
Foreign workers living in dormitories have made up the majority of COVID-19 cases reported in Singapore.
Authorities said on Tuesday that they are "actively monitoring" foreign worker dormitories to manage the risk of new outbreaks even after the completion of testing for all foreign workers living in them.
[h=3]READ: COVID-19: Authorities monitoring migrant worker dorms to manage risk of outbreaks after new cases reported[/h]Several safe management measures have been laid out to minimise the risk of infection, including temperature checks, monitoring of wastewater at higher risk dormitories and regular routine testing.
“With more daily movements in and out of the dormitories, it is even more important for everyone to remain vigilant to guard against new infections," the Ministry of Manpower, BCA, the Economic Development Board and the Health Promotion Board said in a joint news release.
[h=3]BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments[/h]Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
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